Conclusion
Toward the end of his autobiography, Santiago Ramón y Cajal writes:
“I take it for granted and even convenient that in the flow of time, my insignificant personality will be forgotten; with it, many of my ideas will undoubtedly be shipwrecked. Nothing can escape this inexorable law of life, least of all humble workers.”
(1)
Little did Cajal know that he would be remembered in scientific history a century later. His ideas were never 'shipwrecked' but instead elaborated upon using modern techniques to create a deeper understanding of the inner working of neurons. Despite his prestigious professorships, his numerous commendations, and even winning the Nobel Prize, Cajal remained humble and dedicated himself to uplifting every Spanish scientist in a rapidly changing world.
Considered a revolutionary force that shaped neuroscience into the field it is today, Cajal truly earned the title of The Father of Neuroscience.
Cajal has joined a small but elite group of truly memorable modern scientific and medical illustrators. Gone are the days of Hieronymus Fabricius' and Andreas Vesalius' fine art renditions of of human anatomy (16, 17). During Cajal's life, the influence of art over scientific illustration waned as science rejected the subjectivity of art to place objectivity in the forefront, reflecting the desire for science to be recognized as a greater authority (18). Medical illustration became more
clinical, more didactic, and more removed from the bodies it showed.
Modern medical illustrators like Max Brödel and Frank Netter eerily seem to take on aspects of Cajal's life (17). All three were artists pulled into the world of medicine, and all three created a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the human body.
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Cajal, however, is one of the most rare kinds of medical illustrators. He ignored the body, the organs, the macroscopic scale, instead solely focusing on the interconnectedness of cells. Remembered for his work on the microscopic scale, and his ability to make the minuscule beautiful, Cajal created a unique and lasting impact on both science and art.
Full Circle
Appreciation of the value of art in science
Art's place in science has slowly been making a comeback, but not in the way that it will be displayed in the Louvre. The first visual abstract appeared in 2016 and has become a more common inclusion in publications every year since (25). While visual abstracts tend to rely on iconography rather than illustrations, they are nonetheless a reintroduction of the use of imagery to convey overarching ideas.
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Visual abstracts develop a baseline understanding of a paper's main findings and synthesizes information for scientists and non-scientists alike (25). But visual abstracts are new, and their role in scientific communication will likely evolve over time. Like Cajal's illustrations before them, clarifying one's scientific argument through the use of imagery and art leads to last and memorable impacts on science itself.
Life & Legacy
Cajal received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1906, but his work did not stop there. In recognition of his work advancing Spanish contributions to science, the King of Spain established the Cajal Institute 1920 (4). Construction on the Institute was not finished until 1932, just 2 years before Cajal's death, but the Institute continues to contribute to his legacy.
This legacy includes examinations of the histological slides that Cajal left behind after his death, including evidence of his interest in Alzheimer's Disease (27), tumor and cancer biology (28), and glial cells (29).
Carcinoma via (28)
Retina circuitry via (30)
Cajal died in Madrid, Spain in 1934 at the age of 82 (26). He lived through afflictions with malaria and tuberculosis, the 1885 Spanish cholera epidemic, and World War I (1). But his death marked the start of a new neuroscience, dedicated to structure and function, figure and form, and science for all.
"For the biologist, the supreme ideal consists of solving the enigma of one's own self, contributing at the same time to clarifying the formidable mystery that surrounds us. It does not matter that our work is premature and incomplete; in passing, and as the desired ideal dawns, the world will gradually sweeten for man.
Nature is hostile to us because we do not know it: its cruelties represent revenge against our indifference. Listening to her intimate heartbeat with the fervor of passionate curiosity is equivalent to deciphering her secrets: it is turning the angry stepmother into a tender mother.
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In what more noble and humanitarian enterprise can intelligence be used?..."