# Lobotomies - how many people were 'done' in U.S.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lobotomies-how-many-people-were-done-in-u-s/278159 "2004-12-05T03:12:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mrsface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@mrsface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrsface)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lobotomies-how-many-people-were-done-in-u-s/278159/1 "2004-12-05T03:12:42Z")
Two questions: Does anyone have any figures on how many mental patients in total were given psycho-surgery (lobotomy/leucotomy) for mental illness? With dates? The number I have for the UK is 10,365 between 1942 and 1954, with a ‘substantial’ fall in frequency after 1961 - which could mean anything. (from Oxford Companion to the Mind). Also, is there any possibility that such surgery is still being done anywhere in the US? What is the legal position? Any good sources on this gratefully received. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lobotomies-how-many-people-were-done-in-u-s/278159/2 "2004-12-05T03:20:09Z")
18,000 between 1939 and 1951, the period when most of them were performed. Read more here: [http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/lobotomy.html](http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/lobotomy.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lobotomies-how-many-people-were-done-in-u-s/278159/3 "2004-12-05T03:23:46Z")
Sorry, but I am not sure that there is going to be an exact answer. Several other sources that I checked list the number at 50,000 in the U.S. Here is one with a more scholarly citation in it. [http://www.sntp.net/lobotomy/lobotomy.htm](http://www.sntp.net/lobotomy/lobotomy.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lobotomies-how-many-people-were-done-in-u-s/278159/4 "2004-12-05T03:27:37Z")
Lobotomies are (rarely) done today in the U.S. but not for mental disorders. They are used to treat cases of extreme epilepsy. [http://www.psychosurgery.org/index\_files/Page4108.htm](http://www.psychosurgery.org/index_files/Page4108.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lobotomies-how-many-people-were-done-in-u-s/278159/5 "2004-12-05T05:20:26Z")
> [@Mad In America](#): > > Prior to World War II, prefrontal lobotomy had been performed on fewer then 1,000 people in the United States. But over the next decade, more then 20,000 underwent the operation, … The “next decade” was kind of the “Golden Age” of the lobotomy, so I would expect that the final tally would be relatively close to 21,000. If your interested in the topic, I highly recommend [Mad In America](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0738207993/qid=1102224069/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/104-0696958-9651165?v=glance&s=books&n=507846). One of the most eye-opening books I’ve read in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lobotomies-how-many-people-were-done-in-u-s/278159/6 "2004-12-05T12:06:26Z")
[**Cecil** says](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_425.html): > [@](#): > > The first lobotomy in the United States took place on September 14, 1936. By August 15, 1949, the number of victims had reached 10,706. But, in 1949, the [Nobel Prize was awarded to Egas Moniz](The first lobotomy in the United States took place on September 14, 1936. By August 15, 1949, the number of victims had reached 10,706.), for his work in developing the procedure. The awarding of the prize resulted in an [explosion in the number of procedures performed](http://www.lobotomy.info/adventures.html): > [@](#): > > Moniz’s award sealed the future of tens of thousands of psychiatric patients, for it squashed many of the existing reservations about the operation, and more people were lobotomized in the three years after he received the prize then in the previous 14 years. So, 20k minimum, 50k possible. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lobotomies-how-many-people-were-done-in-u-s/278159/7 "2004-12-05T12:08:35Z")
Broken link above. Should be: [Nobel Prize was awarded to Egas Moniz](http://nobelprize.org/medicine/articles/moniz/)