February 14, 2008
The operation of the skulls: a trepanation video:
Neurophilosophy has found a gory but completely astonishing film of a Kisi medicine man in Tanzania performing a trepanation operation. A young lady endures the seven hour procedure that puts a hole in her skull without any anaesthetic.
Mo has been doing some fantastic work on the history of trepanation and his illustrated article on the topic is a must read if you want an overview of this ancient procedure.
This film emphasises the importance of the operation in some cultures and highlights quite what a remarkable, if not, somewhat hazardous procedure trepanation really is.
And by the way, if you saw our recent rather whimsical post on 'brain hats', the end of the video gives a whole new meaning to the phrase.
Link to video of Kisi trepanation.
Link to illustrated history of trepanation.
