BrainWaves #28 How American neurology was born

MedLink Neurology Podcast is delighted to feature selected episodes from BrainWaves, courtesy of James E Siegler MD, its originator and host. BrainWaves is an academic audio podcast whose mission is to educate medical providers through clinical cases and topical reviews in neurology, medicine, and the humanities, and episodes originally aired from 2016 to 2021.

Originally released: July 18, 2017

From the "Gilded Age" to the "germ theory," Dr. Joshua VanDerWerf (physician, historian, humanitarian), illustrates the birth of American neurology. You may recognize the names Chiari, Wernicke, and Broca, but what about William Alexander Hammond or Silas Weir Mitchell? These figures, among others, and their contributions to neurology are the subject of this week's BrainWaves episode. BrainWaves podcasts and online content are intended for medical education only and should not be used to guide medical decision-making in routine clinical practice.

REFERENCES

Goetz CG, Chmura TA, Lanska D. Part 1: the history of 19th century neurology and the American Neurological Association. Ann Neurol 2003;53 Suppl 4:S2-26. PMID 12722087

Koehler PJ, Lanska DJ. Mitchell's influence on European studies of peripheral nerve injuries during World War I. J Hist Neurosci 2004;13(4):326-35. PMID 15545104

Lanska DJ. Characteristics and lasting contributions of 19th-century American neurologists. J Hist Neurosci 2001;10(2):202-16. PMID 11512433

We believe that the principles expressed or implied in the podcast remain valid, but certain details may be superseded by evolving knowledge since the episode’s original release date.