Edmund Critchley – författare

Spinal Cord Injury or disease can happen to anyone at any time and the effects can be devastating. I found this out personally when I was thrown from the back of a pick up truck at age 15 was left paralyzed from the waist down. It was during my recuperation as a young teenager that I first gained insight into the importance of rehabilitation. My family, doctors, nurses, fellow patients and researchers who were dedicated to helping me over­ come my personal tragedy helped me pull through. Today, rehabilita­ tion medicine is taking great strides and empowering the person with the injury to take control of their future, overcome their setbacks and, through collaborative support, reach their personal goals and potential. Since 1987 the Legacy raised by my Man in Motion World Tour (24901 miles wheeled around the world March 1985-May 1987) has pro­ $13 million dollars to research and rehabilitation in the areas vided over of spinal cord injury. I hope that in some small way this funding has contributed to the development of the vital programmes that supported me and many others. The effects of spinal cord injury are traumatic and life-shattering and require a skilled interdisciplinary approach. I congratulate those who have contributed to this book and challenge each one of you to never give up on your dreams to find the answers to the optimum treatment of spinal cord injury and disease.

Gideon Mantell (1790-1852) was a respected surgeon and a pioneering geologist and palaeontologist. Using his skill in comparative anatomy, he pieced together unidentified bone fragments found in chalk quarries to evaluate the modes of life of early dinosaurs including the Iguanodon, his most famous discovery. From the flora and fauna of the rock strata, Mantell established the Age of Reptiles, and he revealed how the soft bodies of animalcules formed the chalk. Most of his findings came from the Weald in south-east England, where he made an extensive study of the geology. His collection of antiquities and fossils of every size was exhibited to the public, and later formed a major section of the British Museum. Coming from humble, dissenting stock in a provincial town, Mantell qualified as a surgeon through an apprenticeship when fifteen years old, and developed a practice in surgery, midwifery, and general medicine, making advances in medical science. He was influenced by Tom Paine, the French Revolution, and his own background, and, as a result, became embroiled in Whig politics and support for the underdog. Mantell's journal and correspondence provide a fascinating insight into the social history of the period. The need to achieve financial stability through his profession frequently conflicted with his scientific endeavours, but, despite this, Mantell became a famous writer and lecturer, with books such as The Wonders of Geology and Medals of Creation. He exhibited along with other members of the Royal Society at scientific conversazioni, patronised by Prince Albert. Although he achieved great acclaim in prehistorical research, Mantell's life was dogged by scientific rivalry, family misfortunes, overweening ambition, and an accident leading to the distortion of his spine, which eventually became a prize exhibit of the Royal College of Surgeons.