The Royal Waterloo Hospital, London in the 1960s. Six young women lie asleep on low beds. Day and night no longer exist, extinguished by a potent cocktail of antipsychotic, sedative and anti-depressant drugs. The women are taken from their beds by the nurses and given electroconvulsive therapy before being put to sleep again. All under the watchful eye of Dr William Sargant.
The Sleep Room is a chilling exposé of Sargant’s bizarre psychiatric treatments that were inflicted on hundreds of women with mental illness – among them the actor Celia Imrie. At the story’s centre is a sinister and charismatic doctor, who was a hugely influential figure in post-war British society – lauded by Robert Graves and Aldous Huxley as well regularly appearing on the BBC. When Sargant died in 1988, the obituaries were glowing.
But since then, women treated without their consent and with often horrific side-effects lasting decades have been campaigning to tell the truth about Sargant. Author Jon Stock tells these women’s stories as well delving into the murky history of Sargant’s links with the CIA and MI5, both of which took a close interest in his efforts to reprogramme the human mind.
As compulsive as a thriller, The Sleep Room finally gets to the truth of a scandal at the heart of the British medical establishment. “Some people think I’m a marvellous doctor,” Sargant once said. “Others think I’m the work of the Devil.”
If you or a family member were treated by Sargant, or you worked with him, please contact Jon, either anonymously or on the record, by emailing him at Jon@williamsargant.com.
