Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Speech disorder

  • Bicentenary of the birth of Pierre Paul Broca (1824–1880)

    JMS PearceHull, England This year marks the bicentenary of the birth of Pierre Paul Broca, who established the cerebral localization of motor, expressive speech, and language function.1 He was the son of Jean “Benjamin” Broca, a surgeon in Napoleon’s army, and Annette Thomas. Broca was born on 28 June 1824 in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande in the Dordogne.…

  • Multiple sclerosis: Early descriptions

    JMS Pearce Hull, England Clinical MS: Augustus D’Este, McKenzie It was almost two centuries ago that the best known and possibly the first detailed patient’s description of multiple sclerosis (MS) was recorded. It survives in the diaries (1822-48) and almanac of Sir Augustus D’Este, the Harrovian grandson of King George III.1,2 In December 1822, when he…