[The unknown history of lobotomy: women, children and idiots were lobotomized].

The history of prefrontal lobotomy is an interesting example of medicine regarding as useful a treatment method which present-day consensus evaluates in a contrary fashion. A pilot study of archives from the Swedish state mental hospital Umedalen shows that the frequency of lobotomies as well as postoperative mortality were higher than what has earlier been assumed. The majority of the 704 patients who underwent lobotomy at Umedalen hospital were women. One unexpected finding concerns the numbers of mentally retarded patients and children who were subjected to lobotomy. Case records and other documents from the hospital archives indicate that the operation was performed largely for the benefit of the hospital rather than the patient, with an eye to engendering calm and order on the unruly wards.