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Antibiotics have revolutionized survival from central nervous system (CNS) infections. Sixty years after the death of Sir Hugh Cairns, we present archive material of historical interest from the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford from the time of his first trials of penicillin for CNS infection. We discuss Cairns' important wartime and subsequent contributions to antibiosis in CNS infection and include drawings by Audrey Arnott illustrating the surgical techniques used to treat abscesses at the time.

Original publication

DOI

10.1227/NEU.0b013e31827b9fae

Type

Journal article

Journal

Neurosurgery

Publication Date

02/2013

Volume

72

Pages

135 - 142

Keywords

Anti-Bacterial Agents, Central Nervous System Infections, England, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century, Humans, Physicians