Victor Horsley on "trephining in pre-historic times".
Victor Horsley was intrigued by newly discovered, ancient trepanned skulls, especially those that revealed that the operation was performed on living patients. He examined the man-made openings as an expert on the locus of the primate motor cortex and as a surgeon who had successfully removed parts of the motor cortex to treat Jacksonian epilepsy. He postulated that trepanation originated as a way to treat pain and epilepsy caused by depressed cranial fractures over the motor cortex. Like Broca before him, Horsley helped create the exciting Zeitgeist that led others in the late-1 800s to explore, ponder, and write about ancient trepanned skulls.
Finger
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Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899, USA. sfinger@artsci.wustl.edu
Clower
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D004739:England; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000601:surgery*; D010146:Pain / Q000266:history / Q000601:surgery; D020204:Skull Fracture, Depressed / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery; D014207:Trephining / Q000266:history*