In 1936 in America Freeman performed lobotomies (an operation hammering an icepack through the eye socket into the brain). Freeman toured cities in a campervan called his lobotomobile performing operations on "mentally ill" at asylums and the general public. By the time operation ice pick ended 113,000 people had been lobotomized and a large number of these were "housewives" forcibly incarcerated in metal institutions by their husbands for depression or non-compliance. 10-20 per cent were killed as an "unfortunate" side effect of the operation. In introducing his miracle cure to the psychiatric and general community Walter Freeman said, "About 25% of lobotomized patients could be considered as adjusting at the level of a domestic invalid or household pet". The lobotomy was a criminal act of grievous bodily harm or murder but no one has ever been prosecuted.
