Henry Head

Henry Head (1861–1940) was an English neurologist who made significant contributions to the study of the nervous system and the sensory nerves. His work on the sensory disturbances experienced after nerve injuries led to a deeper understanding of the sensory pathways and their functions in the human body. Head's research played a crucial role in the development of neurology as a medical discipline.

Early Life and Education

Henry Head was born on August 4, 1861, in Stoke Newington, London. He pursued his education at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied the natural sciences. After completing his degree at Cambridge, Head went on to study medicine at the London Hospital Medical College, qualifying as a doctor in 1886.

Career and Research

After qualifying as a doctor, Head dedicated his career to neurology, a field that was still in its infancy at the time. He worked at the London Hospital and later at the Bethlem Royal Hospital and Maudsley Hospital. Throughout his career, Head was deeply interested in the structure and function of the nervous system, particularly the sensory nerves.

One of Head's most notable experiments involved self-infliction of nerve damage to his own arm to study the process of sensory nerve regeneration. This experiment, conducted with the assistance of his colleague Dr. James Sherren, provided valuable insights into the timelines and characteristics of sensory nerve recovery. The findings from this study were published in a series of papers that detailed the sensory changes Head experienced and observed during the regeneration process.

Head is also known for his work on the concept of the body schema, a term he introduced to describe the representation of the body in the brain. He investigated how injuries and diseases affecting the nervous system could alter this internal representation, leading to various sensory and motor disturbances.

In addition to his research on sensory nerves, Head made contributions to the understanding of aphasia, a condition characterized by the loss of the ability to understand or express speech, caused by brain damage. He collaborated with the psychologist Henry H. Donaldson on studies of the brain's role in language and communication.

Legacy

Henry Head's pioneering work laid the foundation for many aspects of modern neurology. His studies on nerve injury and regeneration, the body schema, and aphasia have had a lasting impact on the field. Head's approach to research, which often involved meticulous observation and detailed documentation of clinical cases, set a standard for future neuroscientific investigations.

Selected Publications

• Studies in Neurology (1920)
• Numerous articles on the sensory disturbances following nerve injuries, the body schema, and aphasia.

Death

Henry Head passed away on October 8, 1940, in London. His contributions to neurology continue to be recognized and celebrated by the medical and scientific communities.