Add this copy of Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine to cart. $31.53, good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Cambridge University Press.
Add this copy of Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine to cart. $31.90, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Cambridge University Press.
Add this copy of Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine to cart. $69.96, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Clarita, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Cambridge University Press.
Add this copy of Last Resort: ; Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine to cart. $79.00, very good condition, Sold by Brian Bauld (B-Line Books) rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Amherst, NS, CANADA, published 1998 by Cambridge University Press.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Fine dust jacket. 0521353718. Stiff clean book in crisp dust jacket; about new but for name to front endpaper. Book review laid in.; 6.5 X 1.25 X 9.5 inches; 576 pages; Last Resort is a detailed historical and critical examination of psychosurgery-the practice of operating on the brain to treat mental illness-primarily focusing on the lobotomy era in the United States during the 1940s and 1950s. The book challenges the popular, simplified narrative that psychosurgery was a barbaric, unscientific fad driven by reckless surgeons and desperate families. Instead, Pressman argues that: Psychosurgery was widely accepted and even enthusiastically adopted by leading psychiatrists and neurologists of the time as a legitimate, scientifically grounded intervention. Tens of thousands of Americans (estimates range from 40, 000-50, 000) underwent prefrontal lobotomies or related procedures, often as a "last resort" when other treatments (e. G., insulin shock therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, or institutional care) failed. The procedure was promoted as a way to make severely disturbed patients more manageable-reducing agitation, violence, or institutionalization needs-rather than fully curing mental illness. Pressman reconstructs the medical and professional context of the era: psychiatrists faced enormous pressure from overcrowded asylums, limited therapeutic options, and the absence of modern psychopharmacology (antipsychotics like chlorpromazine only emerged in the mid-1950s). The book explores why psychosurgery gained legitimacy within the medical community, how it was evaluated (often through case reports and clinical observation rather than rigorous controlled trials), and the disciplinary tools and ethical frameworks available to psychiatrists at the time. It critiques the post-1960s backlash (when lobotomy became a symbol of medical hubris) and questions how we judge past medical practices by modern standards. Key themes include: The interplay between innovation, desperation, and professional ambition in medicine. The limits of what counts as "evidence-based" treatment in different historical moments. The social and institutional forces that shaped psychiatric practice mid-20th century. Pressman's work draws on extensive archival research (patient records, professional correspondence, conference proceedings) and is praised for its balanced, non-sensational approach. It remains a major reference in the history of psychiatry and medical ethics.
Add this copy of Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine to cart. $96.73, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 1998 by Cambridge University Press.
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Seller's Description:
New. Print on demand Contains: Line drawings, Halftones, Tables. Cambridge Studies in the History of Medicine . 47 b/w illus. 5 tables. Intended for college/higher education audience.
Add this copy of Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine to cart. $107.47, new condition, Sold by Just one more Chapter rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Miramar, FL, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Cambridge University Press.
Add this copy of Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine to cart. $130.72, new condition, Sold by Ria Christie Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Uxbridge, MIDDLESEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1998 by Cambridge University Press.
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Seller's Description:
New. Contains: Line drawings, Halftones, Tables. Cambridge Studies in the History of Medicine . 47 b/w illus. 5 tables. Intended for college/higher education audience.
