Jean-René Cruchet (21 March 1875,

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

– 14 April 1959, Bordeaux) was a French

pathologist Pathology is the study of disease. 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 the context of modern medical treatme ...

Education and career

In 1902 he obtained his medical doctorate at the

University of Bordeaux The University of Bordeaux (, ) is a public research university based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It has several campuses in the cities and towns of Bordeaux, Dax, Gradignan, Périgueux, Pessac, and Talence. There are al ...

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 Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, Adolescence, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many o ...

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 Anatomical_te ...

. In 1907 he published ''Traité des torticolis spasmodiques'', an influential

monograph A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...

in which he documented 357 cases of torticollis. He also conducted investigations on tic disorders 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 ...

experienced by aviators. In the winter of 1915–16 he was the first physician to give a report on

encephalitis lethargica Encephalitis lethargica (EL) is an atypical form of encephalitis. Also known as "von Economo Encephalitis", "sleeping sickness" or "sleepy sickness" (distinct from tsetse fly–transmitted sleeping sickness), it was first described in 1917 by ne ...

(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 city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

. 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 Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasion ...

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 intern at the Hôtel-Die ...

(1858–1927) and Paul Carnot (1869–1957) * ''L’encéphalite épidémique'' (Epidemic

encephalitis Encephalitis is inflammation of the Human brain, brain. The severity can be variable with symptoms including reduction or alteration in consciousness, aphasia, headache, fever, confusion, a stiff neck, and vomiting. Complications may include se ...

), 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