E.A. Spitzka's Studies of Exceptional and Deviant Brains (2024)

Summary

The younger Spitzka’s career flourished after he took a position at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where he gained recognition for his studies on the relationship between brain structures and behavior. His particular interest lay in the extremes of human nature—both pathological and extraordinary—and he sought to understand the physiology behind deviance and brilliance. In addition to his academic pursuits, Spitzka served as the editor of the 1910 edition of Gray’s Anatomy, one of the most authoritative medical texts of the time.The Huntington is fortunate to hold a substantial collection of the Spitzkas’ personal and professional papers, which provide a window into a transformative period in neuroscience, psychology, and American history. Before The Huntington’s acquisition, the collection remained largely unexplored, but ongoing research is beginning to shed light on its significance and much remains to be discovered.E.A. Spitzka’s fascination with the brain led him to conduct postmortem examinations on several notable individuals, including Major John Wesley Powell, the renowned geologist, soldier, and explorer best known for his leadership of the United States Geological Survey.