Horsley, Victor Alexander Haden (1857–1916)

English physiologist and one of the founders of neurological surgery. He was the first surgeon to successfully remove tumours from the pituitary gland (endocrine gland in the brain that secretes hormones) and the spinal cord.

He also performed research on the central nervous system, applying electrical stimulation to various points on the cerebral cortex of the brain to show that it caused muscle contraction on the opposite side of the body. These regions of the brain became known as motor regions.

Horsley also investigated ductless glands. He excised the pituitary glands from two dogs and determined that they were still well several months later. He also tested the effects of the removal of the thyroid and parathyroid glands on animals. He determined that loss of thyroid function gave rise to diseases such as myxoedema and cretinism.

Horsley was born in Kensington and graduated in medicine from University College. In 1893, he returned to the College when he was appointed professor of physiology. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society 1886 and knighted 1892.