Félix Mesnil
Encyclopedia
Félix Étienne Pierre Mesnil (Omonville-la-Petite
, La Manche Department, 12 December 1868 - February 15, 1938, Paris ) was a French zoologist, biologist
, botanist, mycologist and algologist.
He worked in Pasteur Institute
from 1892 first as an add-coach after being a student of Alfred Giard and a classmate of Maurice Caullery
and was secretary of Louis Pasteur
and at the same time, he began studies on compared cellular immunity, physiology and pathology in the laboratory of Ilya Ilyich Metchnikov (1845–1916).
He founded the Pasteur Institute Bulletin with Gabriel Bertrand
(1867–1962), Alexandre Besredka (1870–1940), Amédée Borrel
(1867–1936), Camille Delezenne (1868–1932) and A. Marie (1835–1888).
Member of the French Commission on sleeping sickness, he worked for the organisation of the mission in French Equatorial Africa
.
He also worked for the creation of the Société de pathologie exotique for which he became secretary, then president.
In 1903, together with Alphonse Laveran (1845–1922), he showed that the parasite responsible for the visceral leishmaniasis
(or Kala-azar, a fever in India), first described by William Boog Leishman
(1865–1926), is a new protozoa
, different from Trypanosoma
, the agent of the sleeping sickness, and from Plasmodium
, the agent of paludism (malaria). He temporarily named it P. donovani
and Sir Ronald Ross
(1857–1932) proposed the Leishmania
genus name for it.
In 1920, he and Émile Roubaud
achieved the first experimental infection of chimpanzee
s with Plasmodium vivax
.
Omonville-la-Petite
Omonville-la-Petite is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.Ormonville is known to be the place where French poet Jacques Prévert lived his last years of his life and where he is buried....
, La Manche Department, 12 December 1868 - February 15, 1938, Paris ) was a French zoologist, biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
, botanist, mycologist and algologist.
He worked in Pasteur Institute
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
from 1892 first as an add-coach after being a student of Alfred Giard and a classmate of Maurice Caullery
Maurice Caullery
Maurice Jules Gaston Corneille Caullery , Paris) was a French biologist.Caullery specialised in parasitic protozoans and marine invertebrates. He also worked on insects.-Awards:...
and was secretary of Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax. His experiments...
and at the same time, he began studies on compared cellular immunity, physiology and pathology in the laboratory of Ilya Ilyich Metchnikov (1845–1916).
He founded the Pasteur Institute Bulletin with Gabriel Bertrand
Gabriel Bertrand
Gabriel Bertrand was a French biochemist and bacteriologist.Bertrand introduced into biochemistry both the term “oxidase” and the concept of trace elements....
(1867–1962), Alexandre Besredka (1870–1940), Amédée Borrel
Amédée Borrel
Amédée Borrel was a French biologist born in Cazouls-lès-Béziers, Hérault.He studied natural sciences at the University of Montpellier, where he earned his degree in 1890...
(1867–1936), Camille Delezenne (1868–1932) and A. Marie (1835–1888).
Member of the French Commission on sleeping sickness, he worked for the organisation of the mission in French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa or the AEF was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert.-History:...
.
He also worked for the creation of the Société de pathologie exotique for which he became secretary, then president.
In 1903, together with Alphonse Laveran (1845–1922), he showed that the parasite responsible for the visceral leishmaniasis
Visceral leishmaniasis
Visceral leishmaniasis , also known as kala-azar, black fever, and Dumdum fever, is the most severe form of leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. This disease is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world , responsible for an...
(or Kala-azar, a fever in India), first described by William Boog Leishman
William Boog Leishman
Lieutenant-General Sir William Boog Leishman FRS was a Scottish pathologist and British Army medical officer. He was Director-General of Army Medical Services from 1923 to 1926....
(1865–1926), is a new protozoa
Protozoa
Protozoa are a diverse group of single-cells eukaryotic organisms, many of which are motile. Throughout history, protozoa have been defined as single-cell protists with animal-like behavior, e.g., movement...
, different from Trypanosoma
Trypanosoma
Trypanosoma is a genus of kinetoplastids , a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. The name is derived from the Greek trypano and soma because of their corkscrew-like motion. All trypanosomes are heteroxenous and are transmitted via a vector...
, the agent of the sleeping sickness, and from Plasmodium
Plasmodium
Plasmodium is a genus of parasitic protists. Infection by these organisms is known as malaria. The genus Plasmodium was described in 1885 by Ettore Marchiafava and Angelo Celli. Currently over 200 species of this genus are recognized and new species continue to be described.Of the over 200 known...
, the agent of paludism (malaria). He temporarily named it P. donovani
Leishmania donovani
Leishmania donovani is a species of Leishmania. It is an important cause of visceral leishmaniasis. The reference genome of L. donovani extracted in the south eastern Nepal was published in 2011...
and Sir Ronald Ross
Ronald Ross
Sir Ronald Ross KCB FRS was a British doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria. He was the first Indian-born person to win a Nobel Prize...
(1857–1932) proposed the Leishmania
Leishmania
Leishmania is a genus of Trypanosomatid protozoa, and is the parasite responsible for the disease leishmaniasis. It is spread through sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus in the Old World, and of the genus Lutzomyia in the New World. Their primary hosts are vertebrates; Leishmania commonly infects...
genus name for it.
In 1920, he and Émile Roubaud
Émile Roubaud
Émile Roubaud was a French biologist and entomologist known for his work on paludism, yellow fever and sleeping sickness. In 1920, he and Félix Mesnil achieved the first experimental infection of chimpanzees with Plasmodium vivax.He made his career at Pasteur Institute...
achieved the first experimental infection of chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s with Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium vivax is a protozoal parasite and a human pathogen. The most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring malaria, P. vivax is one of the four species of malarial parasite that commonly infect humans. It is less virulent than Plasmodium falciparum, which is the deadliest of the...
.
- In 1908, he is assistant director at the École pratique des hautes étudesÉcole pratique des hautes étudesThe École pratique des hautes études is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions....
. - In 1910, he is professor at the Pasteur InstitutePasteur InstituteThe Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
. - In 1913, he is vice-president of the Société de biologie.
- In 1920, he is a member of the Comité consultatif de l'enseignement de médecine vétérinaire coloniale.
- In 1921, he is of member of the French Academy of SciencesFrench Academy of SciencesThe French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
. - In 1922, he is a founding member of the Académie des sciences coloniales.
- In 1926, he is president of the Société zoologique de FranceSociété zoologique de FranceLa Société zoologique de France or Zoological Society of France is a scientific society devoted to Zoology. It was founded in 1876....
. - In 1931, he is one of the free members of the Académie de médecineAcadémie Nationale de MédecineAcadémie Nationale de Médecine, or National Academy of Medicine was created in 1820 by king Louis XVIII at the urging of baron Antoine Portal. At its inception, the institution was known as the Académie Royale de Médecine...
.