Étienne Lancereaux (November 27, 1829 – October 26, 1910) was a French physician born in Brécy-Brières. He is remembered for pioneer contributions made in the understanding of

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

. He studied medicine in

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, receiving his medical doctorate in 1862. From 1869 he served as ''médecin des hôpitaux'', working in various hospitals in Paris. In 1872 he earned his

agrégation In France, the ''agrégation'' () is a competitive examination for civil service in the French public education system. Candidates for the examination, or ''agrégatifs'', become ''agrégés'' once they are admitted to the position of ''professe ...

, and later in his career, he was appointed president of the ''

Académie Nationale de Médecine Situated at 16 Rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the Académie nationale de médecine (National Academy of Medicine) was created in 1820 by King Louis XVIII at the urging of baron Antoine Portal. At its inception, the instituti ...

''.Diabetologia
(biography) His best known student was

Nicolae Paulescu Nicolae Constantin Paulescu (; 30 October 1869 (O.S.) – 17 July 1931) was a Romanian physiologist, professor of medicine, and politician, most famous for his work on diabetes, including patenting ''pancreine'' (a pancreatic extract containing ...

(1869–1931), the discoverer of

insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...

. Through clinical-pathological research, Lancereaux believed that the cause of

diabetes mellitus Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

was located in the

pancreas The pancreas is an organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine gland, i.e. it has both an end ...

. In 1877 he published a paper in which he coined the term ''diabète pancréatique'' (pancreatic diabetes). His ideas in regards to diabetes were later confirmed through experimentation by

Oskar Minkowski Oskar Minkowski (; 13 January 1858 – 18 July 1931) was a German physician and physiologist who held a professorship at the University of Breslau and is most famous for his research on diabetes. He was the brother of the mathematician Hermann Mi ...

(1858–1931) and Josef von Mering (1849–1908). Lancereaux provided distinctions on the two primary forms of diabetes, which he referred to as ''diabetes maigre'' ("lean diabetes") and ''diabetes gras'' ("fat diabetes"). In addition to diabetes, he also made contributions in his research of

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

, infectious forms of

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme meta ...

and the transmission of

typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...

by water.

Associated eponym

* "Lancereaux's diabetes":

Diabetes mellitus Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

with marked emaciation (

cachexia Cachexia () is a complex syndrome associated with an underlying illness, causing ongoing muscle loss that is not entirely reversed with nutritional supplementation. A range of diseases can cause cachexia, most commonly cancer, congestive heart f ...

Selected publications

* ''Traité historique et pratique de la syphilis'', Paris 1866; translated into English and published as: "A treatise on syphilis, historical and practical" (1868–69). * ''Atlas d'anatomie pathologique'', 1871; Translation of atlas volume into English and published as: "Atlas of pathological anatomy" (1880). * ''Traité d'anatomie pathologique'' (3 volumes) Paris 1875–1889.Most widely held works by E Lancereaux
at

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the OCL ...

Identities * ''Traité de l'herpétisme'', Paris 1883. * ''Traité des maladies du foie et du pancréas'', Paris 1899. * ''Alcoolisme'', Paris 1907. * ''Traité de la goutte'', Paris 1910.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lancereaux, Etienne People from Ardennes (department) French diabetologists 1829 births 1910 deaths