A unique experiment in neurological surgery: intracerebral injection of antitoxin for tetanus

Abstract

The discipline of neurological surgery was considered primarily “hopeless” and, at best, experimental in the late 19th century. Harvey Cushing's efforts during his initial uncharted voyage through the surgery of the human cranium were rudimentary and exploratory. A direct review of his available patient records from early in his career provides the opportunity to look back at Cushing as a physician-scientist, uncovering work that demonstrates that he was at the forefront of neurosurgical intervention in avenues that have been largely overlooked. The authors present Cushing's notes pertaining to a case of tetanus. This case represents the intersection of neurosurgery and tetanus treatment in Dr. Cushing's intracerebral injection of antitoxin to treat generalized tetanus.