Dr. Max Peet was the first section head. He was internationally famous for his operations for tic douloureux and splanchnicectomy for the treatment of hypertension.
When Dr. Peet died on March 25, 1949, Dr. Edgar Kahn was named as his successor. During World War II Dr. Kahn served as Colonel, Chief of Surgery, of the 298th General Hospital (University of Michigan). He is famous for his work on craniotomy for removal of subdural hematomas in infants and the first use of Thorotrast for localization of brain abscesses. He standardized open cordotomy for intractable pain and described the dentate ligament syndrome, emphasizing the clinical importance of mechanical stresses on the spinal cord.
In 1952 Dr. Kahn persuaded Dr. Elizabeth Crosby, internationally known comparative neuroanatomist, to participate in neurosurgical conferences at the University Hospital. Upon retirement as Professor of Neuroanatomy she became Head of the Kresge Neurosurgical Research Laboratory.
In 1969 Dr. Richard Schneider succeeded Dr. Kahn as Head of the Section of Neurosurgery.
Fred J. Hodges
The University of Michigan, an Encyclopedic Survey Supplement, Page 208
