Speaker: Dr. Ourania Varsou
Authors: Henry Marles, Fraser Chisholm, Ourania Varsou
Abstract
Background
The accessory nerve, also known as the eleventh cranial nerve (CN XI), is an important anatomical structure in the human body. However, there has been on-going debate regarding its anatomy and exact function since the day this nerve was discovered. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of 18th and 19th century medical books, from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, with the purpose of identifying and contextually reviewing historical descriptions of the accessory nerve.
Method
The College’s catalogues were systematically searched and the retrieved historical medical books were formally and contextually reviewed during site visits. The collected information was thematically analyzed.
Results
Nineteen resources, from 1783 to 1899, were retrieved with these categorized either as practical or specialist anatomy books. The intended audience influenced the description and depth of information. An overview of general anatomy was described in the practical anatomy books for students/novices and specialist information was included in the latter category. The authors’ professional background also influenced the way the accessory nerve was described with surgeons/physicians placing greater focus on clinical details. When comparing all resources, content variations were noted that could have been due to communication restrictions and related publishing costs of the era. Most importantly, these variations mirror the discrepancies noted, nowadays, in modern medical books when it comes to the accessory nerve. The authors feel that such historical resources offer unique opportunities in terms of exploring human anatomy and gaining a deeper insight into some of the body’s mysteries such as this nerve.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Aaron Fleming from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Clare Harrison from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow for allowing access to their collections. This work was conducted as part of the University of St Andrews Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme.