H.M., who’s real name is Henry Molaison, was as epileptic man and probably the most important research subject in the history of neuroscience. When famed Yale neurosurgeon William Beecher Scoville, the author’s grandfather, operated on Molaison’s hippocampus, it left him with no memory, setting off a chain of events that would help develop a more clear understanding of the brain.  But from a social aspect, Scoville performed hundreds of lobotomies all with irreversible effects on his subjects.  And specifically with H.M, he performed more than 1 surgery, each time taking away more of his brain.

There’s a fine line between research and abuse.  Henry was abused by the arrogance of Scoville.  Done in the early 50’s, there was minute knowledge of the working brain and modern science has hindsight, but Scoville could see the immediate effects of his operations.  The loss of memory, slurred speech and ‘loss of personality’ were all symptoms that resulted from his lobotomies.  But Henry got it the worse.  A lifetime subject, he was monitored, questioned, tested and operated on with little regards to him as a person.  Treated like a lab animal, with a memory that barely lasted a day and no family to truly care for him he spent a lifetime in the institution of test subject.  With no compensation.

During that time period, the study of the human brain was in its infancy but ‘craziness’ was at an all-time high.  And these persons with disorders now known as dementia, paranoia and especially schizophrenia were outcasts (see Rosemary Kennedy).  And it wasn’t uncommon for the institutions that took in these outcasts to perform all kinds of experiments on them.

Bottomline, yes, we need to have human test subjects to perform experiments to learn about new treatments and procedures but not at the expense of loss of dignity and life’s purpose and happiness.  Unfortunately for Henry this wasn’t the case but his lack of memory helped ease the burden he suffered.

 

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