Evening star., 1955-01-28
Lobotomy Moy Abolish
Most Violent Psychosis
West Virginia RehobiIisutes
SO Pet. Of Schizo Patients
By Thomes &. Henry

TWO years ago West virginia
authorized Q large-scale use Of the
widely debated brain operation. trans
orbital lobotomy, for severely disturbed
patients In State mental hospitals.
This has resulted. to date, In 80 per
cent Of 6o2 patients subjected to the
operation, with the consent OF their
families, being able to get along fairly
well In the outside world and has
brought about great emotional improve.
ment, according to the report Of DR..
Walter Freeman and his West Virginia
associates to the American Medical
Association.
DR.. Freeman Is the Washington
neurologist who devised the operation
In which surgical instrument Is in
serted under the eyelid and forced into
the prefrontal lobe Of the brain. with
the apparent result Of severing nerve
connections Of various emotional as
sociations.
The work represented the largest
scale application Of any kind Of brain
surgery yet attempted and the report
has been awaited with great interest by
neurologists all over the country.
Started In 1889.
The first operations were on 226
severely disturbed patients in the sum-
mer Of 1852. These had been, on an
average, nearly six years In mental
hospitals and had been given about
every form Of treatment known with
very little result The majority were
victims Of some form Of schizophrenia.
Two-thirds Of them were confined In
disturbed wards and were kept quite
constantly under guard.
BY the next summer, DR.. Freeman
says, IS were out Of the hospitals and
were making an acceptable adjustment
in their homes Fifty others had been
released for short periods but had
proved too difhcult for relatives TO
handle. Some of those released were In
positions Of relative Importance, earn
ing living or going to school. Others
were keeping house In more or less
effective fashion.
The aftermath Of the operation runs
somewhat typical course. DR.. Freeman
found. For several days Immediately
= following most patients are tranquil,
friendly and cooperative. They appear
to have come suddenly back out Of the
shadows into the world'of reality. They
have no memory Of the operation. This
period lasts for about two weeks and is
quite deceptive.
The second period which follows
lasts for from six weeks to six months.
The patients often become irritable and
defiant There is resurgence Of old
complaints. This DR.. Freeman char
acterizes as the echo period" In
favorable cases these echoes" die away.
but great deal depends on the attitude
of relatives and friends. Sometimes 1t
is necessary to return the patients to
the hospitals for further treatment.
Appearance Improves.
Almost universal, DR.. Freeman says,
is great improvement In physical ap-
pearance. He says:
"The corners OF the mouth are. no
longer turned down. the brow is not
furrowed, nor do the lower eyelids
droop. The distorted expressions Of
fear, hate and torment give way to
relaxed and sometimes smiling friend-
illness. There is often gain In weight
that alters the contour Of the face"
,a The results were considered 80
successful that last summer the opera.
tion was performedlion 285 more pa
tients in West Virginia hospitals. This
winter the list was extended to lis
more. BY the end Of May, a Of these
were out Of the hospitals.
Approximately al per cent have shown
no improvement. Their behavior "con-
tinues to be dominated by hallucina-
tions." Some Of them, DR.. Freeman
stresses. are victims Of schizophrenia
complicated by epilepsy or feeble
mindedness. Further follow-up studies
are planned. It has at least been estab-
lished, DR.. Freeman maintains, that
lobotomy is prime factor In abolishing
violent wards.