Historical perspective: William Adams, the forward bending test, and the spine of Gideon Algernon Mantell.
Fairbank J.
William Adams described the Forward Bending Test for scoliosis in 1865. His understanding of the nature of the rotational element of scoliosis was given by a postmortem he performed on an eminent surgeon and geologist, Gideon Mantell. The clinical history of Dr. Mantell is well documented.