La première intervention de lobotomie documentée en France. 2 décembre 1939–Docteur Gaston Ferdière

Abstract

In January 1940, the first bulletin of the year of the journal «Annales Médico-Psychologiques» (Ann. Med.-Psych., 15th series, 98th year, T.I, January 1940, 522 p.) [11], published the report of the session of December 2, 1939 of the Société Médico-Psychologique, and in particular a communication by Doctor Gaston Ferdière, on a case of lobotomy (immediate results of prefrontal leucotomy in a case of catatonic stupor, pp 111-119), intervention performed at the hospital of Issoudun (Sub-prefecture of the department of Indre; 36) on December 2, 1939, and also reports the lively discussion that followed, with, in particular, the criticisms of Professor Henri Baruk. This is the first communication relating to the use of this technique in France, and if today its scientific and therapeutic interest is only historical, this method of leucotomy, however considered at the time as innovative, having been deleted, these paper poses ethical questions that remain very topical. After having summarized the communication and the discussion, and described, for the record, the method, we will evoke these questions, then the author's life of the paper: Doctor Gaston Ferdière, who remains known for having been the psychiatrist of Antonin Artaud, and whose professional career, and the image he left, paradoxical, are in themselves a true ethical tragedy.