In the 1940s, Portuguese neurologist António Egas Moniz received the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking new treatment: the prefrontal lobotomy. His procedure was adopted by hospitals all over the world—but the treatment was controversial, and came to be known as one of medicine’s greatest mistakes.
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Oct 2023
Why did the man who invented the lobotomy win a Nobel Prize?
In 1949, neurologist Egas Moniz reached the pinnacle of his career when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. He received this honor for what is now known as a lobotomy, though at the time it was referred to as leucotomy, "for its therapeutic value in certain psychoses." Th ... Show More
5m 12s
Jan 2021
“Jigsaw” Dr. Buck Ruxton Pt. 1
Shortly after he began practicing medicine in England, Dr. Ruxton met Isabella Kerr. The intensity between them simmered into volatility — and in 1935, after years of escalating domestic abuse, the Lancaster physician exploded in a murderous rage. Learn more about your ad choices ... Show More
47m 1s
Oct 2021
“Dr. Death” Christopher Duntsch Pt. 1
When Dr. Christopher Duntsch was ousted from the biotech startup he co-founded, he pursued a new career in medicine as a spinal surgeon. He was inexperienced, inept, and arrogant — but his charm secured glowing reviews and second chances everywhere he went. By the time alarm bell ... Show More
52m 19s
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