Helgi Tómasson (physician)

Helgi Tómasson (25 September 1896 – 2 August 1958) was an Icelandic physician.

This article is about the doctor. For the ballet master, see Helgi Tómasson (dancer).
This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Helgi.

Early life

Helgi was born on 25 September 25, 1896 in Vatnseyri, Patreksfjörður, Iceland to Dr. Tómas Helgason and Sigrid Lydia Thejle.[1]

Career

He was head physician at Kleppspítali psychiatric hospital from 1929, when the new building came into use, to his death on August 2, 1958.

From 1928 to 1936 he was the only practicing neuropsychiatrist in Iceland.[2]

He prohibited physical restraints (such as straitjackets, restraining straps and belts), and also prohibited his patients from undergoing electroconvulsive therapy and lobotomy.[3]

In 1930 he was involved in a controversy, called the Big bomb (Icelandic: Stóra bomban) when he raised concerns that Jónas Jónsson, the Icelandic Minister of Justice, was suffering from mental instability.[4] The incident led to Helgi being fired from the Kleppspítali, although he later was reinstated as its head physician.[5]

From 1938 to 1958, he served as Chief Scout of the scouting organisation Bandalag íslenskra skáta.

Personal life

He was the father of Ragnhildur Helgadóttir, former minister of the Independence Party.

References
  1. Esra Pétursson (7 August 1958). "Minningarorð - Helgi Tómasson, yfirlæknir". Tíminn (in Icelandic). p. 8. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  2. Tomasson, Helgi (December 1938). "Further Investigations on Manic-Depressive Psychosis". Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 13 (4): 517–526. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1938.tb06592.x. ISSN 0001-690X. S2CID 146800447.
  3. Gudmundsson, Ó (2012-03-01). "History of Icelandic psychiatry". Nordic Journal of Psychiatry. 66 (sup1): 25–30. doi:10.3109/08039488.2012.654509. ISSN 0803-9488. PMID 22283837. S2CID 33130208.
  4. "ICELAND: Who's Loony?". Time. 1930-05-19. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  5. Óttar Guðmundsson (9 June 2015). "Stóra bomban árið 2015". Stundin (in Icelandic). Retrieved 17 August 2019.
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