Cushing's contributions to neuroscience, part 2: Cushing and several dwarfs

Harvey Cushing revolutionized modern neurosurgery and pioneered the field of neuroendocrinology. This second of a two-part series on Harvey Cushing's contributions to neuroscience discusses his pivotal discoveries of the function and clinical disorders of the anterior pituitary. A review of his 20-year obsession with the pituitary reveals Cushing's ingenuity, keen sense of observation, and persistent stubborness. His enthusiasm to test his ideas, however, led to risky experimentation. Despite his foibles, his work opened up new frontiers of research for a number of investigators, whose efforts resulted in the identification of specific pituitary hormones, the hypothalamic regulation of the pituitary, and the practical applications of endocrinology.