Louis André Ernest Cloquet (born 11 October 1818,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

; died 1855,

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

) was a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

Qajar Iran The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin,Cyrus G ...

of French origin during the reigns of

Mohammad Shah Qajar Mohammad Shah (; born Mohammad Mirza; 5 January 1808 – 5 September 1848) was the third Qajar ''shah'' of Iran from 1834 to 1848, inheriting the throne from his grandfather, Fath-Ali Shah. From a young age, Mohammad Mirza was under the tutela ...

(1834–1848) and

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (; ; 17 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. During his rule there was internal pressure from the people of Iran, as well as external ...

(1848–1896). He also served as the French minister to the court at Tehran from 1846 to 1855.

Biography

Cloquet the son of the noted French anatomist

Hippolyte Cloquet Hippolyte Cloquet (10 March 1787 – 3 March 1840) was a French physician and anatomist who was a native of Paris. He was the brother of surgeon Jules Germain Cloquet (1790–1883), and father to Ernest Cloquet (1818–1855), who was a personal ph ...

, and he also chose to become an anatomist. He was the nephew of another noted French physician,

Jules Germain Cloquet Jules Germain Cloquet (18 December 1790 – 23 February 1883) was a French physician and surgeon who was born and practiced medicine in Paris. His older brother, Hippolyte Cloquet (1787-1840) and his younger nephew Ernest Cloquet (1818-1855) ...

. From 1840 Ernest worked at various clinical offices in Paris, and was a regular contributor to the ''Société anatomique''. In 1846, with his

thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

named ''De l’hématocèle vaginale'', he was awarded his doctors degree in

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

, and later that year he was attached to the French mission in Tehran. He was appointed ambassador to the court and became the personal physician of the king (''

shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

''), succeeding another Frenchman named Dr. Labat. His regular attendance during the last illness of the then incumbent King Mohammad Shah Qajar earned him a good professional reputation. Not long after Naser al-Din Shah Qajar's ascension to the throne, Cloquet was officially re-confirmed by the King in his functions. He was also appointed as an instructor in the newly founded Dār al-Fonūn University. Following a failed attempt on the King's life in 1852 by followers of the

Báb The Báb (born ʻAlí-Muḥammad; ; ; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850) was an Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbai ...

, Cloquet treated him and removed a bullet from one of his wounds. When subsequently many followers of the Bab were arrested and executed, high-ranking officials at the king's court were formally invited to show their loyalty by personally participating in the executions; Cloquet did not participate, stating that it would violate his Hippocratic oath. He carried out a programme of research on

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

. Cloquet himself witnessed two outbreaksin 1846 and 1853. He made observations regarding the sanitary conditions of the nation as well as its climate. For his contribution to French diplomacy in Persia he received an officer's cross of the

légion d’honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. An anecdote is told of when in 1855 his native assistant mistakenly poured him a glass of tincture of cantharides (also known as

Spanish fly Spanish fly or Spanish Fly may refer to: * ''Lytta vesicatoria'', a species of beetle * Cantharidin, a poisonous compound secreted by the beetle, historically used in medication and as an aphrodisiac Film * Spanish Fly (1975 film), ''Spanish ...

) instead of

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured ...

; when Cloquet realized what had happened, he drank another glass after it in order to reduce the length of his suffering. Cloquet was succeeded as the king's personal physician by Jakob Eduard Polak in 1856.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cloquet, Ernest 1818 births 1855 deaths Scientists from Paris People of Qajar Iran French emigrants Immigrants to Iran 19th-century French physicians 19th-century Iranian physicians Officers of the Legion of Honour Deaths by poisoning Burials at Doulab Cemetery

Biography

See also

References

Sources