Classic Articles of 19th-Century American Neurologists: A Critical Review

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to critically review citation classics of 19th-century members of the American Neurological Association (ANA), and to elaborate what these works contributed and why they continue to be important. Most classic articles of 19th-century American neurologists were initial or early descriptions of clinical conditions, diseases, or procedures. These include descriptions by Beard of the Jumping Frenchmen of Maine; by Sachs of "amaurotic family idiocy" (Tay-Sachs disease); by Hun of the lateral medullary syndrome; by Mitchell of phantom limbs; and by Dana of familial tremor. Few of these were the initial description, although most were clear and fairly complete by modern standards. Several citation classics were cited mainly as a point of comparison with later events or developments, including those by Corning on spinal anesthesia, Bartholow on electrical stimulation of the brain, Mitchell on the status of American psychiatry, and Starr on childhood brain tumors. The reports of Corning, Bartholow, and Mitchell have been the subjects of continued controversy. The only examples of basic neuroscience among the citation classics are the classic studies by Onuf and Collins involving ablation of portions of the sympathetic chain in cats, and Onuf's description of the nucleus of Onuf in the human spinal cord. Onuf's basic science work was made possible by a unique and short-lived multidisciplinary research environment created at the New York State Pathological Institute for the scientific investigation of insanity and neurologic diseases.

Urge Incontinence and the Nervous System

“…From its location I should deem it possible and rather probable that it is a centre for some of the striated muscles which co-operate in the acts of erection and ejaculation, especially the ischiocavernosus or erector clitoridis and the bulbo-cavernosus or sphincter vaginae muscles" [5]. "He guessed incorrectly, however, that this cell group was not involved in innervating the urethral and anal sphincters" [6]. The cell group was then ignored for years in literature.…”

Silas Weir Mitchell's essential tremor

“…Silas Weir Mitchell (1829Mitchell ( -1914 is recognized as one of the most important historical figures in American neurology. 1,2 Mitchell is remembered for seminal descriptions of phantom limb syndrome and causalgia [3][4][5][6] and research on gunshot wounds and peripheral nerve injuries. 4,7 Mitchell was also a prolific writer of fiction (esp.…”

The neurologic content of S. Weir Mitchell's fiction

“…2, 3 Mitchell has been credited with seminal descriptions of phantom limb syndrome and causalgia. [4][5][6][7] His work on gunshot wounds and nerve injuries was well-known in his day. 5,8 Later in life, Mitchell was also a prolific writer of fiction (figure), with the bulk of this work in the form of novels.…”

“…5,6,8,[38][39][40][41] Posttraumatic palsies were described briefly in "The Case of George Dedlow," 7 "Autobiography of a Quack," 17 Roland Blake, 21 The Red City, 34 and Westways, 12 but these injuries are not a prominent feature of these works and the accounts are not very detailed. In addition, the localization of the injured nerve and specific patterns of weakness and functional deficits were not discussed in his fiction, with one exception in "The Case of George Dedlow," 7 in which he attempted to describe the activity of the rhomboid muscles.…”