Egas Moniz

Egas Moniz was a Portuguese neurologist who made significant contributions to the field of neurology and psychosurgery. He was the first to perform cerebral angiography, a technique that allows the visualization of blood vessels in the brain, and to use it for the diagnosis of various neurological disorders. He also developed the surgical procedure of prefrontal leucotomy, also known as lobotomy, which involved cutting the connections between the frontal lobes and the rest of the brain. He claimed that this operation could relieve the symptoms of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949 for his discoveries in the field of therapeutic value of leucotomy in certain psychoses, sharing it with Walter Rudolf Hess. He was the first Portuguese national to receive a Nobel Prize. Egas Moniz was also involved in politics and diplomacy. He was a supporter of the republican government and served as a member of parliament, ambassador to Spain, and minister of foreign affairs. He participated in the Paris Peace Conference after World War I and advocated for the independence of African colonies. He was also a prolific writer and published many articles and books on neurology, history, and literature. Egas Moniz was a controversial figure in the history of medicine. His lobotomy procedure was widely used in the 1940s and 1950s, but later fell into disrepute due to its severe side effects, ethical issues, and lack of scientific evidence. He was also criticized for his political views and actions, especially his support for the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar. He was attacked by a patient who had undergone lobotomy in 1939 and suffered from paralysis and pain for the rest of his life. He died of a hemorrhagic stroke in 1955 at the age of 81.