Illustrating a revolution: an unrecognized contribution to the golden era of cerebral localization

Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London
D Millett

Abstract

The late 19th century witnessed a remarkable growth of knowledge concerning the functions of the brain. The excitability of the cerebral cortex was first reported by Gustav Fritsch (1838-1927) and Eduard Hitzig (1838-1907) in 1870, followed by the classical investigation of cerebral localization by David Ferrier (1843-1928). Ferrier's identification of cerebral motor centres based on a series of cortical stimulations and ablations was central to the physiological and clinical achievements of cerebral localization in the late 19th century. Cerebral illustrations were an important component of Ferrier's physiological research, synthesizing a great deal of experimental data and suggesting precise locations and boundaries of sensory and motor areas. Surprisingly, little attention has been paid to the construction of cerebral maps and their role in establishing the utility and veracity of the doctrine of cerebral localization. Two illustrations of the macaque brain based on Ferrier's experimental work were particularly influential. These and other important illustration accompanied Ferrier's manuscript, "the localisation of functions in the brain", submitted to the Royal Society in early 1874, but were not produced by Ferrier himsel...Continue Reading

Citations

Jul 13, 2013·Journal of Neurology·Stefano Sandrone, Elia Zanin
Dec 2, 2014·Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences·Michael A Finn, James F Stark

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