Paul Emil Flechsig

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Paul Emil Flechsig (29 June 1847 in Zwickau – 22 July 1929 in Leipzig, Germany) was an eminent nineteenth-century German neuroanatomist, psychiatrist and neuropathologist.

Professor Flechsig had an interest in myelinogenesis — the development of the myelin sheaths for nerves.[1] The myelin acts as an insulator to allow the electrical impulses to travel through the nerves.[1]

Flechsig observed that the myelin sheath is not yet formed in newborn babies,[2] so he came to the unfounded conclusion that the newborn cannot feel pain.[3] So great was his reputation and influence that his views were accepted without question, even though empirical studies had not been carried out.

It was not until the late twentieth century that medical science started to question his views.

External links

References

  1. a b REFweb Myelinogenesis, Wikipedia. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  2. REFjournal Flechsig P. Developmental (Myelogenetic) Localisation of the Cerebral Cortex in the Human Subject. Lancet. 19 October 1901; : 1027-9. Retrieved 7 January 2204.
  3. REFjournal Cope DK. Neonatal pain: The evolution of an idea.. The American Association of Anesthesiologists Newsletter. September 1998; Retrieved 6 January 2024.