Victor Horsley

The World's First Neurosurgeon and His Conscience

Michael J. Aminoff (University of California, San Francisco)

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English

Cambridge University Press
21 December 2023

Biography: general; History of medicine; Clinical & internal medicine; Neurology & clinical neurophysiology; Neurosurgery

Sir Victor Horsley (1857–1916) was a brilliant and pioneering neurosurgeon who also shaped the direction of clinical medicine through his work with the British Medical Association, Medical Defence Union, and General Medical Council. Before the nervous system could be imaged, Horsley operated successfully on the brain and spinal cord, and performed palliative procedures on patients dying from brain tumours. Nevertheless, he became a social pariah due to his support for nationalised health insurance, child welfare and women's rights, amongst other causes. In this fascinating biography, leading neurologist Dr Michael J. Aminoff places Horsley's life and work in the context of the society in which he lived and explores his influence on the development of neurosurgery and social policies still in effect. The many underlying themes to the book include the interplay of science and politics, and the responsibility of physicians to themselves and for the welfare of society.

By: Michael J. Aminoff (University of California San Francisco)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm, Spine: 12mm
Weight: 424g
ISBN: 9781009069991
ISBN 10: 1009069993
Pages: 220
Publication Date: 21 December 2023
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface; 1. Early days; 2. The other side of Gower streets; 3. At the Brown; 4. Dividing the indivisible: The localization of cortical functions; 5. The making of a specialty; 6. The grammar of neurosurgery: technical underpinnings; 7. The neurosurgery of specific disorders; 8. Measures of the man; 9. The politics of protection; 10. Not so trivial pursuits: the slide into politics; 11. Antivivisectionist claims and clamor; 12. Bitter tears: Horsley and the suffragist movement; 13. Last orders: the temperance movement; 14. Syphilis and the public health; 15. A surgeon goes to war; 16. Aftermaths and appraisals; Appendix 1: Horsley's procedure for cranial surgery; Appendix 2: Appointments, honors, and awards; Appendix 3: Victor Horsley's professional publications; Appendix 4: Sir Victor Horsley's correspondence with the times of London.

Michael J. Aminoff, a neurologist and neurophysiologist, is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. Dr Aminoff has a special interest in medical history and has authored two previously published biographies of illustrious nineteenth-century clinician-scientists.

Reviews for Victor Horsley: The World's First Neurosurgeon and His Conscience

'This book, which I could not put down and read in one sitting, brims with wonderful information and details that fully justify the subtitle - Sir Victor Horsley has a prodigious legacy. Aminoff's multilayered book condensing a lifetime of troubles and triumphs is not only for neurosurgeons, but also for anyone interested in the evolution of the neurosciences.' Eelco Wijdicks, The Lancet 'This is a book that can be read as a history of medicine with surgical precision, but also as an enthralling narrative that could inspire and guide lives, particularly in a time of uncertainty like the present one.' Alain Touwaide, Doody's Reviews