Faraday Gardens

Our next stop is Faraday Gardens, named after Michael Faraday, the Southwark-born scientist who discovered how to harness electricity. One-lesser known fact was that he had a mental breakdown from overwork.

Faraday would have been fascinated that his discoveries about the properties of electricity and electromagnetism would one day be applied in treatments for mental illness, most notably electro-convulsive therapy (ECT).

The topic of ECT creates by far the liveliest debate of the tour among walkers. Some find the idea of electric shock treatment inhumane, whereas others believe it is the only effective treatment for certain types of depression.