Joseph Souberbielle (18 March 1754 in
Pontacq – 10 July 1846 in
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 ...
) was a French
surgeon
In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...
. He was a relative of
Jean Baseilhac (1703–1781), a surgeon who was a major influence to Souberbielle's career.
He moved to Paris in 1774, where he was student of
Pierre-Joseph Desault
Pierre-Joseph Desault (6 February 1738 – 1 June 1795) was a French anatomist and surgeon.
Biography
Pierre-Joseph Desault was born in Vouhenans, Franche-Comté. He was destined for a career in the Church, but his own inclination was towards the ...
(1738–1795). Afterwards, he worked as a military physician, subsequently serving as chief surgeon for the victors of the
Bastille
The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was sto ...
(1789). In 1793 he was a juror of the
Revolutionary Tribunal
The Revolutionary Tribunal (french: Tribunal révolutionnaire; unofficially Popular Tribunal) was a court instituted by the National Convention during the French Revolution for the trial of political offenders. It eventually became one of the ...
.
Known for his work in
lithotomy
Lithotomy from Greek for "lithos" (stone) and "tomos" (cut), is a surgical method for removal of calculi, stones formed inside certain organs, such as the urinary tract (kidney stones), bladder (bladder stones), and gallbladder (gallstones), tha ...
, especially using the
suprapubic
The hypogastrium (also called the hypogastric region or suprapubic region) is a region of the abdomen located below the umbilical region.
Etymology
The roots of the word ''hypogastrium'' mean "below the stomach"; the roots of ''suprapubic'' mean ...
method. It is believed that he performed over 1200 suprapubic operations for removal of
calculi during his career. As did Jean Baseilhac, he advocated use of a caustic paste containing
arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, but ...
for cauterization of cancers. The mixture found particular use in treatment of facial
ulcers
An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing o ...
.
During the French revolution he was a close associate of Maximilien Robespierre and narrowly survived being guillotined in the
events of 9 thermidor 1794.
Selected works
* ''Considerations medico-chirurgicales sur les maladies des voies urinaires'', 1813 - Medico-surgical considerations on
urinary tract
The urinary system, also known as the urinary tract or renal system, consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and the urethra. The purpose of the urinary system is to eliminate waste from the body, regulate blood volume and blood pressure, con ...
diseases.
* ''Opérations de cystotomie suspubienne'', ca. 1827 - Operations of suprapubic cystotomy.
* ''Lettre à l'Académie des sciences, sur la statistique des affections calculeuses présentée par M. Civiale dans la séance du 26 août 1833'' - Letter to the Academy of Sciences regarding statistics of calculous affections, etc.
* ''Recueil de pièces sur la lithotomie et la lithotritie'', 1835 - Collection of pieces involving lithotomy and
lithotripsy
Lithotripsy is a non-invasive procedure involving the physical destruction of hardened masses like kidney stones, bezoars or gallstones. The term is derived from the Greek words meaning "breaking (or pulverizing) stones" ( litho- + τρίψω rip ...
.
IDREF.fr
(publications)
References
Dictionnaire encyclopédique des sciences médicales: Volume 80
(biography)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Souberbielle, Joseph
1754 births
1846 deaths
French surgeons
People from Béarn