Cushing’s Contributions to Neuroscience,Part 1: Through the Looking Glass

Abstract

Harvey Cushing (1869-1939) played a pivotal role in the birth of modern neurosurgery. At the turn of the century, when he was completing his surgical residency, medicine was just beginning to embrace scientific investigation as the main tool to diagnose and treat disease. Touring Europe after residency landed him in the laboratory of the great scientist Theodor Kocher, with whom he developed a modern understanding of the effects of increased intracranial pressure. This achievement helped Cushing transform neurosurgery into a viable specialty. An analysis of this early work in neuroscience reveals the ambition, ingenuity, and self-assurance of a budding scientist struggling to achieve recognition. This is the first of two reports on Cushing’s contributions to neuroscience.

Keywords

Biomedical revolution Harvey Cushing Cushing’s Triad Intracranial pressure Theodor Kocher

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