Egas Moniz received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1949 for his discovery and popularization of the prefrontal lobotomy. This radical surgery was the product of the progression in our understanding of mental illness, the prevailing attitudes of the times, and the professional rivalry between psychiatrists and neurologists. The prefrontal lobotomy and its modifications, later to be referred to collectively as psychosurgery, offered hope to the mental illness that were previously thought to be incurable. Fueled by "miracle stories" from the popular press, this surgery was performed until the late 1960S. The following article chronicles the early days of psychosurgery, including the factors responsible for its inception and the different techniques used through the years.
埃加斯·莫尼斯因发现并推广前额叶白质切除术于1949年获得诺贝尔医学奖。这种激进的手术是我们对精神疾病理解的进步、当时的主流态度以及精神科医生和神经科医生之间专业竞争的产物。前额叶白质切除术及其改良术，后来统称为精神外科手术，为以前被认为无法治愈的精神疾病带来了希望。在大众媒体“奇迹故事”的推动下，这种手术一直进行到20世纪60年代末。以下文章记录了精神外科手术的早期情况，包括其起源的因素以及多年来使用的不同技术。
