Pierre Delbet
Encyclopedia
Pierre Delbet was a French surgeon
who was born in La Ferté-Gaucher
. In 1889 he received his medical doctorate, and in 1909 became a professor of clinical surgery in Paris
. In 1921 he became a member of the Académie de Médecine.
Delbet is remembered for his advocacy of magnesium chloride
. During World War I
, Delbet was searching for a solution that could cleanse wounds but not damage tissue as traditional antiseptic
s did. In 1915 he found that magnesium
chloride not only worked as an antiseptic, but was also harmless to body tissue. Serendipitously, he discovered that when the magnesium chloride solution was taken orally or intravenously, it appeared to be a remedy for other ailments. Delbet also believed that magnesium was beneficial to the efficiency of white blood cells, of which he described in his treatise "Politique Préventive du Cancer".
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
who was born in La Ferté-Gaucher
La Ferté-Gaucher
La Ferté-Gaucher is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
. In 1889 he received his medical doctorate, and in 1909 became a professor of clinical surgery 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...
. In 1921 he became a member of the Académie de Médecine.
Delbet is remembered for his advocacy of magnesium chloride
Magnesium chloride
Magnesium chloride is the name for the chemical compounds with the formulas MgCl2 and its various hydrates MgCl2x. These salts are typical ionic halides, being highly soluble in water. The hydrated magnesium chloride can be extracted from brine or sea water...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Delbet was searching for a solution that could cleanse wounds but not damage tissue as traditional antiseptic
Antiseptic
Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...
s did. In 1915 he found that magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
chloride not only worked as an antiseptic, but was also harmless to body tissue. Serendipitously, he discovered that when the magnesium chloride solution was taken orally or intravenously, it appeared to be a remedy for other ailments. Delbet also believed that magnesium was beneficial to the efficiency of white blood cells, of which he described in his treatise "Politique Préventive du Cancer".
Selected writings
- Clinique chirurgicale, with Ulysse TrélatUlysse TrélatUlysse Trélat was a French surgeon remembered for describing the Leser-Trélat sign. He was the son of an Army physician, and received his education from his father, Philippe-Frédéric Blandin, Auguste Nélaton and Philibert Joseph Roux. He graduated Doctor of Medicine in 1854, became prosector in...
; 2 volumes, Paris, 1891. - Précis d’anatomie topographique, with Nikolaus RüdingerNikolaus RüdingerNikolaus Rüdinger was a German anatomist born in Bingen am Rhein, Rhineland-Palatinate.He studied at the Universities of Heidelberg and Giessen...
; Paris, 1893. - Asepsie opératoire, with L Bigeard. Paris, 1901.
- Chirurgie artérielle et veineuse, Paris, 1906.
- Méthode du traitement des fractures, Paris, 1916.
External links
- Pierre Delbet @ Who Named ItWho Named ItWho Named It? is an English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though this is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliographies. It is hosted in Norway and maintained by medical...
- http://www.arthritistrust.org/Articles/Magnesium%20Chloride%20Hexahydrate%20Therapy.pdf Essay on Delbet and Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate