Michael J. Aminoff. 201 pages. New York: Raven Press; 1993. $68.00.

Michael Aminoff, a neurologist and member of the American Neurological Association, gives us a well-written description of the life and accomplishments of a restless, creative intellectual who lived during the exciting era of medicine when the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system was on the cutting edge of medical science. Because of his many contributions to pathology and pathophysiology, Brown-Sequard is immortalized in the pantheon of neuroanatomists who have lent their names to the syndromes resulting from discretely located lesions in the central nervous system. His special contribution was the delineation of the unique crossed deficits caused by spinal cord lesions.

Charles Edouard Brown-Sequard, born in Mauritius of an American father and a French mother, was, to say the least, a peripatetic spirit. According to Aminoff, he crossed the Atlantic between America and Europe some 60 times and traveled the Indian Ocean to Mauritius many times more, spending approximately 6 years of his life at sea. He resided in London, Paris, New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and other cities in between. One wonders why he was so unhappy or agitated that he and his wife underwent such constant upheaval. Would he have done better in one place, or was his mind so unsettled that he found no location satisfying to his ranging ideas? Perhaps this explains why he never attended a meeting or was elected to the American Neurological Association, which was the focus for the world's neurologists at the time. One explanation could be that his productivity increased in the confined and monotonous environment of prolonged ocean voyages.

Among his colleagues were Addison, Agassiz, Bartholow, Bell, Bernard, Bert, Charcot, Sequin, and Darwin. Brown-Sequard used the scientific method in an era during which physicians, using methods of the past, eschewed it for clinical observation. Moreover, he was eclectic and did extensive endocrinologic research on thyroid, adrenal, and testicular extracts long before others had become involved either in their research or use. Not averse to controversy, he recommended animal extracts for rejuvenation of the elderly.

Aminoff deserves our thanks for putting the complicated and tortuous life of Brown-Sequard into context with contemporary events. At times, however, the wealth of detail is rather daunting and diminishes one's interest in reading about the man. The 171 pages of text are supplemented with 30 additional pages of appendixes outlining Sequard's honors, credentials, and publications. This book will appeal to those who are interested in the history of medicine, particularly neurology.