Jean-René Cruchet (21 March 1875,
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
– 1959, Bordeaux) was a French
pathologist
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in t ...
.
Education and career
In 1902 he obtained his medical doctorate at the
University of Bordeaux
The University of Bordeaux (French: ''Université de Bordeaux'') is a Lists of universities in France, public university based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in Southern France, southwestern France.
It has several campuses in the cities and towns of Bor ...
and subsequently became ''chef de clinique médicale''. In 1907 he received his habilitation and became ''médecin des hôpitaux''. He became a professor of general pathology in 1920, and in 1926 attained the chair of
pediatrics at Bordeaux.
Cruchet is remembered for his research of
spasmodic torticollis
Spasmodic torticollis is an extremely painful chronic neurological movement disorder causing the neck to involuntarily turn to the left, right, upwards, and/or downwards. The condition is also referred to as "cervical dystonia". Both agonist an ...
. In 1907 he published ''Traité des torticolis spasmodiques'', an influential
monograph in which he documented 357 cases of
torticollis
Torticollis, also known as wry neck, is a dystonic condition defined by an abnormal, asymmetrical head or neck position, which may be due to a variety of causes. The term ''torticollis'' is derived from the Latin words ''tortus, meaning "twisted ...
. He also conducted investigations on
tic disorders
Tic disorders are defined in the ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM) based on type (motor or phonic) and duration of tics (sudden, rapid, nonrhythmic movements). Tic disorders are defined similarly by the World Health ...
and studies of
motion sickness
Motion sickness occurs due to a difference between actual and expected motion. Symptoms commonly include nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and increased salivation. Complications may rarely include de ...
experienced by aviators.
In the winter of 1915–16 he was the first physician to give a report on
encephalitis lethargica (Economo's disease). He first noticed the presence of the disease in French soldiers at
Verdun
Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...
. Historically encephalitis lethargica was referred to as "Cruchet's disease".
Selected publications
* ''Étude critique sur le tic convulsif et son traitement gymnastique'' (Critical study on convulsive tics and their treatment), 1901–02
* ''Traité des torticolis spasmodiques'' (Treatise on spasmodic torticollis), 1907
* ''Le mal des aviateurs'' (Aviator sickness) 1919 with R. Moulinier in ''Les actualités médicales''; later translated into English.
* ''Méningites chroniques et idiotie'' (Chronic
meningitis and idiocy) ''In Nouveau traité de médecine et de thérapeutique'' of
Augustin Nicolas Gilbert
Augustin Nicolas Gilbert (15 February 1858 – 4 March 1927) was a French physician. He was born in the town of Buzancy, Ardennes, and died in Paris.
He received his doctorate from the University of Paris and became an interne at the Hôtel-Dieu ...
(1858–1927) and
Paul Carnot (1869–1957)
* ''L’encéphalite épidémique'' (Epidemic
encephalitis), 1928.
References
Cruchet''at
Who Named It
''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograp ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruchet, Jean-Rene
Physicians from Bordeaux
1875 births
1959 deaths
French pathologists