Biography Duchenne de Boulogne

albumen print archived @ national library of medicine in bethesda. duchenne s colleagues appended de boulogne name avoid confusion like-sounding name of Édouard-adolphe duchesne (1804–1869) popular society physician in paris.



woodcut illustration of duchenne s appareil volta-électrique.

guillaume-benjamin duchenne son of fisherman, descended long line of mariners had settled in boulogne-sur-mer region of france. in opposition father s wishes become sailor, , driven fascination science, duchenne enrolled @ university of douai received baccalauréat @ age of 19. trained under number of distinguished paris physicians including rené-théophile-hyacinthe laënnec (1781–1826) , baron guillaume dupuytren (1777–1835) before returning boulogne , setting in practice there. duchenne married local woman, and, following birth of son, wife died. resulted in lengthy period of personal difficulties duchenne family , in prolonged estrangement son (who later followed duchenne medical practice) , reunited towards end of life.

in 1835, duchenne began experimenting therapeutic électropuncture (a technique invented françois magendie , jean-baptiste sarlandière electric shock administered beneath skin sharp electrodes stimulate muscles). after brief , unhappy second marriage, duchenne returned paris in 1842 in order continue medical research. here, did not achieve senior hospital appointment, supported himself small private medical practice, while daily visiting number of teaching hospitals, including salpêtrière psychiatric centre. developed non-invasive technique of muscle stimulation used faradic shock on surface of skin, called électrisation localisée , published these experiments in work, on localized electrization , application pathology , therapy, first published in 1855. pictorial supplement second edition, album of pathological photographs (album de photographies pathologiques) published in 1862. few months later, first edition of much-discussed work, mechanism of human physiognomy, published. not small, remarkable, work, next publication, result of 20 years of study, duchenne s physiology of movements, important contribution medical science, might have gone unnoticed.

despite unorthodox procedures, , uneasy relations senior medical staff whom worked, duchenne s single-mindedness obtained him international standing neurologist , researcher. counted 1 of developers of electro-physiology , electro-therapeutics, , showed smiles resulting true happiness not utilize muscles of mouth of eyes: such genuine smiles known duchenne smiles in honor. credited discovery of duchenne muscular dystrophy. duchenne died in 1875, after several years of illness. never elected french academy of sciences.