The Morbid Anatomy of the Human Brain; Being Illustrations of the Most Frequent and Important Organic Diseases to Which That Viscus Is Subject

Robert Hooper (1773–1835) was an English physician and prolific writer. He had a strong interest in anatomy and pathology, and he collected specimens of diseased human tissue. This work, which is one of the first neuropathology atlases, addresses those interests in the tradition of Christopher Wren and Humphrey Ridley. The fifteen hand colored plates depict diseases that afflict both the brain and its outer membrane including inflammations, tumors, and melanomas.

Hooper’s illustrations were performed by surgeon John Howship (1781-1841) of St. George’s Infirmary and Medical School. Howship was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and otherwise best known for the Howship-Romberg sign, a pain in the leg indicating a possible hernia.