In recent years the Association of British Neurologists has awarded the ABN Medal to members of the Association who are considered to have made an outstanding contribution in Clinical Neurology either in Research, Teaching or Clinical Practice. This year Council of the ABN has decided to award the ABN Medal to Professor John Newsom-Davis who has made just such an outstanding contribution under all three headings. He has had a most distinguished career as a Clinical Neurologist and has made a major research contribution. He is also a most able teacher of the subject and I am reminded of the occasion after a lecture which he gave to the Australian Association of Neurologists. The President of that Association remarked to me after hearing John's lecture "that was the best lecture in Clinical Neurology I have ever heard - real Bonzer!" John was a late starter. He began his medical training only after National Service and he qualified significantly later than his contemporaries. He trained in Queen Square and then worked with Fred Plum in New York and with Tom Sears at the National. He has been Consultant Neurologist at the Royal Free, the National Hospital Queen Square, and of course Professor of Clinical Neurology at Oxford since 1987. He has given generously of his time and skills to the MRC, the RCP, the Muscular Dystrophy Group, the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and not least to the Association of British Neurologists where he was Honorary Secretary from 1981-84 and now its President. His publications, his books and journals are legion; he is of course the present Editor of Brain. I spoke earlier of awards and honours. John Newsom-Davis was awarded the Queen Square Prize in Neurology, the RCP Jean Hunter Prize, the RCP Moxon Medal; he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1991 and awarded the CBE in 1996. It is a privilege as well as a great pleasure to be able to give you the medal for the Association for 1999.

R Godwin-Austen 25 March 1999