The Enchanted Loom: A History of Research on the Brain with a Select Who’s Who in Neurology, Neuroscience and Neuropsychology Charles J. Vella, PhD January 27, 2016 www.charlesjvellaphd.com All of my lectures in PDF files In Ollie Brain Class section of my website: www.charlesjvellaphd.com Or in the OLLIE Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B- 99S2HCCnmMVDZkdDJxT3htdkk&usp=sharing Email:
[email protected] Enchanted Loom: The Brain And God… 4000, BC: First written mention of the Brain The first known writing about brain function is found in ancient Sumerian records dated around 4000, BC. The anonymous writer describes euphoric mind- altering effect of ingesting the common poppy. 2500 BC: Egyptians Egyptians believed that the heart was the most important body organ. The Book of the Dead, which instructs that a dead man's heart must be weighed against feathers to determine the balance of good to evil it contains. The brain, on the other hand, is considered a minor, unimportant organ. They discard it during the embalming process even as they ceremoniously preserve other organs for mummification. Egyptian Mummification: No Canopic Jar: Brain was worthless Egyptian method used to remove brain in mummification Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus by Imhotep, 1700 B.C. “Brain” in First written record about brain Hieroglyphic anatomy: 27 head injury cases Brain mentioned 7 times Case 6: TBI, brain convolutions, meninges, CS fluid Spinal Cord Injury in Assyria, 600 BC Midthoracic spinal cord injury = flaccid paralysis Machu Picchu: Neurological Procedure Neolithic Neurology: Trephination Trephination: as early as 13,000 years ago in Morocco; Egyptians used it around 4,000 years ago, as did pre-Inca groups living in South America 1,000 years ago.