HISTNEUR-L: The History of Neuroscience Internet Forum

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Ventricular Doctrine 

In their _Illustrated History of Brain Function_, Clarke and Dewhurst say
in regards to the ventricular theory that: "The most important
development in the theory, however, was the addition of a dynamic element
to the original static model and this appears to have taken place in the
10th century AD" (p. 8). While I lack the hubris to directly challenge
this, I did find a reference from Nemesius of Emesa in the 4th century
that reveals a dynamic ventricular scheme. Nemesius says, "So, then, the
faculty of imagination hands on to the faculty of intellect things that
the senses have perceived, while the faculty of intellect (or discursive
reason) receives them, passes judgement on them, and hands them on to the
faculty of memory" (in Telfer, 1955, p. 341).

Was Nemesius' dynamic element ignored for 500 years? If not, does anyone
know what happened to the ventricular scheme in the 10th century AD that
led Clarke and Dewhurst to make their statement?

Christopher Robinson
University of Alabama-Birmingham

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