Charcot: Past and present

Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) was the preeminent neurologist of the nineteenth century. Several of his major contributions remain fully relevant to contemporary neurology, and this essay highlights three areas of particular importance to the modern neurologist: the anatomo-clinical method that Charcot developed as the anchor of neurological study; the integration of new scientific discoveries from other fields as a core strategy for neurological advancement; and the role of heredity as the fundamental etiological focus to the understanding of the pathogenesis of primary neurological disorders. Further, Charcot left a strong tradition of visual skills as the core requirement for accurate neurological diagnosis and emphasized scientific humility in the face of difficult diseases. In spite of vast advances in neuroscience over the 20th and 21st centuries, the challenges faced by Charcot remain largely the same for the contemporary neurologist, and the lessons provided by Charcot retain their power and significance today.