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The Stevens Commission 1887-1889

James R. Keane, MD

Arch Neurol. 1989;46(3):323-324.

Abstract
• In 1887, the New York Neurological Society appointed a committee of distinguished neurologists to investigate the claim of ophthalmic surgeon George Thomas Stevens that he could cure chorea and epilepsy through correction of refractive errors and strabismus. After 21/2 years, the supervised therapeutic trial collapsed amid mutual recriminations. The commission issued a bland statement to the effect that the treatment was not curative and was insufficiently helpful to recommend. The idea of ocular reflex causation and surgical cure of "neuroses" persisted for several more decades in the face of increasing skepticism and resistance.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Neurology, Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Sept 3, 1988.

Read in part before the 1988 International Neuro-ophthalmology Congress, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 12, 1988.

Reprint requests to 1200 N State St, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (Dr Keane).

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