[Multiple sclerosis From Charcot and Vulpian to the present time].

The present paper reports the isolation of multiple sclerosis and the evolution of ideas about this disease since the end of the 19th century. Charcot and Vulpian were close friends during their university years and both were appointed physicians at the Salpêtrière in 1862. It is difficult to sort each other part in the beginning of researches which both devoted to "tremors". When Vulpian left the Salpêtrière in 1865 the main point was settled: a clear cut distinction between paralysis agitans vs patients whose tremor appeared during movement and in whom post-mortem had disclosed disseminated lesions "en plaques". For the 20 ensuing years Charcot built up an impressive corpus of pathological and clinical data which were the basis of his celebrated "Leçons". This history shows the pathological clinical method at ist acme in the hands of a physician of genius. Pathogenetic hypotheses, from vascular to toxic and infectious, the role of immunological, genetic and viral factors are also briefly reviewed.