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History of Neurology

History of Neurology

By: Jake Sossamon
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Hosted by Jake Sossamon, a neurology resident at Stanford University, The History of Neurology Podcast explores the human drama and discoveries behind the syndromes and eponyms we use in clinical practice every day. By tracing the evolution of the specialty from wartime breakthroughs to landmark laboratory insights, the show bridges the gap between the archives of the past and the challenges of the modern ward. Each episode concludes with "Consulting the Masters," an AI-assisted segment that brings neurological pioneers into the 21st century to weigh in on current breakthroughs. For inquiries, story suggestions, or collaborations, please reach out at historyofneurology@gmail.com.Copyright Jake Sossamon Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease World
Episodes
  • The 28 Lines that Changed Neurology: On Babinki's Reflex

    The 28 Lines that Changed Neurology: On Babinki's Reflex
    May 5 2026
    In this episode, we travel to late 19th-century Paris to meet a Polish-French neurologist who stood at the center of a medical revolution: a favorite student of the "Napoleon of the Salpêtrière" who was nearly cast out of medicine. He was a master of physical diagnosis and gave us the clinical reflex that differentiated a malady of the mind from a malady of the brain with the scratch of a key. We’ll dive into Joseph Babinski, how he transformed the world of neurology with a single paper only 28 lines long, and the eponym wars the ensued shortly after.

    Primary Sources & Further Reading: Babinski, J. (1896). Sur le réflexe cutané plantaire dans certaines affections organiques du système nerveux central. Comptes Rendus de la Société de Biologie, 48, 32-33.

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    18 mins
  • James Parkinson the Paleontologist

    James Parkinson the Paleontologist
    Apr 2 2026
    Before he was a household name in neurology, James Parkinson was a man of dangerous secrets and ancient stones. In this episode, we travel to 19th-century London to meet a surgeon who lived a triple life: a political radical nearly executed for a plot against the King, a world-renowned pioneer of paleontology, and a community doctor who identified a "shaking palsy" by simply watching his neighbors walk to the market.

    Primary Sources & Further Reading:
    • Parkinson, J. (1817). An Essay on the Shaking Palsy. Printed by Whittingham and Rowland for Sherwood, Neely, and Jones.
    • Old Hubert [Parkinson, J.]. (1794). Pearls Cast Before Swine: Or, A Christmas Present to the "Swinish Multitude." Being a Collection of Valuable Material from the Library of Old Hubert. Printed for D. I. Eaton.
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    22 mins
  • The 'L' is Not Silent: The Secret History of Guillain-Barré

    The 'L' is Not Silent: The Secret History of Guillain-Barré
    Feb 10 2026
    "We’ve been saying it wrong for a century."

    In this episode, we deconstruct the wartime discovery and the linguistic mystery of Guillain-Barré-Strohl Syndrome. From the trenches of the Somme to the lecture halls of the Salpêtrière, we explore how a name became a brand and who was left behind in the process.

    Primary Sources & Further Reading:
    • The Original 1916 Paper: Guillain G, Barré JA, Strohl A. Sur un syndrome de radiculo-névrite avec hyperalbuminose du liquide céphalo-rachidien sans réaction cellulaire. Bull Mem Soc Med Hop Paris. 1916; 40:1462-70.
    • On the Pronunciation: Rogoff, JB. Pronunciation of Guillain. JAMA. 1977; 237(22):2381.
    • The 1937 Retraction: Guillain, G. Radiculoneuritis with Acellular Hyperalbuminosis of the Cerebrospinal Fluid. International Congress of Neurology, Paris (1936).
    • The Legacy of Barré: Schächter, M. In Memoriam: Jean-Alexandre Barré (1880-1967). Revue d'Oto-Neuro-Ophtalmologie. 1967.
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    • Historyofneurology@gmail.com
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    18 mins
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