Camillo Golgi was born in 1843 at Corteno near Brescia. He studied medicine at the University of Pavia and, after graduating in 1865, continued to work at the Hospital of St. Matteo in Pavia. During this period, most of his investigations were concerned with the nervous system.
In 1872, he accepted the post of Chief Medical Officer at the Hospital for the Chronically Sick at Abbiategrasso. He began his investigations into the nervous system in a small kitchen of this hospital, which he converted into a laboratory. The most important work carried out by Golgi was the development of a revolutionary method of staining individual nerve and cell structures, known as the “black reaction.” This method uses a weak solution of silver nitrate and is particularly valuable in tracing the processes and delicate ramifications of cells.
Throughout his life, Golgi continued to work on these lines, modifying and improving this technique. In recognition of his contributions, he received the highest honours and awards. He shared the Nobel Prize in 1906 with Santiago Ramón y Cajal for their work on the structure of the nervous system.