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Current trends in Australian neurology.

In a preface to Volume 4 of the Proceedings of the Australian Association of Neurologists (1966), Dr John A. Game, the President of this Association, remarks: 'Some responsible and otherwise not unsympathetic critics have levelled the taunt of mediocrity at Australia. A young nation, seeking to contribute to the cultural history of mankind, can not ignore these strictures'. A. W. Campbell, who prepared the first cytoarchitectonic map of the cerebral cortex (1905), and Sir Grafton Elliott Smith, who contributed so much to the knowledge of the anatomy of the nervous system, were Australians who pursued their studies in England at a time when adequate facilities were lacking in their home country. In more recent years the work of Professor Sydney Sunderland of Melbourne has covered many aspects of neuro-anatomy and achieved world recognition. In the field of neurophysiology the genius of Sir John Eccles needs no emphasis and was rewarded by the Nobel Prize. His students are continuing his fundamental investigation into the function of the nervous system at several Australian universities. The development of clinical neurology, however, lagged behind that ofmany other countries. This may be attributed to the small population scattered over a vast continent, and to the slow evolution of specialization in medicine in general. It is only during the last 25 years that physicians were able to confine themselves to neurology, and during the past 10 years that rapid progress was made. This progress was fostered by the Australian Association of Neurologists, founded in 1951 by a small group of physicians who had brought the art of British neurology to Australia. The Association's first President, Dr Leonard Cox of Melbourne, established neuropathology in relation to clinical neurology in this country. Dr E. Graeme Robertson, the second President set the standards of clinical neurology in Australia, standards of which we are now justly proud. His work on the methods and interpretation of pneumo-encephalography is well known throughout the world. Robertson initiated the publication of the Proceedings of the Australian Association of Neurologists, which have appeared annually since 1963. There arenow more than forty clinical neurologists in Australia. Almost all of them received their postgraduate education at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square, London. Many of them, apart from their clinical responsibilities, are concerned also with clinical or electrophysiological research. Neurological units have been established at all major teaching hospitals throughout Australia and their various fields of interest now cover much of the broad spectrum of nervous disorders. At the Annual Meetings of the Australian Association of Neurologists both the basic scientists and clinicians have an opportunity to present their work. It is not easy to select from a wealth of good papers those which are most representative of current trends in neurology in our country. The space available, the need for illustrations and-inevitably-personal inclinations have determined the selection of five topics which were presented at our meetings during the last 3 years. Although some of the subjects may appear to be highly specialized and somewhat esoteric, they have wider implications and point to avenues of future research, which may unravel some of the many secrets of the nervous system.