Walter Jackson Freeman II: Difference between revisions

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Walter Jackson Freeman II (November 14, 1895 – May 31, 1972) was an American neurologist and psychiatrist known for his work in the development and popularization of the lobotomy procedure in the United States.

Early Life and Education

Freeman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a family with a strong medical background. He attended Yale University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, and later received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Career

Freeman began his career as a neurologist and was influenced by the work of Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurologist who developed the leucotomy, a precursor to the lobotomy. Freeman, along with his colleague James W. Watts, performed the first prefrontal lobotomy in the United States in 1936.

Lobotomy

Freeman is best known for his role in the development and promotion of the transorbital lobotomy, a procedure that involved inserting an ice pick-like instrument through the eye socket to sever connections in the prefrontal cortex. This procedure was intended to treat various mental disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Freeman's methods were controversial and faced criticism from the medical community. Despite this, he continued to perform lobotomies throughout his career, traveling across the country to demonstrate the procedure.

Legacy

Freeman's work has been the subject of much debate and criticism. While he believed that lobotomies could alleviate suffering, the procedure often resulted in severe side effects, including cognitive impairment, personality changes, and death.

Freeman's legacy is a complex one, as he is both credited with bringing attention to the treatment of mental illness and criticized for the ethical implications of his methods.

Death

Walter Jackson Freeman II died of cancer on May 31, 1972, in San Francisco, California.

References

Jack,

 The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness, 
  
 John Wiley & Sons, 
 2005, 
  
  
 ISBN 978-0-471-23292-0,

Pressman, Jack D.,

 Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine, 
 Cambridge University Press, 
 1998,
 
 
 DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511583619,

External Links

PBS American Experience: The Lobotomist

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox person
 | name = Walter Jackson Freeman II
-| image = Walter Jackson Freeman II.jpg
+| image = <!-- Image goes here -->
-| caption = Walter Jackson Freeman II
+| caption = <!-- Caption goes here -->
-| birth_date = [[November 14]], [[1895]]
+| birth_date = {{Birth date|1895|11|14}}
 | birth_place = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[United States]]
-| death_date = [[May 31]], [[1972]]
+| death_date = {{Death date and age|1972|5|31|1895|11|14}}
 | death_place = [[San Francisco]], [[California]], [[United States]]
-| occupation = [[Neurologist]], [[Psychiatrist]]
+| nationality = [[American]]
+| occupation = [[Neurologist]]
 | known_for = [[Lobotomy]]
 }}
-'''Walter Jackson Freeman II''' (November 14, 1895 – May 31, 1972) was an American [[neurologist]] and [[psychiatrist]] who is best known for popularizing the [[lobotomy]] in the United States. He was a controversial figure in the history of [[psychiatry]] due to his advocacy of the procedure, which he believed could treat a variety of mental illnesses.
+'''Walter Jackson Freeman II''' (November 14, 1895 – May 31, 1972) was an [[American]] [[neurologist]] and [[psychiatrist]] known for his work in the development and popularization of the [[lobotomy]] procedure in the [[United States]].
 == Early Life and Education ==
@@ Line 17: / Line 18: @@
 == Career ==
-Freeman began his career as a neurologist at [[George Washington University]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], where he also served as a professor. He became interested in the treatment of mental illness and was influenced by the work of [[Egas Moniz]], a Portuguese neurologist who developed the [[prefrontal leucotomy]].
+Freeman began his career as a [[neurologist]] and was influenced by the work of [[Egas Moniz]], a [[Portuguese]] [[neurologist]] who developed the [[leucotomy]], a precursor to the lobotomy. Freeman, along with his colleague [[James W. Watts]], performed the first prefrontal lobotomy in the United States in 1936.
-=== Development of the Lobotomy ===
+=== Lobotomy ===
-Freeman, along with his colleague [[James W. Watts]], performed the first prefrontal lobotomy in the United States in 1936. He later developed the "transorbital lobotomy," a procedure that involved inserting an ice pick-like instrument through the patient's eye socket to sever connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. This method was less invasive and could be performed outside of a hospital setting, which contributed to its widespread use.
+Freeman is best known for his role in the development and promotion of the [[transorbital lobotomy]], a procedure that involved inserting an [[ice pick]]-like instrument through the [[eye socket]] to sever connections in the [[prefrontal cortex]]. This procedure was intended to treat various [[mental disorders]], including [[schizophrenia]], [[depression]], and [[bipolar disorder]].
-[[File:Walter Freeman performing a lobotomy.jpg|thumb|Walter Freeman performing a lobotomy]]
+Freeman's methods were controversial and faced criticism from the medical community. Despite this, he continued to perform lobotomies throughout his career, traveling across the country to demonstrate the procedure.
-=== Controversy and Legacy ===
+== Legacy ==
-Freeman's methods were highly controversial. While he claimed that lobotomies could alleviate symptoms of mental illness, the procedure often resulted in severe side effects, including personality changes, cognitive impairment, and in some cases, death. Despite this, Freeman continued to advocate for lobotomies, performing thousands of procedures throughout his career.
+Freeman's work has been the subject of much debate and criticism. While he believed that lobotomies could alleviate suffering, the procedure often resulted in severe side effects, including [[cognitive impairment]], [[personality changes]], and [[death]].
-Freeman's work has been criticized for its ethical implications and lack of scientific rigor. The advent of [[antipsychotic]] medications in the 1950s led to a decline in the use of lobotomies, and Freeman's reputation suffered as a result.
+Freeman's legacy is a complex one, as he is both credited with bringing attention to the treatment of mental illness and criticized for the ethical implications of his methods.
 == Death ==
-Walter Freeman died of cancer in 1972 in [[San Francisco]], [[California]]. His legacy remains controversial, with some viewing him as a pioneer in the treatment of mental illness and others as a cautionary tale of medical hubris.
+Walter Jackson Freeman II died of [[cancer]] on May 31, 1972, in [[San Francisco]], [[California]].
-== Also see ==
+== See Also ==
-* [[Lobotomy]]
 * [[Egas Moniz]]
-* [[History of psychiatry]]
+* [[History of lobotomy]]
 * [[Psychosurgery]]
-{{Authority control}}
+== References ==
+* {{Cite book |last=El-Hai |first=Jack |title=The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness |year=2005 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-23292-0}}
+* {{Cite journal |last=Pressman |first=Jack D. |title=Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine |journal=Cambridge University Press |year=1998 |doi=10.1017/CBO9780511583619}}
+== External Links ==
+* [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/lobotomist/ PBS American Experience: The Lobotomist]
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeman, Walter Jackson II}}
+[[Category:1895 births]]
+[[Category:1972 deaths]]
 [[Category:American neurologists]]
 [[Category:American psychiatrists]]
 [[Category:History of psychiatry]]
-[[Category:1895 births]]
+[[Category:People from Philadelphia]]
-[[Category:1972 deaths]]
+[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
+[[Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni]]