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Many contributions on lobotomy have already come from the Boston Psychopathic Hospital; some of them are found to be reprinted or amplified in this volume, but many contributions that have not heretofore appeared in print are also presented. From a total of more than 500 cases, 205 of the earlier ones were selected for particularly careful evaluation on the basis of a long follow-up period of observation. The editors state: "As to the selection of patients most suited for lobotomy, elaborate studies correlated 83 different preoperative factors with eventual clinical outcome. Only a few factors have striking predictive value. A history of a rapid onset, absence of auditory hallucinations, and presence of insight greatly favored a good outcome after operation; the most favorable diagnostic label was either psychoneurosis or affective disorder.... Patients who possessed a syndrome including fear, worry, depression and tension ("tortured self-concern") were likely to be improved by