The Hôpital Fernand-Widal (English: Fernand-Widal Hospital) is an establishment of the Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) located at 200,

rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis The Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis () is a street in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. It crosses the arrondissement from north to south, linking the Porte Saint-Denis to La Chapelle Métro station and passing the Gare du Nord. History The Rue d ...

in the

10th arrondissement of Paris The 10th arrondissement of Paris (''Xe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, the arrondissement is referred to as ''le dixième'' (; "the tenth", formally ''l ...

. A public teaching hospital, Fernand-Widal has medicine, surgery, and obstetric departments and treats a large number of indigent patients including those with drug addictions. The building is a landmark of

Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis The Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis () is a street in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. It crosses the arrondissement from north to south, linking the Porte Saint-Denis to La Chapelle Métro station and passing the Gare du Nord. History The Rue d ...

, and was known until 1959 as Maison Dubois, after surgeon Antoine Dubois. At the turn of the century, Maison Dubois had 450 beds and was also known as the "municipal hospital for the insane" or Maison Municipal de Santé. Fernand-Widal now bears the name of doctor Georges-Fernand Widal, author of works on typhoid and kidney diseases. Fernald-Widal Hospital is Paris' primary

poison control center A poison control center is a medical service that is able to provide immediate, free, and expert treatment advice and assistance over the telephone in case of exposure to poisonous or hazardous substances. Poison control centers answer questions ...

, and the hospital is host to an internationally renowned

toxicology Toxicology is a scientific discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnosing and treating ex ...

department. The hospital's expertise in the area of drug overdoses has resulted in them treating celebrity or criminal patients, including pop star

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida (, ; ), was an Italian naturalized French singer and actress. Leading an international career, Dalida has sold over 140 million records worldwide. Some ...

in 1967 and art dealer Fernand Legros (charged with dealing in

forgeries Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally consists of the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud. Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be forbidden by law in some jurisdict ...

). Research published in 1991 by doctors at the hospital found that many house-fire survivors may be subsequently poisoned by

cyanide In chemistry, cyanide () is an inorganic chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Ionic cyanides contain the cyanide anion . This a ...

released by burning household fabrics. The hospital's toxicologists are regarded as the world's experts in the management of cases involving the typically fatal ingestion of poisonous ''

Amanita phalloides ''Amanita phalloides'' ( ), commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus and mushroom, one of many in the genus ''Amanita''. Originating in Europe but later introduced to other parts of the world since the late ...

'' "death cap" mushrooms. The department came to prominence under the leadership of Michel Gaultier, who trained as a

forensic pathologist Forensic pathology is pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. A post mortem examination is performed by a medical examiner or forensic pathologist, usually during the investigation of criminal law cases an ...

and became head of

internal medicine Internal medicine, also known as general medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from "treatment of diseases of ...

at Fernand-Widal in the 1950s. Hôpital Fernand-Widal is served by the La Chapelle and

Gare du Nord The Gare du Nord (; ), officially Paris Nord, is one of the seven large mainline railway station termini in Paris, France. The station is served by trains that run between the capital and northern France via the Paris–Lille railway, as well ...

metro stations. It is affiliated to Université Paris Cité.

References

External links

Hospital Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopital Fernand-Widal Hospital buildings completed in 1858 Hospitals in Paris Buildings and structures in the 10th arrondissement of Paris Hospitals established in 1858 Poison control centers