David Ferrier’s Experimental Localization of Cerebral Functions and the Anti-Vivisection Debate

Abstract

While representing one of the most important developments in the knowledge of the brain, both for its theoretical advances and its medical consequences, the work of David Ferrier met with strong criticism from conservative circles in Victorian society. At the end of 19th century certain British neurologists and neurosurgeons – including Ferrier – faced vehement public attacks by those aristocrats who, under the banner of antivivisectionism and “natural theology”, expressed their fears of the reorganization of medicine into a scientific discipline. The debate that developed in Victorian society after these events led not only to the diffusion of Ferrier’s ideas and public recognition of the advanced neurosurgical practices that stemmed from his work, but also contributed to the affirmation of the medical community in the scientific world of the time.

Goltz against cerebral localization: Methodology and experimental practices

“…Previous historical studies of the localization debate in the late 19th century do not explain why Goltz ablated imprecisely in his early phase and continually experimented at a larger scale than his contemporaries. Indeed, many of them portray Goltz as a careless and stubborn scientist (Brazier, 1988;Finger, 1994Finger, , 2004Morabito, 2017;Tyler & Malessa, 2000). Against this simple narrative, I have argued that Goltz's unconventional experimental practices reflected a falsificationist methodology developed throughout a successful career as a widely respected physiologist.…”

“…According to one narrative in some of the broad overviews, Goltz was simply wrong about the facts of cerebral localization, and he misinterpreted his results as contradicting localization theories because he lacked sufficient experimental control (Brazier, 1988;Finger, 1994Finger, , 2004. Several journal articles, especially those written by scientists, rehearse this narrative and romanticize the episode as a triumph of cerebral localization (Fishman, 1995;Morabito, 2017;Tyler & Malessa, 2000;Walker, 1957b). Katja Guenther's Localization and Its Discontents stands out as a thorough and nuanced study of localization in 19th century German research.…”