Slight drift, as Don has raised this subject. Big drift, in fact; but there you go! ~~

No, probably not trepanning; but could well have been Electro-Compulsive Therapy, which had its disgraceful vogue in psychiatric treatment. (I take it it is not still going on?, but am not even sure of that.) A close relative of mine, my uncle, younger brother of my father, was subjected to it. Reading his diaries after his death I recall as one of the most traumatic experiences of my life: and that was just reading about it at second hand.

I am convinced that future generations will look back at our generation's use of ECT to treat schizophrenia with the same horror as we look back at bleeding as a sure-fire cure for the Plague.

~M~