Encephalitis Lethargica

Dr. Vilensky became interested in aspects of the history of neurology after a career investigating the neurological control of movement. He has published numerous articles on various aspects of neurologic history including on the work of the father of neurosurgery, Sir Victor Horsley. Dr. Vilensky authored a book on the WWI chemical warfare agent, lewisite, which surprisingly had a critical role in the treatment of a severe neurologic disease, hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson's disease). He became interested in encephalitis lethargica after acquiring some films from the 1920s of these patients. Besides the current book, Dr. Vilensky has authored five scientific articles on the disease.