Lehrbuch der Kinderheilkunde

Historic review: a short history of neuropediatrics in Germany between 1850 and 1950

“…In 1942 the “Textbook of Pediatrics” by Philipp Bamberger et al dealt with the diseases of the nervous system on 71 of 821 pages, of which the malformations on 3 pages, the epilepsy on 4 pages and the intelligence deficits on 1 page [ 19 ].…”

“…The professor at the Pediatric University Hospital in Gießen, Walter Keller (1894–1967 - after 1949 director of the Freiburg University Hospital), wrote in this textbook (pages 45–63): “Since the reporting of these sufferings not only serves to recognize the diseased genetic material in our national body but in many cases can answer important questions for the later decision of the Hereditary Health Court, the need for timely recognition and diagnosis of relevant conditions is evident.” One was very uncertain with the so-called “cerebral palsy” or “Little’s disease”, which in part was explained on “exogenous damage before and during birth, partly due to hereditary-constitutional dispositions” [ 19 ]..…”

“…In the case of toddlers, the higher intellectual classes are developing, however, the possibility of an objective recognition of reality still lacks due to its purely affective, ego- and anthropomorphic position to the world, so these reactions are to be regarded as physiological”. - “... such reactions gradually disappear in an educationally favorable milieu” (pp.719–727) [ 19 ].…”

“…Also, neurotics would produce large seizures at appropriate moments that were almost entirely similar to the epileptic grand mal (pp. 719–727) [ 19 ].…”