Over a long career Alan E. H. Emery has published some 400 articles and written or edited 24 books, mainly, but not exclusively, concerned with genetics and neuromuscular disorders. In 1989 he helped found the European Neuromuscular Centre and was its first Research Director and later in 2001 established the Section of Medical Genetics of the Royal Society of Medicine, and became its Founding President. He has received many national and international awards and honorary degrees. In retirement he now has more time for his hobbies of oil painting and writing poetry.Marcia L. H. Emery was born in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated in Clinical Psychology at Wooster College with an honours year at St. Andrews University, and later an MSc in Information Sciences from Case Western Reserve University. In more recent years her interests have centred on medical history and art history and she has published several articles on these subjects. Like her husband she now has a little more time for her hobbies of needlework and identifying and studying butterflies.The authors live in Devon but retain strong associations with Green Templeton College, Oxford.

• Preface ; 1. The history of Muscular Dystrophy: a unique story ; 2. Early history of Muscular Dystrophy ; 3. Edward Meryon's contribution to Muscular Dystrophy ; 4. The life of Edward Meryon (1807-1880) ; 5. Duchenne de Boulogne (1806-1875) ; 6. Refining the clinical picture ; 7. Resolution of heterogeneity ; 8. Nosology of the Dystrophies ; 9. Recognition of other types of Muscular Dystrophy ; 10. Biochemical diagnosis and carrier detection ; 11. Pathogenesis of Duchenne dystrophy ; 12. The search for the gene ; 13. Current trends and the future

Over a long career Alan E. H. Emery has published some 400 articles and written or edited 24 books, mainly, but not exclusively, concerned with genetics and neuromuscular disorders. In 1989 he helped found the European Neuromuscular Centre and was its first Research Director and later in 2001 established the Section of Medical Genetics of the Royal Society of Medicine, and became its Founding President. He has received many national and international awards and honorary degrees. In retirement he now has more time for his hobbies of oil painting and writing poetry.Marcia L. H. Emery was born in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated in Clinical Psychology at Wooster College with an honours year at St. Andrews University, and later an MSc in Information Sciences from Case Western Reserve University. In more recent years her interests have centred on medical history and art history and she has published several articles on these subjects. Like her husband she now has a little more time for her hobbies of needlework and identifying and studying butterflies.The authors live in Devon but retain strong associations with Green Templeton College, Oxford.

• Preface ; 1. The history of Muscular Dystrophy: a unique story ; 2. Early history of Muscular Dystrophy ; 3. Edward Meryon's contribution to Muscular Dystrophy ; 4. The life of Edward Meryon (1807-1880) ; 5. Duchenne de Boulogne (1806-1875) ; 6. Refining the clinical picture ; 7. Resolution of heterogeneity ; 8. Nosology of the Dystrophies ; 9. Recognition of other types of Muscular Dystrophy ; 10. Biochemical diagnosis and carrier detection ; 11. Pathogenesis of Duchenne dystrophy ; 12. The search for the gene ; 13. Current trends and the future

Over a long career Alan E. H. Emery has published some 400 articles and written or edited 24 books, mainly, but not exclusively, concerned with genetics and neuromuscular disorders. In 1989 he helped found the European Neuromuscular Centre and was its first Research Director and later in 2001 established the Section of Medical Genetics of the Royal Society of Medicine, and became its Founding President. He has received many national and international awards and honorary degrees. In retirement he now has more time for his hobbies of oil painting and writing poetry.Marcia L. H. Emery was born in Cleveland, Ohio and graduated in Clinical Psychology at Wooster College with an honours year at St. Andrews University, and later an MSc in Information Sciences from Case Western Reserve University. In more recent years her interests have centred on medical history and art history and she has published several articles on these subjects. Like her husband she now has a little more time for her hobbies of needlework and identifying and studying butterflies.The authors live in Devon but retain strong associations with Green Templeton College, Oxford.

• Preface ; 1. The history of Muscular Dystrophy: a unique story ; 2. Early history of Muscular Dystrophy ; 3. Edward Meryon's contribution to Muscular Dystrophy ; 4. The life of Edward Meryon (1807-1880) ; 5. Duchenne de Boulogne (1806-1875) ; 6. Refining the clinical picture ; 7. Resolution of heterogeneity ; 8. Nosology of the Dystrophies ; 9. Recognition of other types of Muscular Dystrophy ; 10. Biochemical diagnosis and carrier detection ; 11. Pathogenesis of Duchenne dystrophy ; 12. The search for the gene ; 13. Current trends and the future