Scarff, John E.

Visitor from Columbia University. Mentioned in the 01/11/1949-01 Minutes of the Pima County Medical Society, 1904-1954: Dr. Thompson introduced Dr. John Scarff, of Columbia University, who read a paper on "Prefrontal Lobotomy for the relief of pain and drug addiction."

J. E. Scarff and L. B. Kalinowsky. Prefrontal Lobotomy Under Direct Vision: Survey of Psychiatric Aspects. New York State Journal of Medicine, New York, 47:(Dec. 15) 1947, p. 2669. [Abstract at J Am Med Assoc, Mar 1948; 136: 900: Scarff and Kalinowsky say that although the technic which Freeman and Watts developed for prefrontal lobotomy recommends itself for its technical simplicity, it is open to objections. To offset these objections Scarff and Kalinowsky have been performing the section of white matter under direct vision. A coronal incision of the scalp is made which crosses the midline just posterior to the coronal suture and passes laterally and slightly forward toward the lateral rim of the orbit....]

JAMA, Feb 1979; 241: 741: SCARFF, John E., 80, Bronx, NY; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1924; certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery; died Aug 8, 1978, of cancer of the colon.