Winslow's contribution to our understanding of the cervical portion of the sympathetic nervous system.

Jacques Bénigne Winslow (1669-1760) was one of the most brilliant anatomists of the XVIIIth century. Though having Danish origins, he spent most of his life in Paris where he held the chair of anatomy of the Jardin du Roy between 1742 and 1758. Among his numerous contributions in the field of human anatomy, the "Exposition anatomique de la structure du corps humain" (1732) had a great influence on anatomical literature for over a century. Winslow's description of the sympathetic nervous system had a significant importance to the understanding of this controversial part of the nervous system. The structure and distribution of the cervical part of the sympathetic nervous system, as described in his textbook (edition of 1752), were analyzed in the light of our current knowledge. It appears that Winslow not only modified the terminology by replacing the term "intercostal nerve" by that of the "great sympathetic nerve", but also knew, with a few exceptions, the systematization of the cervical ganglia and their branches. The name of Winslow is therefore undissociable from the history of the sympathetic nervous system.