Lobotomy Nation: The History of Psychosurgery and Psychiatry in Denmark

ISBN-13: 9783030653088 / Angielski / Miękka / 2022

Jesper Vaczy Kragh

Opis

This book tells the story of one of medicine’s most (in)famous treatments: the neurosurgical operation commonly known as lobotomy. Invented by Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz in 1935, lobotomy or psychosurgery became widely used in a number of countries, including Denmark, where the treatment had a major breakthrough. In fact, evidence suggests that more lobotomies were performed in Denmark than any other country. However, the reason behind this unofficial world record has not yet been fully understood. Lobotomy Nation traces the history of psychosurgery and its ties to other psychiatric treatments such as malaria fever therapy, Cardiazol shock and insulin coma therapy, but it also situates lobotomy within a broader context. The book argues that the rise and fall of lobotomy is not just a story about psychiatry, it is also about society, culture and interventions towards vulnerable groups in the 20th century.

Recenzje

"Kragh's monograph is more than a history of lobotomy. ... Kragh is in impressive command of his source material, advancing his arguments forcefully and effectively. The book is well organized and clearly written ... . Eschewing simplistic conclusions, Kragh has chosen to take the hard road of carefully analyzing psychiatric practices and contexts. As a result, his study stands head and shoulders above many lesser works. Future scholars will have no choice but to reckon with his conclusions." (Eric J. Engstrom, H-Soz-Kult, hsozkult.de, February 3, 2023)

Spis treści

Chapter 1. White Incisions and Black Butterflies: Introduction

Part I: Towards Lobotomy

Chapter 2. State Mental Health Services

Chapter 3. Malaria and the Interwar Years

Chapter 4. Shock and Coma

Chapter 5. Psychiatric Cooperation

Part II: The Time of Lobotomy

Chapter 6. Something Different

Chapter 7. The First of Many

Chapter 8. The Apostles of the Knife

Chapter 9. Last Resort?

Chapter 10. Women and the Problem of Psychopathy

Part III: The Demise of Psychosurgery

Chapter 11. A Question of Consent

Chapter 12. Lobotomia Sequelae

Chapter 13. The Final Cut

O autorze

Jesper Vaczy Kragh is Senior Researcher in the Copenhagen Centre for Health Research in the Humanities (CoRe) at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He has worked on research projects on the history of forensic psychiatry, Nordic psychology, drug abuse in the 19th and early 20th century and the history of vulnerable groups, 1945–1980. He is Co-Editor of the book, Social Class and Mental Illness in Northern Europe (2020).

Blurb

This book tells the story of one of medicine’s most (in)famous treatments: the neurosurgical operation commonly known as lobotomy. Invented by Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz in 1935, lobotomy or psychosurgery became widely used in a number of countries, including Denmark, where the treatment had a major breakthrough. In fact, evidence suggests that more lobotomies were performed in Denmark than any other country. However, the reason behind this unofficial world record has not yet been fully understood. Lobotomy Nation traces the history of psychosurgery and its ties to other psychiatric treatments such as malaria fever therapy, Cardiazol shock and insulin coma therapy, but it also situates lobotomy within a broader context. The book argues that the rise and fall of lobotomy is not just a story about psychiatry, it is also about society, culture and interventions towards vulnerable groups in the 20th century.

Jesper Vaczy Kragh is Senior Researcher in the Copenhagen Centre for Health Research in the Humanities (CoRe) at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He has worked on research projects on the history of forensic psychiatry, Nordic psychology, drug abuse in the 19th and early 20th century and the history of vulnerable groups, 1945–1980. He is Co-Editor of the book, Social Class and Mental Illness in Northern Europe (2020).