 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (November 2009) |
James W. Watts | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 19, 1904 Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | November 15, 1994 (aged 90) |
| Education | |
| Known for | Worked as Walter Freeman's surgeon contributing to the popularization of Lobotomy in the United States |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | |
James Winston Watts (January 19, 1904 – November 15, 1994) was an American neurosurgeon, born in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute as well as the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Watts is noteworthy for his professional partnership with the neurologist and psychiatrist Walter Freeman. The two became advocates and prolific practitioners of psychosurgery, specifically the lobotomy.[1] Watts and Freeman wrote two books on lobotomies: Psychosurgery, Intelligence, Emotion and Social Behavior Following Prefrontal Lobotomy for Medical Disorders in 1942, and Psychosurgery in the Treatment of Mental Disorders and Intractable Pain in 1950.
He is also known for carrying out the lobotomy of Rosemary Kennedy under the supervision of Freeman. Kennedy's mental capacity diminished to that of a two-year-old child. She could not walk or speak intelligibly and was considered incontinent.[2]
- ^ Dr. James Watts, 90, Pioneer In Use of Frontal Lobotomy, Tim Hilchey. The New York Times, November 11, 1994.
- ^ Henley, John (August 12, 2009). "The Forgotten Kennedy". theguardian.com.