Winston Chiong<p>Thought today might be a good one to re-post something I'd put on another social network about <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/SolomonCarterFuller" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SolomonCarterFuller</span></a>, often celebrated as the 1st Black psychiatrist, but whose place in <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/neurology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>neurology</span></a> and <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/neuroscience" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>neuroscience</span></a> is underrecognized. </p><p>As a med student, Fuller attended a key event in the history of US neuropsychiatry: neurologist S. Weir Mitchell’s address to the AMPA (precursor to APA). Mitchell harshly critiqued the absence of a research program in asylum medicine. Asylums responded by setting up new labs; as autopsies were uncommon in the US compared to Europe, Fuller recognized that this new field presented more open opportunity to him as a Black MD, and came to lead a pathology lab at Westboro Hospital. </p><p>Like many US docs then, he sought more training in Europe. He studied German and in 1904 went to Munich, where he worked in Alzheimer's lab alongside Frederic <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/Lewy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Lewy</span></a>. He was treated more equitably there than in the US. </p><p>After his return to the US, Auguste D died in 1906 and <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/Alzheimer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Alzheimer</span></a> presented her case; that year Fuller presented one of the first accounts of neurofibrillary pathology to the AMPA. In 1912 Fuller published the 1st review of <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/AlzheimersDisease" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AlzheimersDisease</span></a> cases (including one of his own, the 9th overall) and the first English translation of Alzheimer's work. </p><p>In 1909, Fuller was invited to speak at <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/ClarkUniversity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ClarkUniversity</span></a> 20th anniversary; other invitees were a “little-known Viennese neurologist and his Swiss colleague” (Anne Harrington, <em>Mind Fixers</em>)—a turning point in US psychiatry. Fuller took interest in psychoanalysis & maintained correspondence w/ <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/Jung" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Jung</span></a>, Meyer & Adler.</p><p>Fuller trained a cohort of Black psychiatrists, who mentored others. He led the <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/BostonUniversity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BostonUniversity</span></a> dept of neurology for 5y but underpaid and untitled; when a white assistant prof was named chair ahead of him he went into private practice. His death was commemorated by James B Ayer: <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM195401212500316" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM</span><span class="invisible">195401212500316</span></a></p><p>In addition to these scientific connections, Fuller enjoyed close ties with other important historical figures. His wife Meta was herself an important sculptor championed by <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/Rodin" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Rodin</span></a> & they were close with other leaders like <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/WEBDuBois" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WEBDuBois</span></a> & <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/PaulRobeson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PaulRobeson</span></a>. </p><p>Neurologists and neuroscientists should celebrate Fuller as our colleagues in <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/psychiatry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>psychiatry</span></a> do. I recommend Mary Kaplan's lively biography <em>Where My Caravan Has Rested</em>, including an oral history that Fuller dictated to his son, to all. <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/BlackHistory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BlackHistory</span></a> <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/BlackHistoryMonth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BlackHistoryMonth</span></a> <a href="https://neuromatch.social/tags/BlackInNeuro" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BlackInNeuro</span></a></p>