[Moniz, lobotomy and the Nobel Price 1949]

This paper is an analysis of the decision to award the Nobel Price to Egas Moniz 1949. His method prefrontal leucotomy was introduced in 1936. Before that he made an important contribution to medicine by introducing angiography of the brain vessels. He was suggested to the Nobel Price several times: 1928, 1933, 1937, 1944 and finally 1949. In the judgement of his scientific work the neurosurgeon Herbert Olivecrona 1937 avoided to discuss leucotomy. In 1944 Essen-Moller had critical comments to the orginal work of leucotomy by Moniz, especially the short follow-up and the poorly defined patient-material. When Olivecrona 1949 made a new review, he suggested that Moniz should be awarded the Nobel Price. What had changed from 1944? In front of all: the experience of the method all over the world had increased significant, and therefore Olivecrona now found it suitable to give the price to Moniz. He did not at all discuss the philosophical and ethical perspectives of the method.