Abscess of the brain

Although it is generally regarded as a surgical subject, it will be seen that the various technical procedures constitute a very small part of the problem, and that general medical principles govern diagnosis and all of treatment except the operation itself. I would say that of the worry and difficulty in dealing with these cases, not more than five per cent has to do with the actual operation - for the rest, a physician would be as much concerned as a surgeon.Neurosurgery is a rather hybrid specialty, and for those who practice it a sound knowledge of general medicine and neurology is just as necessary as operative competence. Indeed, in our own University we have a. Department of Surgical Neurology rather than a department of neurological surgery. The slight shift of emphasis is a significant development because for many years diseases have been losing their identity as purely "medical" or "surgical" problems. I considered that Abscess of the Brain was a sufficiently good example of this equal concern for physician and surgeon to justify the presentation of this thesis