The cerebral palsies of children (1889)

in the plane of the axon, it was sometimes possible to follow an axon from its cell of origin to its termination. Modern methods for orthograde and retrograde tracing methods have allowed a much more complete picture of the connections of the nervous system than Cajal could achieve. Also, because Cajal's studies were often based on embryonic or neo-natal material, they may in some instances give a slightly distorted picture if applied to the adult nervous system. We now know that many of the cells in the newborn brain die, and that the connections between areas may be transient. This is a most valuable contribution to the study of the history of the nervous system. The authors have made available a major segment of Cajal's work in a competent translation along with scholarly comment on its significance. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of modern neuroscience. The neuromuscular maturation ofthe human infant (1962 ed.), with a Foreword by T. Berry Brazelton, incorporating a reprint of 'Professional and personal blunders in child development research' The series "Classics in Developmental Medicine" is an example of good craftsmanship. With the support of the Spastics Society, London, the four books printed to date are of a uniform format. The editorial board, by demanding a high quality of pictorial reproduction, the correction of the original printing errors, and the thorough review of bibliographies have added to the worth of this collection. William Osler's five lectures on The cerebral palsies of children were first published in the Medical News of Philadelphia in 1888. Though the scientific merit of this work is limited, its historical importance lies in the fact that it was instrumental in popularizing the use of the term "cerebral palsy". On reading this work one is again struck by the clarity and vividness of Osler's medical prose. The reprint of Bronson Crothers and Richmond S. Paine's The natural history ofcerebralpalsy comes as no surprise. However, the poor literary quality of this work makes it painful reading. The main argument of the book is the importance of growth in assessing the progress of children affected with cerebral palsy, in an effort to discredit reports of dramatic results obtained by intensive training programmes. Arnold Gesell's The embryology of behaviour: the beginnings of the human mind is by far the most scholarly of the series. Beautifully written, it does not merely present …