| Walter Freeman's Orbitoclast | |
|---|---|
| |
| The ice pick-like surgical instrument. | |
|
Origin |
Walter Jackson Freeman II |
|
Type |
Surgical Instrument |
|
Effects |
Causes increasing mental disorders |
|
Downsides |
Effects |
|
Activation |
Use in a procedure |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
45927-2039-142 |
|
Shelf |
92742-7593-781 |
|
Date of Collection |
April 5, 1996 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
In 1936 a neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Walter Jackson Freeman II his partner, Dr. James Watts, began performing lobotomies in the United States. Ten years later Freeman wanted to find a technique that was faster, more accessible and less expensive. Freeman first practiced on cadavers using an ice pick, which is how his method came to be known as the "ice pick lobotomy." When he began performing the transorbital lobotomy on patients, he used a stronger version of a leucotome that resembled an ice pick, called an orbitoclast. After going through the top of the eye socket, Freeman could enter the brain just by tapping lightly on the orbitoclast with a hammer to break through the thin layer of bone. Then he twirled it to cut through the fibers. After pulling out the orbitoclast, the procedure was repeated on the other side. The transorbital lobotomy took 10 minutes or less. Because it didn't require drilling through the skull, it could be done by rendering the patient unconscious via electroconvulsive shock. It could also be done by nonsurgeons. Since most mental hospitals didn't have operating rooms or surgeons on staff, this new method made it easier for a patient to get the procedure.
Effects[]
Once the transorbital lobotomy has been performed with the orbitoclast, the patient will over a short period of time become more mentally disturbed. Developing more and more mental disorders and personalities, until his/her mind and personality are permanently lost.