Julius Althaus (1833--1900). Neurologist and cultural polymath; founder of Maida Vale Hospital.

Abstract

Born, educated and trained in Germany, Julius Althaus migrated to London at the start of a long career in neurological medicine. He was a voluminous writer on a wide range of topics in both general medicine and neurology, especially electrotherapy. In addition, his textbooks form a snapshot of current concepts of great historical interest in areas such as epilepsy and cerebrovascular disease. He was an early and very successful author in the field of popular science journalism. His writing also covered many topics of general interest and his readership was both professional and public alike. His multilingual skills and Continental derivation provided him with international connections, placing him at the advancing edge of neurological development. Both Althaus and his wife Anna were superb musicians, the centre of a wide circle of friends and like-minded acquaintances, and contributed substantially to the cultural life of London. Althaus played a major, almost single-handed role in the founding and development of the Maida Vale Hospital for Nervous Diseases. He left behind a great legacy of both culture and neurology for his adopted country.