Raymond Adams: A Life of Mind and Muscle

Raymond Adams: A Life of Mind and Muscle is a contribution to the history of neurology and the history of  American medicine. Adams, one of the greats of neurology, advanced the  fields of neurology, neuropathology, internal medicine, psychiatry,  pediatrics, and psychology.

Drawing on 50 interviews with  Raymond D. Adams and on interviews with 50 other professionals and  family members, this book documents his contributions to knowledge, his  expansion of the realm of neurology, and his vast impact as an educator  and author. Following an introductory chapter, "The Phenomenon of  Raymond Adams," the book deals chronologically with the phases of his  life, education, and professional work. Another section of the book is  arranged by disease categories and related topics, explaining his  investigative work and ideas. There is a chapter of summation, analyzing  the accomplishment and legacy of Dr. Adams. Numerous appendices include  letters of correspondence, a letter of nomination, and extracts of  interviews with other neurologists. These documents provide further  insight into Adam's personality and work patterns.

This book  convincingly demonstrates Dr. Adam's seminal role in the completion of  the 19th century task of clinicopathologic analysis of neurological  diseases, the opening of the study of muscle pathology, the systematic  study of cerebrovascular diseases, and emergence of the modern field of  pediatric neurology, along with demonstrating the extent to which he  educated generations of leaders in neurology and to which he guided  neurologists everywhere with his great synthesis, Principles of Neurology.