Jacques Forestier (27 July 1890,

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; frp, Èx-los-Bens; la, Aquae Gratianae), locally simply Aix, is a commune in the southeastern French department of Savoie.

– 17 March 1978) was a French internist who was a pioneer in the field of

rheumatology Rheumatology (Greek ''ῥεῦμα'', ''rheûma'', flowing current) is a branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and management of disorders whose common feature is inflammation in the bones, muscles, joints, and internal organs. Rheumatolog ...

. Forestier studied medicine in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

, later working at

Hôpital Cochin The Hôpital Cochin is a hospital of public assistance in the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Jacques Paris 14e. It houses the central burn treatment centre of the city. The Hôpital Cochin is a section of the Faculté de Médecine Paris-Descartes. It comme ...

, where he became interested in rheumatology and its treatment. In 1928 he took part in the founding of the French society of rheumatology. His father, Henri Forestier, was a director at the therapeutic spas in

Aix-les-Bains Aix-les-Bains (, ; frp, Èx-los-Bens; la, Aquae Gratianae), locally simply Aix, is a commune in the southeastern French department of Savoie.

. Forestier is remembered for his introduction of

gold salts Gold-containing drugs are pharmaceuticals that contain gold. Sometimes these species are referred to as "gold salts". "Chrysotherapy" and "aurotherapy" are the applications of gold compounds to medicine. Research on the medicinal effects of ...

as a remedy for

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects synovial joint, joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and ...

. Historically, injectable gold salts such as gold sodium thiomalate and aurothioglucose were considered by many to be the most effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis prior to the advent of targeted therapeutics. Forestier is also known for his work with

polymyalgia rheumatica Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a syndrome experienced as pain or stiffness, usually in the neck, shoulders, upper arms, and hips, but which may occur all over the body. The pain can be sudden or can occur gradually over a period. Most people w ...

and

diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a condition characterized by abnormal calcification/bone formation (hyperostosis) of the soft tissues surrounding the joints of the spine, and also of the peripheral or appendicular skeleton. In ...

. With his instructor,

Jean-Athanase Sicard Jean-Athanase Sicard (23 June 1872 – 28 January 1929) was a French neurologist and radiologist born in Marseille. He studied medicine in Marseille and Paris, where he studied with Charles Emile Troisier (1844-1919), Édouard Brissaud (1852-1 ...

(1872–1929), he demonstrated the use of

Lipiodol Lipiodol, also known as ethiodized oil, is a poppyseed oil used by injection as a radio-opaque contrast agent that is used to outline structures in radiological investigations. It is used in chemoembolization applications as a contrast agent in ...

for spinal

X-ray X-rays (or rarely, ''X-radiation'') are a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. In many languages, it is referred to as Röntgen radiation, after the German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who discovered it in 1895 and named it ' ...

examinations.

Olympics

Forestier competed in the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...

player for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. As a member of the French team, he won the silver medal.

Associated eponyms

* "Forestier's disease": also known as

(DISH). It is a type of degenerative spinal

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In some ...

found in the elderly. * "Forestier's bowstring sign" (''signe de la corde de l'arc''); a sign seen in

ankylosing spondylitis Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis characterized by long-term inflammation of the joints of the spine typically where the spine joins the pelvis. Occasionally areas affected may include other joints such as the shoulders or hi ...

(AS). * "Forestier-Certonciny syndrome": also referred to as "pseudo-polyarthrite rhizomélique" or as

. Published in an article titled, ''Pseudopolyarthrite rhizomelique''; in Revue du rhumatisme et des maladies osteo-articulaires, Paris, 1953, 20: 854-862.Forestier-Certonciny syndrome
@

Who Named It ''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograp ...

Selected writings

* ''Méthode radiographique d’exploration de la cavité épidurale par la lipiodol''. Written with Jean Athanase Sicard (1872–1929). (Lipide (iodised oil) first used in

radiology Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiati ...

). * ''L’exploration radiologique des cavités broncho-pulmonaires par les injections intra-trachéales d’huile iodée'', (with Jean-Athanase Sicard). * ''L'aurothérapie dans les rhumatismes chroniques'' (Introduction of gold therapy).

References

''Jacques Forestier''
@

Olympics profile

Gold for Use in Rheumatoid Arthritis {{DEFAULTSORT:Forestier, Jacques 1890 births 1978 deaths French rheumatologists French rugby union players Olympic rugby union players for France Rugby union players at the 1920 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for France France international rugby union players People from Aix-les-Bains Medalists at the 1920 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Savoie