ABSTRACT
Headache has troubled mankind from the dawn of civilization. Signs of trepanation, a procedure wherein the skull was perforated with an instrument, are evident on neolithic human skulls dating from 7000-3000 BC1 (Figures 1.1 and 1.2). Originally, it was thought that the procedure had been performed to release demons and evil spirits, but recent evidence suggests that it was carried out for medical reasons2. Trepanation continues to be practiced today, without anesthesia, by some African tribes. It is primarily performed for relief of headache or removal of a fracture line after head injury3.
