John Hughlings Jackson, precursor of neurology

John Hughlings Jackson is considered one of the fathers of neurology, although his contributions have frequently been applied in psychiatry.. Most of his life took place in the 19th century, a time when there were hardly any means to study the brain. Therefore, it is surprising that he has reached such valid conclusions.

John Hughlings Jackson is remembered mainly because his studies allowed us to understand epilepsy. In fact, his research on temporary psychomotor seizures is still current and basically has not even been expanded.

The most outstanding thing about this great pioneer is his ability to observe and analysis. He kept extremely detailed records of clinical cases and from them, he inferred surprisingly accurate conclusions. In fact, he was a member of the Royal Societywhich is the most prestigious scientific group in the United Kingdom.

The origins of John Hughlings Jackson

John Hughlings Jackson was born on April 4, 1835, in York, England. He was the youngest of five brothers. In total there were four men and one woman. His father was a prosperous farmer, who also brewed beer. His mother came from a wealthy family of tax collectors.

Jackson came into the world at a time of great change. The sciences were in full ferment, but many of them had not yet been consolidated as formal disciplines. Medicine for example, was seen as a field derived from something that was between the barbershop and the profession of apothecaries..

John Hughlings Jackson finished his formal education at the age of 15, after having attended several provincial schools. He then enrolled as an apprentice to a doctor named William Charles Anderson. He then went to York Medical School and eventually received lessons at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London.

A remarkable doctor

John Hughlings Jackson established himself as resident physician of the York dispensary. In 1859, he moved to London and that same year his first neurology article appeared. about facial paralysis. He also became a medical reporter, along with his lifelong friend, Jonathan Hutchinson.

In 1860, Jackson presented a thesis at the St Andrews University to obtain a doctorate in medicine. He obtained the title and this boosted his career. In 1863, he became a junior doctor at the London Hospital, where he was charged with directing the Neurological Diagnostic programme.

Since then, he began to make frequent and periodic publications, in which he drew attention to the solidity of his theses.. His methodology for the analysis of the clinical picture and his studies on Broca’s aphasia generated great prestige for him. However, it was in 1869 when he published A study of seizuresa work that became a classic of medicine.

Great contributions to medicine

John Hughlings Jackson postulated that the nervous system was divided into three levels.. The lower level included the most basic movements and depended on the spinal cord. The middle level corresponded to what he called the motor area and was linked to the cerebral cortex. And the highest level involved the most complex functions and was associated with the prefrontal area.

His research also allowed us to understand epilepsy like never before. He did a good analysis of its symptoms, typologies and varieties. He also managed to associate some manifestations of this disease with mental and behavioral disorders.which was quite an innovation.

Jackson was also the founder of a prestigious magazine, called Brain. In fact, this initiative was born in 1878 and continues to this day. There, works on both clinical neurology and experimental neurology are published.

A great legacy

John Hughlings Jackson received great tributes throughout his life. He was president of the UK Society of Ophthalmology; of the London Medical Society and the London Clinical Society. Likewise, he was appointed member of the Royal Society in 1978.

He later became the first president of the London Neurological Society. and received honorary degrees from different universities of the time. His influence on the study of the brain and nervous system was enormous.

So much so, that great figures such as Charcot, Sigmund Freud, Henry Ey and the psychiatrists William Osler and Joseph Lister, among others, started from their works. John Hughlings Jackson died at age 71, on October 7, 1911. During his last years he suffered from deafness, but he remained active until the end of his life.

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