Historical landmarks in Neurosurgery

William Clowes, a leading surgeon of the Elizabethan Age in year 1602 invokes a challenge that neurosurgeons must still overcome, even in the age of computerized imaging, microneurosurgery, and functional neurosurgery.

“Those which are Masters and Professors chosen to perform the like operation, ought to  have a Lyons heart, a Ladies hand, and a Haukes eye, for that is a worke of no small importance.”

Thomas Willis, a London physician published an important monograph " Cerebri Anatomie " in 1664. This book was the most accurate anatomic study of the brain. The eponym  " Circle of Willis " bears his name.

Percival Pott, English surgeon, described tuberculous caries of the spine in 1779. This disease is known as Pott's spine. An osteomyelitic infection of the scalp and skull in which pus collects under the pericranium is now called Pott's puffy tumor.

Paul Broca ( 1824-1880) introduced the concept that each part of the brain correspond to a particular function.

John Hughling Jackson ( 1835-1911) is considered the founder of modern neurology.

Sir Rickman Godlee removed cerebral tumor, the first to be successfully diagnosed by cerebral localization, in 1885.

Three years later, in 1888, Victor Horsley performed the first removal of spinal cord tumor.
Horsley invented the use of beewax to stop bone bleeding ( Bone Wax). Horley and Clarke designed the first useful stereotactic unit for brain surgery.( Horsley-Clarke stereotactic frame).

William Macewen, a scottish surgeon, was first surgeon to completely excised brain abscess in 1879.

Harvey William Cushing ( 1869-1939), an American neurosurgeon,  is  regarded as father of Neurosurgery and his name is associated with many contributions including Cushing reflex, Cushing disease, hemostatic forceps, electrocautery, etc.

Walter Dandy (1886-1946), an American neurosurgeon, developed the technique of ventriculogram, pneumoencephalogram, and was first to ligate and clip cerebral aneurysms.

Myelogram was invented by Jean Athanase Sicard

Cerebral angiogaphy was invented by Egas Moniz.

Source;
Youmans Neurological Surgery ( H.Richard Winn) sixth ed., Elsevier, Historical overview of Neurosurgery ( James T.Goodrich & Eugene S.Flamm)