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''
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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