Louis Denis Jules Gavarret
Encyclopedia
Louis Denis Jules Gavarret (1809 – 1890) was a French physician who was born in Astaffort
, Lot-et-Garonne
. He graduated from l'Ecole Polytechnique in Paris
.
Gavarret is remembered for the systemization and expansion of Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis
' (1787-1872) statistical methodology in regards to medicine. Pierre Louis' contention was to make medicine an exact science in diagnosis of a medical condition, and also to refute the "inductive approach" that was prevalent at the time. Gavarret was a major proponent of the statistical method. He emphasized that the process would only work under certain conditions, such as the medical cases must be comparable, and there has to exist enough examples to reach an exact conclusion. Gavarett's precision or "confidence rate" was calculated to be 99.5% or a ratio of 212:1. In essence, the two doctors believed that through knowledge of the aggregate patient data, the disease and treatment would be understood.
In 1840, Gavarret and Gabriel Andral
(1797-1876) were the first to show that blood composition varied depending on the pathological condition of the subject. Their research demonstrated the value of blood chemistry as a means of confirming diagnoses.
Astaffort
Astaffort is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France....
, Lot-et-Garonne
Lot-et-Garonne
Lot-et-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Lot and Garonne rivers.-History:Lot-et-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
. He graduated from l'Ecole Polytechnique in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Gavarret is remembered for the systemization and expansion of Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis
Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis
Pierre Charles Alexandre Louis was a French physician, known for introducing the use of the "numerical method" in the field of medicine — i.e., the concept that knowledge about a disease, its history, clinical presentation and treatment, could be derived from aggregated patient data.Louis became...
' (1787-1872) statistical methodology in regards to medicine. Pierre Louis' contention was to make medicine an exact science in diagnosis of a medical condition, and also to refute the "inductive approach" that was prevalent at the time. Gavarret was a major proponent of the statistical method. He emphasized that the process would only work under certain conditions, such as the medical cases must be comparable, and there has to exist enough examples to reach an exact conclusion. Gavarett's precision or "confidence rate" was calculated to be 99.5% or a ratio of 212:1. In essence, the two doctors believed that through knowledge of the aggregate patient data, the disease and treatment would be understood.
In 1840, Gavarret and Gabriel Andral
Gabriel Andral
Gabriel Andral was a distinguished French pathologist and a professor at the University of Paris.In 1828 Andral was appointed professor of hygiene, and in 1839 succeeded François-Joseph-Victor Broussais as chairman of general pathology and therapy, a position he held for 27 years...
(1797-1876) were the first to show that blood composition varied depending on the pathological condition of the subject. Their research demonstrated the value of blood chemistry as a means of confirming diagnoses.