From the late 15th century onwards, cutting for stones in patients' heads to cure mental illness was depicted in European art. The earliest and most famous painting of this kind is The Cure of Folly, painted by Jheronimus Bosch around the turn of the 15th to the 16th century. In general, these depictions are thought to relate to surgical as well as mental health practices of that time. However, it can be questioned whether barber surgeons or quacks cut for stones in patients' heads, and if they did not, what the meaning of Bosch's and other artists' paintings might be. Paintings from the 15th to 17th centuries and historical sources from the history of medicine as well as art history served as a basis for this contribution. The combination of sources from the histories of urology and psychiatry opens a new perspective on depictions of cranial lithotomy. Taking this into account, it does not seem likely that surgeons or quacks cut for cranial stones in early modern Europe. Few therapy options existed to effectively treat mental problems, and, hence, most interpretations of Bosch's picture point to the gullibility of patients as its central theme. At the same time, the depictions of cranial lithotomy may illustrate the limits of the medical profession and an abstract hope for successful psychosurgery analogous to the surgical removal of stones from the urinary tract.

Keywords:
History of medicine, Art history, History of urology, History of neurosurgery, Jheronimus Bosch, The Cure of Folly, Cutting the Stone
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2014
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