NEURONS AND NOBEL-PRIZES - A CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF NEUROPATHOLOGY

CAMILLO GOLGI AND SANTIAGO RAMON Y CAJAL were selected as joint Nobel Prize recipients in 1906, ''in recognition of their work on the struct ure of the nervous system.'' This posthumous Festschrift is written in celebration and commemoration of the 90th anniversary of that event, and the reader is invited to participate in an entertaining journey th rough the history of neuropathology, as it evolved from the time of Go lgi and Cajal. The story, of necessity, is written in broad descriptiv e terms, highlighting major events and personalities, and strives for continuity of narration and coherence of presentation. The historical framework reflects the personal experience and purview of the author a nd his mentor, Kenneth M. Earle, who began their careers in neurology and neurosurgery, respectively. Emphasis on the close interface linkin g clinical neuroscience and neuropathology indicates the antecedents o f the latter discipline as well as the overlap characterizing current modes of investigation at the cellular and molecular levels. This arti cle is intended to provide a younger generation of neurologists and ne urosurgeons with a review of what has gone before as a foundation for their current studies and future careers.