Howard Dully, age 12, receives a trans-orbital lobotomy from Walter Freeman, the procedure’s inventor, 1960
Freeman recommended Dully receive the procedure after the boy’s stepmother sought his help with problems she was having with Dully at home.
(Dully had no mental problems and the lobotomy was completely unnecessary. His stepmother was basically a horrible woman who wanted to get rid of Dully, and his father sort of rolled over and went along with it. Amazingly, he had no mental problems from the procedure. He was sent to asylums and group homes for most of his childhood, but amazingly went on to live a relatively normal life.)
Dr. Freeman was a terrible person, who went around lobotomizing people for no particular reason, rendering most of them brain damaged for the rest of their lives.
From Freeman’s notes: “Howard is rather evasive about talking about things that go on in the home. Howard seems to have poor muscular control. He objects to going to bed, but then sleeps well. He does a good deal of daydreaming. He turns the room lights on when there’s broad sunlight outside. He hates to wash. He puts on a sweater on the hottest days and goes without an undershirt on chilly ones. I think it would be pretty much of a shame to wish Howard on anybody. I explained to Mrs. Dully that Howard was unapproachable by psychotherapy and that the family should consider the possibility of changing Howard’s personality by means of transorbital lobotomy. Mrs. Dully said it was up to her husband. I would have to talk to him and make it stick.”
The medical community had already turned against lobotomy at the time.
I hope to be remembered for my atrocities! 