logo
episode-header-image
May 2021
40m 49s

The Ice Pick Surgeon | Search for a Cure...

Wondery
About this episode
Walter Freeman is devastated when he learns the truth about mental asylums. The medical care is barbaric, and for patients, everyday life is a nightmare. So Freeman begins searching for an alternative. It's a quest that leads him to one of the most controversial procedures in medical history.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Ice Pick Surgeon? E ... Show More
Up next
Jun 2021
The Osage Murders | A Shrinking Family | 1
A woman's body is found at the bottom of a gorge. It belongs to a member of the Osage Nation, a tribe that's grown incredibly wealthy from oil. When the victim's sister goes looking for answers, she begins to uncover a shocking conspiracy, one that puts her life in danger.Want to ... Show More
42m 10s
Aug 2021
Attica Prison Uprising | Liberation | 1
The Attica Correctional Facility is a notoriously brutal prison, where beatings are commonplace, and prisoners work for pennies. Tensions have begun to boil over, and after a guard and inmate get into a fight, the maximum-security prison is pushed to the brink.Want to listen to t ... Show More
39m 8s
Oct 2021
LA Steals Its Water | The Biggest Problem | 1
William Mulholland climbs to the top of the water department. But once he's there, he learns that Los Angeles has a terrible secret, one that could destroy the city.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of LA Steals Its Water? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free ... Show More
43m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2020
Walter Freeman Pt. 2: “Ice Pick Lobotomist”
As criticisms of lobotomy mounted, Dr. Freeman continued performing his dangerous procedure — even without patient consent. Then, with his legacy and career on the line, Freeman spent the final years of his life seeking redemption from patients. Learn more about your ad choices. ... Show More
46m 58s
Oct 2020
Walter Freeman Pt. 1: “Ice Pick Lobotomist”
Neurologist Walter Freeman was a top doctor in his field. He was on the cutting edge of brain surgery, even going so far as to develop a new procedure called the 'lobotomy'. Unfortunately, it became one of the deadliest medical techniques of the 20th century. Learn more about you ... Show More
50m 37s
Jun 2020
Episode 414: Lobotomies Part II - Assistant to the Bone Slicer
<p>On the conclusion to our series on the history of lobotomies, we explore just how the procedure became the most popular mental health treatment of the forties, despite the horrific and unpredictable side effects that came with shoving an ice pick up through an eye socket and w ... Show More
1h 28m
Aug 2021
6: Mind Games - The Dark History of Lobotomy
What do the Kennedy’s (yes, those Kennedy’s), ice picks and depression all have in common? The lobotomy. Decades ago, this terrifying procedure was seen as the miracle solution to dozens of psychological problems. Today, Bailey digs into the dark history of lobotomies and how one ... Show More
39m 43s
Jun 2020
Episode 413: Lobotomies Part I - The Cathartic and the Emetic
<p>On the first of a two part series, we cover one of the strangest medical procedures of the 20th century: lobotomies. Join us as we explore the life of the man who popularized the procedure and just how the medical community came to think that it was a good idea in the first pl ... Show More
1h 17m
Sep 2020
Lobotomies Pt. 2
With Dr. Walter Freeman’s invention in the 1940s, psychologists could perform a transorbital lobotomy from the comfort of their office… with an ice pick through the eye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
47m 10s
Jan 2024
Bad Magic | The Man in the Linen Pants | S4-E1
When a filmmaker hears about a secret trial of a new HIV treatment, he begins to wonder about the mysterious doctor behind it. Meanwhile, two podcasters are invited to an unusual birthday party...Need more Dr. Death? Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Dr. Death ad- ... Show More
41m 46s
Jan 2024
Bad Magic | The Man in the Linen Pants | S4-E1
When a filmmaker hears about a secret trial of a new HIV treatment, he begins to wonder about the mysterious doctor behind it. Meanwhile, two podcasters are invited to an unusual birthday party...Need more Dr. Death? With Wondery+, you can listen to all episodes, unlock exclusive ... Show More
41m 46s
Mar 2019
The Fifth Vital Sign
We look at how our culture's massive effort to address pain has paradoxically increased it. And we follow one young girl as she struggles through a bizarre and extreme treatment program. NOTE: The treatment in this episode is administered by trained professionals in a hospital se ... Show More
59m 13s