Jean-Baptiste Sarlandière (9 May 1787 – 25 July 1838) was a French

anatomist Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

and

physiologist Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical a ...

born in Aix-la-Chapelle. At the age of 16 he began his medical studies at the local hospital in Noirmoutiers, but was soon called to military service, spending the next eleven years as part of the French Army (1803–1814). In 1814 he resumed his studies, and subsequently was appointed physician at the military hospital 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 ...

. He received his medical degree in 1815 with a thesis titled ''Effets des cosmétiques chez les dames''. In Paris, Sarlandière became a friend and assistant to

François Magendie __NOTOC__ François Magendie (6 October 1783 – 7 October 1855) was a French physiologist, considered a pioneer of experimental physiology. He is known for describing the foramen of Magendie. There is also a ''Magendie sign'', a downward a ...

(1783–1855), with whom he collaborated on several physiological experiments. Sarlandière is remembered for introducing

electroacupuncture Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles. According to some acupuncturists, this practice augments the use of regular acupuncture, can restore health and well-bei ...

to European medicine, a therapeutic technique that combined

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

with

acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...

. Unlike Oriental acupuncture, the needle was not the primary agent of treatment, but simply acted as a conductor to apply the electricity subcutaneously. Reportedly he had success with electroacupuncture in treating respiratory and rheumatic disorders, as well as some forms of

paralysis Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...

. His technique was soon adopted in French hospitals. In 1817 he invented a "bdellomètre", a mechanical blood pump designed to produce a controlled release of blood from the body. The device was to be used as a replacement for

leech Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented bodie ...

es in medical

bloodletting Bloodletting (or blood-letting) is the withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches, was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily flu ...

Selected writings

Among his written works was the unfinished ''Traité du système nerveux'' (Treatise on the

nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes th ...

). Other noteworthy writings of his are: * ''Memoires sur l’electropuncture'' (1825) - treatise on electroacupuncture. * ''Anatomie méthodique, ou Organographie humaine'' (1830) - Systematized anatomy, or human organography. * ''Physiologie de l’action musculaire appliquée aux arts d’imitation'' - Physiology of muscular action, etc.

References

Historical Anatomies on the Web
(biographical information)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarlandiere, Jean-Baptiste Acupuncturists 1787 births 1838 deaths People from Aachen French physiologists French anatomists