PATIENT H. M.

A Story of Memory, Madness and Family Secrets
by Luke Dittrich

I have always found psychology fascinating and majored in developmental psych, along with theatre, in college. So diving into Patient H. M., I felt excited to learn through the study of lobotomies more about how our memories work.. I am thrilled to report, however, that this book delivers so much more. It reminds me of Hidden Valley Road (read review here) in how cleverly it weaves personal narrative with psychological history and current scientific fact.

This is perhaps not common knowledge, but in the late 30s through the early 60s, lobotomies were an incredibly popular tool used by the mental health profession to “cure” everything from schizophrenia to depression to homosexuality. They were often used to help patients with epilepsy, and that is where the famous patient H. M.’s story begins. Henry Molaison (known as H. M. for decades to protect his privacy) had severe epilepsy as a young man. But when the doctors attempted to operate, they could not find any irregularity in his brain. The doctor, who was a renegade and a risk taker, decided to remove the majority of Henry’s medial temporal lobe on both sides, which includes the amygdala and the hippocampus. This was 1953 and not much was known about what those structures did. When Henry recovered from the surgery he could no longer make any new memories and lost a good deal of his memories from before the surgery. Because he had no history of mental illness and the removal had been so “clean,” Henry became one of the most sought-after and documented subjects ever in psychological testing. 

The other fascinating angle this book offers is that the author, Luke Dittrich, is the grandson of the surgeon who made those reckless removals from Henry’s brain. Dittrich is able to go into personal depth and detail about the other side of the story: how lobotomies were developed and popularized and the politics of the policy developed around them. Patient H. M. definitely illuminates a niche topic, but it is an entertaining read and exposes a very dark period in the care of people with mental disorders. (Lily)

A SECOND HELPING

After reading Lily’s compelling review of Patient H.M., I had to get a copy and read it.  An unlikely, but true, story about the surgeon who performed more lobotomies than any other surgeon in the United States – it seemed like an odd choice for me to read.  But it is absolutely fascinating.  Told by the surgeon’s grandson, who had to dig into medical records, as well as into his own family’s history, to find the truth, Patient H.M. is gritty and shocking.  I have found myself talking about it with anyone who will listen.  I want to underscore Lily’s recommendation and encourage you to read it! (Liz)