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Neurosurgery and the Nobel Prize
Mayo Clin Proc, January 1998, Vol 73
Neurosurgery and the Nobel Prize To the Editor: The "Decade of the Brain," as dedicated by former president George Bush, is more than half over, and one might ask the question, "Will neurosurgery be honored by having one of its own awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology?" This question is especially appropriate as the lO-year period that was specifically designated to emphasize research on the human central nervous system rapidly comes to an end. To date, nine surgeons have received this most distinguished of all awards in biomedical research.' The honorees have included one orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Frederick Banting; two urologic surgeons, Drs. Werner Forssmann and Charles Huggins; one otolaryngologic surgeon, Dr. Robert Barany (the "father of otoneurology"); two general surgeons, Drs. Emil Kocher and Alexis Carrel; recent recipient (1990) Dr. Joseph Murray, a plastic surgeon; and two ophthalmologic surgeons, Drs. Allvar Gullstrand and Walter Hess. In Hess's classic work on the central nervous system, he unraveled "the functional organization of the inter-brain as coordinator of the activities of the internal organs.'" Two other Nobel Prize laureates have been inaccurately classified as surgeons, one of whom is Dr. Alexander Fleming,' the discoverer of penicillin. Although he passed the examination for the Royal College of Surgeons and received his ER.eS. degree, Fleming never performed any surgical procedures. Even more fascinating is the case of Dr. Antonio Egas Moniz,' who has been listed as a neurosurgeon but was actually a distinguished medical neurologist who received the Nobel Prize for his demonstration of the therapeutic value of frontal lobe leukotomy for certain psychoses. In fact, Moniz had no surgical training and employed the opera-
LETTERS
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tive talents of a young neurosurgeon, Dr. Alemeida Lima,' to perform the brain tissue resections. Moniz should also be remembered for his development of an extremely important vascular diagnostic technique, cerebral arteriography. Thus, although nine surgeons from various specialties have received the Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology, no neurosurgeon has ever been so honored. Two early neurosurgeons may have come close to receiving this outstanding distinction, however. One was Dr. Wilder Penfield, whose pioneering work documented cortical localization in the exposed brain of awake patients, and the other was Dr. Harvey Cushing, who conducted seminal studies in neuroendocrinology. What oftoday? Many neurosurgeons in the United States and abroad are actively engaged in important research in both basic and clinical neuroscience. Surely one or more of these investigators deserve consideration for candidacy for this prestigious honor. Robert J. White, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Neurosurgery Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland, Ohio
REFERENCES 1. Swan KG, Jain KM, Casey KF. Nobel Prize winners in surgery. Am Surg 1982;48:555-557 2. Maurois A. The life of Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin [American version]. New York: Dutton; 1959 3. Perino FR. Egas Moniz: founder of psychosurgery, creator of angiography, Nobel Prize winner; 1874-1958. J Int Coli Surg 1961;36:261271
The Editor welcomes letters and comments, particularly pertaining to recently published articles in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. A letter should be no longer than 500 words, contain no more than 5 references, and be in a double-spaced, typewritten format. The letter should be signed. It is assumed that appropriate letters may be published, at the discretion of the Editor, unless the writer indicates otherwise. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters in accordance with the Mayo Clinic Proceedings style and to abridge them if necessary.
For personal use. Mass reproduce only with permission from Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Neurosurgery and the Nobel Prize To the Editor: The "Decade of the Brain," as dedicated by former president George Bush, is more than half over, and one might ask the question, "Will neurosurgery be honored by having one of its own awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology?" This question is especially appropriate as the lO-year period that was specifically designated to emphasize research on the human central nervous system rapidly comes to an end. To date, nine surgeons have received this most distinguished of all awards in biomedical research.' The honorees have included one orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Frederick Banting; two urologic surgeons, Drs. Werner Forssmann and Charles Huggins; one otolaryngologic surgeon, Dr. Robert Barany (the "father of otoneurology"); two general surgeons, Drs. Emil Kocher and Alexis Carrel; recent recipient (1990) Dr. Joseph Murray, a plastic surgeon; and two ophthalmologic surgeons, Drs. Allvar Gullstrand and Walter Hess. In Hess's classic work on the central nervous system, he unraveled "the functional organization of the inter-brain as coordinator of the activities of the internal organs.'" Two other Nobel Prize laureates have been inaccurately classified as surgeons, one of whom is Dr. Alexander Fleming,' the discoverer of penicillin. Although he passed the examination for the Royal College of Surgeons and received his ER.eS. degree, Fleming never performed any surgical procedures. Even more fascinating is the case of Dr. Antonio Egas Moniz,' who has been listed as a neurosurgeon but was actually a distinguished medical neurologist who received the Nobel Prize for his demonstration of the therapeutic value of frontal lobe leukotomy for certain psychoses. In fact, Moniz had no surgical training and employed the opera-
LETTERS
99
tive talents of a young neurosurgeon, Dr. Alemeida Lima,' to perform the brain tissue resections. Moniz should also be remembered for his development of an extremely important vascular diagnostic technique, cerebral arteriography. Thus, although nine surgeons from various specialties have received the Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology, no neurosurgeon has ever been so honored. Two early neurosurgeons may have come close to receiving this outstanding distinction, however. One was Dr. Wilder Penfield, whose pioneering work documented cortical localization in the exposed brain of awake patients, and the other was Dr. Harvey Cushing, who conducted seminal studies in neuroendocrinology. What oftoday? Many neurosurgeons in the United States and abroad are actively engaged in important research in both basic and clinical neuroscience. Surely one or more of these investigators deserve consideration for candidacy for this prestigious honor. Robert J. White, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Neurosurgery Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland, Ohio
REFERENCES 1. Swan KG, Jain KM, Casey KF. Nobel Prize winners in surgery. Am Surg 1982;48:555-557 2. Maurois A. The life of Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin [American version]. New York: Dutton; 1959 3. Perino FR. Egas Moniz: founder of psychosurgery, creator of angiography, Nobel Prize winner; 1874-1958. J Int Coli Surg 1961;36:261271
The Editor welcomes letters and comments, particularly pertaining to recently published articles in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. A letter should be no longer than 500 words, contain no more than 5 references, and be in a double-spaced, typewritten format. The letter should be signed. It is assumed that appropriate letters may be published, at the discretion of the Editor, unless the writer indicates otherwise. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters in accordance with the Mayo Clinic Proceedings style and to abridge them if necessary.
For personal use. Mass reproduce only with permission from Mayo Clinic Proceedings.