Kenneth Grant Jamieson (1925-1976): his life and contributions to neurosurgery.

Manuscript submitted May 23, 2011. Accepted September 25, 2011. Kenneth Grant Jamieson is celebrated as one of Australia's top neurosurgeons. His most notable contributions to neurosurgery included novel treatments of aneurysms and pineal tumors and studies of head injury. Jamieson was also an innovator for the development of new neurosurgical instruments and renowned for his teaching abilities, prolificacy, and mentorship. This preeminent neurosurgeon's life was cut short at the age of 51. Our current understanding and knowledge of treatments of various neurosurgical diseases is based on pioneers such as Kenneth Grant Jamieson.

On the surgery of the seat of the soul: the pineal gland and the history of its surgical approaches.

The pineal gland has been studied through philosophy and science for thousands of years. Its role in human physiology was not well understood until the scientific community first started to report on pineal pathology in the eighteenth century. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, reports on pineal tumors and the emergence of comparative anatomy allowed more complete understanding of pineal function. Neurosurgical methods of treating pineal pathology first emerged in the early twentieth century. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the emergence of microsurgical technique allowed for excellent outcomes with minimal morbidity and mortality.