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American Scandal

The Ice Pick Surgeon | A New Threat | 3

American Scandal

Audible

Exhibit C, History, Documentary, Lindsay Graham, True Crime, History Daily, American History Tellers, Society & Culture

4.519.6K Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2021

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Walter Freeman goes public with his ice pick lobotomies. But that earns him new enemies—including some who are determined to stop him.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to American Scandal add-free on Amazon Music, download the app today.

0:07.0

A listener note, this episode contains graphic descriptions and may not be suitable for young listeners.

0:13.0

It's July 1946 in Washington, D.C. It's just after dawn and the sun is starting to rise over the nation's capital.

0:32.0

On a quiet residential street, Walter Freeman hurries out to his car.

0:37.0

He's carrying suitcases and hiking boots and throws them in the back of his station wagon.

0:42.0

Next, he loads in a set of fishing poles. Finally, he picks up a medical bag and lays it gently behind everything else.

0:49.0

Freeman opens the bag and looks inside to make sure everything's packed.

0:53.0

He then pulls out a metal tool which shines in the pale morning light.

0:57.0

If all goes according to plan, Freeman will soon get plenty of use out of it.

1:02.0

The instrument is a custom-made stiletto and is designed for performing lobotomies.

1:07.0

Although it only looks like a small piece of metal, to Walter Freeman is nothing short of a revolution.

1:13.0

This tool allows Freeman to perform lobotomies quickly and easily and without the need for a large hospital staff or a trained neurosurgeon like his former partner James Watts.

1:24.0

Using this tool, Freeman can do all the work on his own.

1:28.0

He can perform more lobotomies than ever before and finally try to address mental illness in America.

1:34.0

Walter Freeman is about to embark on a cross-country tour of the nation's mental asylum.

1:39.0

He'll meet with dozens of patients and offer a cure that could change their lives.

1:44.0

If all goes well, the medical community will take notice and Freeman may have the chance to operate on thousands of new patients.

1:51.0

It'll be the beginning of a new era for medicine.

1:54.0

But before Freeman can hit the road, first he needs to round up the other passengers joining him for this trip.

2:02.0

Freeman walks into his kitchen and groans. He doesn't like what he sees.

2:06.0

He's about to travel with his two sons and his nephew, but all three of them are slunted at the breakfast table, looking half asleep.

2:13.0

Boys, it's 5.30, daylight's burning, we got to move.

...

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