title: Alexander Falconer Sr Seamen's missionary in New Zealand, son Alexander Falconer medical superintendent for mentally ill, grandson Murray Falconer neurosurgeon.
abstract: Alexander Falconer Sr (1843-1915) came from Scotland to New Zealand. A practical Christian, he set up places of relaxation for miners, sailors and soldiers; he became the Seamen's Missionary. Son, Dr Alexander Falconer (1874-1955) trained at Otago University Medical School. As medical superintendent for the mentally ill, he urged the early introduction of psychotherapy. His son, Murray Falconer (1910-1977) was the first Nuffield Dominions Clinical Fellow, training in neurosurgery in Oxford. He was the first director of the Guy's-Maudsley Neurosurgical Unit in London and was internationally known for the surgical management of temporal lobe epilepsy in adults and children.
authors.affiliation: King's College, London, UK barbara@hawgood.com.
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hawgood
mesh_terms: D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D066189:Missionaries / Q000266:history*; D000069471:Neurosurgeons / Q000266:history*; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000266:history; D009520:New Zealand; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000266:history*; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Guy’s-Maudsley Neurosurgical Unit; infantile convulsions; mesial temporal sclerosis; psychosurgery; temporal lobe epilepsy; unilateral temporal lobectomy