Prefrontal leucotomy; a review.

Introduction During the past 20 vears a number of physical methods of, treatment have been introduced-on a large scale for the alleviation of mental illness. Despite much research the successes of insulin treatrhent in schizophrenia, convulsion therapy in depressive states and prolonged narcosis in emotional disturbance still remain unexplained even to the point, of their still being empirical. Moreover, none of these methods can be expected to produce any radical changes in the personality of the patient, which means that, although the recovery from an attack of illness may be effected by these methods when it had hitherto been unlikely or a remissior of a better quality than was seen in the past may be obtained, the susceptibil;ty of the patient-to his particular type of illness still