Monday, March 13, 2006

About an article in the Sunday Times concerning psychosurgery

The Sunday Times published an article last February 19 making the usual confusion about leucotomy and lobotomy. The difference between the two approaches is described in the main text above. Moniz did not promote the crude frontal lobotomies performed in the USA. The article also states that Egas Moniz was shot in the back by a dissatisfied patient. As a a matter of fact, the patient was standing in front of him at Moniz' private pratice when he fired several shots. The patient was a psychopath who gave vague reasons for the shooting such as dissatisfaction with the dose of the drug prescribed by Egas Moniz. He thought that Egas Moniz did not want to cure him.
Wikipedia wrongly reports that after that assassination attempt Egas Moniz remained confined to a wheelchair. This is not true, actually he recovered completely as reported by those who visited with him repeatedly and are still alive. There are several pictures taken thereafter included in his autobiography showing him standing and inter alia lecturing.