Rudolf Berlin: Originator of the Term Dyslexia

Dr. Rudolf Berlin coined the term dyslexia when he suggested its use in a monograph published in 1887, titled Eine besodere Art von Wortblindheit (Dyslexie). The word dyslexia is derived from Greek, dys-, meaning faulty or impaired, and legein, meaning to speak, but pertaining to words. Rudolf Berli...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bulletin of the Orton Society 1973-01, Vol.23, p.57-63
Main Author: Wagner, Rudolph F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brain diseases
Children
Dyslexia
Lesions
Ophthalmology
Symptoms
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Summary:Dr. Rudolf Berlin coined the term dyslexia when he suggested its use in a monograph published in 1887, titled Eine besodere Art von Wortblindheit (Dyslexie). The word dyslexia is derived from Greek, dys-, meaning faulty or impaired, and legein, meaning to speak, but pertaining to words. Rudolf Berlin was born on May 2, 1833, in Friedland in Mecklenburg, now part of the German Democratic Republic. In 1858, he received a medical degree in Erlangen. He then went to Wiesbaden for ophthalmological training and in 1875 moved to Stuttgart to open a private practice and eye clinic. During this time he wrote the monograph. Berlin observed several patients complaining of reading difficulty. He attempted to analyze six case histories which he had collected over a 23 year period. He assumed a brain dysfunction and saw dyslexia as a lesser degree of wordblindness (Kussmaul). Based on post-mortem dissections of his patients' brains, he discovered anatomical lesions in the left hemisphere of the brain. Berlin's theory is discussed with that of Samuel Orton and the "modern" concept of dyslexia. AA
ISSN:0474-7534