Abstract
David Ferrier and Hermann Munk, both pioneers in early brain research, engaged in a running controversy regarding the primary vision center in the brain. Both misinterpreted their experimental observations, but in different ways. Ferrier placed vision in the parietal lobe, Munk in the occipital lobe, However, Munk also felt he had observed a ‘psychic blindness’ in his animals, which was in reality only a central scotoma or other primary vision defect, and not the impairment of higher visual capacities that he proposed. Munk’s concept has been repeatedly cited as the experimental correlate of visual agnosia, but is inherently fallacious.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
British Medical Journal. Summons under the Vivisection Act. Brit Med J 1881; 2: 752.
The antivivisection prosecution Brit Med J 19881; 2: 785
Dr. Ferrier’s localisations; for whose advantage? Brit Med J 1881; 2: 822–824.
Correspondence. Proposed subscription to Dr. Ferrier. Brit Med J 1881; 2: 834.
The Charge against Professor Ferrier under the Vivisection Act: Dismissal of the Summons. Brit Med J 1881; Nov 19, 836–842.
Critchley, M. The divine banquet of the brain. Raven Press New York. 1979, p. 186.
Ferrier, D. The localization of cerebral disease. Smith, Elder, London, 1878, p. 113.
Ferrier, D, Yeo G. On the effects of the lesion of different regions of the cerebral hemispheres. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B, part 2, 1884, p. 479–564.
Ferrier, D. The functions of the brain. GP Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1886, p. 299.
Ferrier, D. Cerebral localisation in its practical relations. Brain 1889; 12: 36–58.
Fishman, R. Ferrier’s Mistake Revisited. Archives of Neurology. 1995 (In press).
Green, J.R. The beginnings of cerebral localization and neurological surgery. BNI Quarterly 1985; 1: 12–28.
Haymaker, W. and Schiller, F. The founders of neurology. second ed. C.C. Thomas, Springfield, 111, 1970, pp 247–250.
James, W. The principles of psychology. 2 vol. reprint of 1890 ed. Dover Publications, New York, 1950, p. 41.
Luria, AR. Higher cortical functions in man. Second ed. Basic Books, New York, 1980, p. 147.
Munk, H. On the functions of the cortex. (1991) (originally: Uber die Functionen der Grosshirnrinde). In: G. von Bonim (ed.) Some papers on the cerebral cortex. Translated. C.C. Thomas, Springfield, 111, 1960, pp 97–117.
Munk, H. Of the visual area of the cerebral cortex, and its relation to eye movements. (trans. F.W. Mott) Brain 1890; 13: 45–67.
Polyak, S. The vertebrate visual system. Chicago. Univ. of Chicago Press, 1957, pp 152, 403–4.
Rademaker, GGJ and Ter Braak JWG. On the central mechanism of some optic reactions. Brain 1948; 71: 48–76.
Schaefer, EA. On the functions of the temporal and occipital lobes: A reply to Dr. Ferrier. Brain 1888; 11: 145–165.
Sherrington, CS. Obituary notice of fellows deceased. Sir David Ferrier, 1843–1928. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. Series B, 1928, 103: viii–xvi.
Spillane, JD. The doctrine of the nerves: Chapters in the history of neurology. Oxford Univ. Press, London, New York, 1981, pp 393–399.
Stewart, TG. Obituary of David Ferrier. J. Ment. Science. N.S. 1928; 74: 26, 376–380.
Trotter, W. A landmark in modern neurology. Lancet 1934; 2: 1207–1210.
Wilkins, RH. Neurosurgical classics. Johnson Reprint Classics. New York 1965, pp 119–128.
Zeki, SM. A vision of the brain. Oxford Blackwell 1993.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Fishman, R.S. (1995). Brain wars: Passion and conflict in the localization of vision in the brain. In: Albert, D.M., Zrenner, C. (eds) History of Ophthalmology. History of Ophthalmology, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0127-1_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0127-1_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-3401-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0127-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive