Santiago Ramón y Cajal's neurohistological work marked a turning point in ongoing debates on the morphology of the nervous system. From 1888 onwards, he published extensively on the anatomic unity of the nerve cell. His experiments with the chrome silver stain resulted in highly particular ways of seeing and visualising neurons. In the current article, Cajal's practices of manipulating, observing, and drawing tissue will be juxtaposed with his photographic and cinematographic experiments. In addition, his epistemic stances on observation will be discussed, in order to better understand his commitment to the image. Lastly, the role of Cajal's drawings will be analysed in the process of attuning locally established findings to the expertise of his peers.
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