Hughlings Jackson and Epilepsy: An Introduction

Abstract

Although some of Jackson’s ideas on hierarchies have come in for some muted criticism, I can state with confidence that his observations on epilepsy have endured and will continue to endure (Reynolds 1988). Collectively they rank amongst the greatest contributions to our knowledge and understanding of epilepsy, perhaps on a par with the Hippocratic writings on the Sacred Disease, with the exception that although the latter were written in Greek they were much easier to read! Of the two volumes of John Hughlings Jackson’s selected writings edited by Taylor 1931/32, one volume is devoted wholly to epilepsy and epileptiform convulsions. This is a true reflection of his interest and contributions. He wrote more about epilepsy than any other topic, including hierarchies, evolution and dissolution. He wrote regularly over a 40-year period from the time he began work at the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic in 1862.