1768 AKENSIDE, Mark (1721 – 1770)

Observations on cancers.

First recorded description of multiple neurofibromatosis. Akenside was better known as a poet; he was caricatured as the republican doctor of Tobias Smollett's The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle.

GMN 4015.1 · https://historyofmedicine.com/id/5252

1849 SMITH, Robert William (1807 – 1873)

A treatise on the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of neuroma.

Smith’s large and beautifully illustrated atlas contains the first clear description and illustration of neurofibromatosis, published 33 years before von Recklinghausen’s account of the disorder (see No. 4566). This d…

GMN 4529 · https://historyofmedicine.com/id/391

1870 BRUNS, Paul von (1846 – 1916)

Das Rankenneurom.

Original description of plexiform neurofibroma.

GMN 4541 · https://historyofmedicine.com/id/402

1882 RECKLINGHAUSEN, Friedrich Daniel von (1833 – 1910)

Ueber die multiplen Fibrome der Haut und ihre Beziehung zu den multiplen Neuromen

One of Virchow’s distinguished pupils, von Recklinghausen gave a classic description of neurofibromatosis, adding much to the knowledge of the condition, which later became known as “Recklinghausen’s disease”. The art…

GMN 4082 · https://historyofmedicine.com/id/8624

1923 TREVES, Sir Frederick (1853 – 1923)

The elephant man and other reminiscences.

The story of Treves's patient, Joseph Carey Merrick (1862-1890), incorrected identified by Treves in these reminiscences as "John Merrick." The story was retold in The elephant man, Bernard Pomerance's 1977 play about…

GMN 7407 · https://historyofmedicine.com/id/9579