Modern Day Trepanning Practitioners

What is interesting is that the rate of survival for trepanning
was estimated to be about 75% during the stone age. This rate
is much higher than the trepanning surgery done in the modern era even
as when we look at procedures done as late as the 19th century. Brain
surgery in the 1800's often produced infections and killed 75 percent of
the patients instead of healing them.



The Oaxacan highlands of Mexico burial site suggests that trepanning, as
well as other mutilations, were done on people for experimentation
purposes during the late classic period (600–900 AD). These people may
have been used as human guinea pigs until they died.



Modern Medicine and Mental Health treatments



Today other than for the cases previously mentioned such as
trepanning a finger or toenail and for eye surgery, trepanning has lost
its value in medicine; especially in mental health treatments.



There are some modern day die hards who still believe in its medicinal
value beyond what modern medicine will allow.



Bart Hughes (1934 -2004) was a librarian who called himself a
doctor. He went to medical school but failed to completing his
degree. He justified the use of trepanning for brain blood volume. He
claimed trepanning would increase blood flow to the brain. There is no
scientific evidence to support his claims, though his theory would work
in a similar fashion to vasodilators (drugs that widen the blood
vessels).



Hughes published "Trepanation: A Cure for Psychosis" in which he
expanded upon his theory. He also published "The Book With The Hole", in
1972.



As late as 2000, two quacks practicing without a license in
Ceder City, Utah were arrested for performing a trephination on a woman
as a way of treating chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.



Montrealers have a wonderful world renown neurological hospital: The Montreal Neurological
Institute.





Sources:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trepanning

http://www.minddisorders.com/Ob-Ps/Psychosurgery.html