Joseph Honoré Simon Beau (8 May 1806 in Collonges, department of Ain – 11 August 1865) was a French physician, who is famous for his investigations of the

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

of the

heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

and the

lung The lungs are the primary Organ (biology), organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the Vertebral column, backbone on either side of the heart. Their ...

s. In 1836 he obtained his doctorate in Paris with the thesis ''De l’emploi des évacuants'', etc. From 1840 he was an assigned as a physician to the "Bureau central", earning his

agrégation In France, the () is the most competitive and prestigious examination for civil service in the French public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all stu ...

several years later (1844). In July 1856 he became a member of the

Académie Nationale de Médecine Situated at 16 Rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the Académie nationale de médecine (National Academy of Medicine) was created in 1820 by King Louis XVIII at the urging of baron Antoine Portal. At its inception, the institu ...

. He was a leading advocate of

pathological 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 ...

physiology. Treatises involving his studies of the heart and lungs were initially published in the ''Archives générales de médecine'' (1834 to 1845), and compiled in his ''Traité expérimental et clinique d'auscultation appliqué à l'étude des maladies du poumon et du coeur'' (1856).

Selected writings

* ''Traité expérimental et clinique d'auscultation, appliquée à l'étude des maladies du poumon et du coeur'', 1856 – Treatise on experimental and clinical

auscultation Auscultation (based on the Latin verb ''auscultare'' "to listen") is listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope. Auscultation is performed for the purposes of examining the circulatory system, circulatory and resp ...

, applicable to the study of lung and heart diseases. * ''De la Valeur thérapeutique des saignées générales dans les phlegmasies, leçons cliniques faites à la Charité'', 1859 – On the therapeutic value of general

bloodletting Bloodletting (or blood-letting) was the deliberate 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 othe ...

for

phlebitis Phlebitis (or venitis) is inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs. It most commonly occurs in superficial veins. Phlebitis often occurs in conjunction with thrombosis (clotting inside blood vessels) and is then called thrombophlebitis or ...

, clinical lessons performed at the

Charité The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité – Berlin University of Medicine; ) is Europe's List of hospitals by capacity, largest university hospital, affiliated with Humboldt University of Berlin, Humboldt University and the Free ...

. * ''De la Diastole ventriculaire dans l'ordre de succession des mouvements du coeur, extrait de leçons cliniques sur les maladies du coeur'', 1861 – On ventricular

diastole Diastole ( ) is the relaxed phase of the cardiac cycle when the chambers of the heart are refilling with blood. The contrasting phase is systole when the heart chambers are contracting. Atrial diastole is the relaxing of the atria, and ventricul ...

, etc.; excerpt of clinical lessons on diseases of the heart. * ''Nouvelles Réflexions sur un nouveau tracé cardiographique de MM. Chauveau et Marey'', 1864 – On the new ''tracé cardiographique'' of Auguste Chauveau and

Étienne-Jules Marey Étienne-Jules Marey (; 5 March 1830, Beaune, Côte-d'Or – 15 May 1904, Paris) was a French scientist, physiologist and chronophotographer. His work was significant in the development of cardiology, physical instrumentation, aviation, cinema ...

. * ''Traité de la dyspepsie'', 1866 – Treatise on

dyspepsia Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beau, Joseph Honore Simon 1806 births 1865 deaths 19th-century French physicians People from Ain

Selected writings

See also

References