OFF:Trepanation??

[Christian Mumford]

Andy Gilham wrote:
>
> Chambers dictionary says:
>
> ---
> trepan
>  (tri-pan', noun) an obsolete cylindrical saw for perforating the skull; a
> tool for boring shafts.
>  (verb transitive) to remove a piece of the skull from (surgery); to cut a
> cylindrical disc from; to cut an annular groove in.
>  trepanation (trep-uh-nay'-shun) noun.
>  trepann'er noun.
>  trepann'ing noun and adjective.
>
>      >>French trepan, from Low Latin trepanum, from Greek trypanon, from
> trypaein to bore
> ---
>

Weird weird... A friend of mine tried to convince me some years ago that
by drilling a hole in the back of your skull, thus relieving pressure on
your brain, would create some sort of ultimate high! According to him it
was popular in the sixties - I have no clue whether he actually believed
this himself (he's kinda crazy) - or was trying to pull my leg. But I
could not bring myself to believe this. It must be some kind of urban
myth, because this was the excact definition of "Trepanation" he was
telling me... I'd forgotten all about this. Bizarre! Who would perform
such an operation for entertainment purposes??? Some underground mad
scientist? And why in the 60's when drugs must have been great and
plentiful? How about "Tripanation"....

Christian