Neurology in the United Kingdom has long been defined by its distinctive blend of clinical practice and scientific inquiry. While history of the field often spotlights the National Hospital at Queen Square as its early centre, this book uncovers an equally influential one, that reshapes our understanding of when neurology became a science.

Focusing on the decade between 1866 and 1876, it reveals how the West Riding Asylum Pauper Lunatic Asylum in Wakefield helped forge the research foundations of British neurology. Under the dynamic leadership of James Crichton Browne, the Asylum evolved into a pioneering hub of investigation. A dedicated pathological laboratory, new researchfocused staffing structures, and the creation of the West Riding Lunatic Asylum Medical Reports fostered a vibrant culture of experimentation and publication. Annual medical conversazione further extended the institution's reach, drawing in external physicians and engaging the wider medical community.

In contrast to Queen Square's exclusively clinical orientation during the same period, the West Riding Asylum championed a model in which research was integral to neurological understanding.

Bringing these developments together, this book reframes the intertwined histories of neurology and psychiatry, positioning the West Riding Asylum as a crucialyet underappreciatedsite in the scientific origins of the discipline.

First history of British neurology focused on the contributions made at the West Riding Asylum Shows how the research ethos at the West Riding Asylum contributed to the new discipline of neurology Offers a new way to look at the history of British neurology using a symbiotic model to provide an explanatory framework

Autorentext

Andrew J Larner MA MD DHMSA PhD FRCP(UK) Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of Translational Neuroscience & Stroke, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom Formerly Consultant Neurologist, Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Liverpool, L9 7LJ, United Kingdom The author is a retired Consultant Neurologist who spent over 30 years working in the NHS, the last 25 as a consultant in Liverpool. He has a long-standing interest in the history of medicine (DHMSA 1995) and has authored many publications related to various topics in the history of neurology, as well as serving at the Editor of the Journal of Medical Biography between 2015 and 2020.

Klappentext

Neurology in the United Kingdom has long been distinguished by its dual commitment to clinical practice and research. The origins of this bipartite structure are generally traced to the mid nineteenth century, when neurology emerged as a distinct medical discipline. Traditional accounts emphasize the National Hospital at Queen Square, London, founded in 1860 as the first institution dedicated to neurological care. However, this book argues that the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum at Wakefield, in the period between 1866 and 1876, played an equally decisive role in shaping British neurology, particularly through its pioneering orientation toward research.

Under the leadership of James Crichton Browne, Medical Superintendent of the Asylum, a series of innovations transformed the institution into what has been described as a “birth place for neurology rather than a stimulant for psychiatry.” These changes included the establishment of a dedicated pathological laboratory, enabling both clinical and experimental investigations. Crichton Browne also introduced structural reforms to staffing, appointing unpaid clinical assistants who could devote significant time to research. To disseminate findings, he founded the West Riding Lunatic Asylum Medical Reports, a house journal that published work from the Asylum and contributions from external physicians. Some of these physicians were invited to use the Asylum’s facilities, further broadening its research impact. In addition, Crichton Browne organized annual medical gatherings, known as conversazione, which served both to share research results and to engage and educate local practitioners. These initiatives collectively fostered an active research culture. By contrast, Queen Square during the same period remained a purely clinical institution, lacking laboratories, research staff, a journal, or public medical meetings.

Synthesizing these developments, the book presents a revised account of the intertwined histories of neurology and psychiatry. It positions the work at West Riding Asylum as a critical contributor to the research ethos of early neurology, establishing its role as an integral component in the discipline’s scientific origins.

Inhalt

Introduction: The origins of British neurology and the West Riding Asylum 1866-1876.- I: Institution.- The West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum 1818-1866.- The West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum 1866-1876.- II: Faculty.- The lunacy profession and its staff at the West Riding Asylum 1866-1876.- Prosopography: the resident clinical faculty at WRA.- III: Journal.- The West Riding Lunatic Asylum Medical Reports 1871-1876.- Prosopography: Contributors to WRLAMR .- IV: Meetings .- Conversazione at the West Riding Asylum 1871-1875 .- Prosopography: Contributors to WRA conversazione .- Synthesis: the origins of British neurology 1866-1876.- Bibliography.- Index.- Appendix: Possible funding sources for WRLAMR.