Epilepsy in The Alienist and Neurologist, 1880–1920

Purpose: To study the history of epilepsy from 1880 to 1920. Methods: We reviewed all 40 volumes of The Alienist and Neurologist and identified articles concerning primarily epilepsy. We analyzed three of these articles in greater detail. Results: The Alienist and Neurologist published “Original Contributions,”“Selections,” (s from other journals written by the editorial board), “Editorials,” and (book) “Reviews.” Of 258 epilepsy articles, there were 40 Original Contributions, 164 Selections, 39 Editorials, and 15 Reviews. These articles included 71 on therapy (41 medication, 13 surgery, and 17 other therapies); 66 general discussions; 46 on etiology or symptoms; 34 case studies; 28 social/legal articles; and 13 autopsy or pathology articles. Conclusions: Analysis of The Alienist and Neurologist provides a unique and valuable perspective on the clinical practice and academic world of epileptology during the decades around the turn of the twentieth century.