Nicolás Achúcarro’s 1905 communication to the Société Française de Neurologie

J. J. Zarranz
Neurosciences and History 2019;7(2):53-61

Type of article: ORIGINAL

AUTHOR

J. J. Zarranz
Emeritus Chair of the Department of Neurosciences. Universidad del País Vasco, Instituto de Investigación BIOCRUCES, Barakaldo, Spain.

ABSTRACT

Nicolás Achúcarro had the opportunity to travel and train in several neurology and psychiatry centres around Europe. The first of these experiences was in Pierre Marie’s service at the Hospice de Bicêtre. According to his letters and biographies, he presented a communication to the Société Française de Neurologie at the end of his time working under Pierre Marie; however, its content was not known. The communication has now been found, and is reported in this article. In the communication, Achúcarro presents a patient with syringomyelia, which he considered to be of traumatic origin; however, given current understanding of the disease and Achúcarro’s autopsy findings, it is likely that aetiology was non-traumatic, with trauma simply triggering the symptoms.

KEYWORDS

Achúcarro, hydrocephalus, paraplegia, Pierre Marie, spinal cord injury, syringomyelia

Neurosciences and History 2019;7(2):53-61