Gordon Holmes Lecture: Gordon Holmes and the neurological heritage

Sir Gordon Holmes is one of the great figures in the history of twentienth century neurology. In him, there came together the traditions of German and British neurology which moulded a physiological approach to normal and disordered function of the nervous system with a commitment to interpreting clinical phenomena in the light of meticulous pathological examination. He, more than any other individual, was responsible for the form of the neurological examination as it is now performed; and his insights are fundamental to the way that, nowadays, we think about vision, somato-sensory function, the spinal cord and the cerebellum.