The early history of neurosurgery in the American South.

Abstract

As a specialty, neurosurgery was not on firm footing at the turn of the century (1900); however, it was brought into being in the American South early in the 20th century by seven young surgeons, all of whom performed neurosurgical procedures as part of their general surgery practice. A close look at the seven reveals that they were trained and/or influenced in varying degrees by either Dr. Harvey Cushing or Dr. Victor Horsley, two outstanding surgeons and teachers of this period. After overcoming many obstacles, these seven men firmly established the surgical specialty of neurosurgery in the South.