Section Editors

Neurology, as an independent medical specialty, is a relatively young field, originally stemming from inter-nal medicine and psychiatry. The roots of neurology in Taiwan are no different. Modern neurology in Taiwan was established in the 1950s. Prior to that, neurologic diseases were uncommon and mainly con-sisted of infectious diseases of CNS. The 1950s brought on the establishment of dedicated neurology clinics and primary neurology training at various sites in Taiwan.1 The expansion of these sites continued to flourish over the next several decades. Neurology was further developed with the creation and induction of academic societies and conferences, as well as adop-tion of modern diagnostic techniques and therapeu-tics. This has firmly set neurology as a stand-alone specialty in Taiwan. Western medicine came to Taiwan in 1865, when Dr. James Maxwell was the first Presbyterian mission to reach the country. He established the first Western-style hospital in what is currently Tainan.2 Although records from this period regarding neuro-logic disorders and their treatment are rare, surviving records suggest that the bulk of disease burden was primarily infectious. Common neurologic issues dur-ing that time period included neurologic complica-tions secondary to syphilis, tuberculosis, and leprosy. Other neurologic disorders noted include epilepsy and neuropathies (beriberi, lead, and mercury poison-ing). Overall, neurologic disorders consisted of only 2%–3 % of the ailments for which patients sought medical attention.3 In 1895, the island’s political environment led to major changes that affected every sphere of life whe