Louis-Jules Félix Béhier (26 August 1813 in

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 ...

– 7 May 1876 in Paris) was a French physician. In 1837 he received his doctorate at Paris with the dissertation-thesis "''Recherches sur quelques points de pathologie''". In 1844 he obtained his

agrégation In France, the () is the most competitive and prestigious examination for civil service in the French public education A state school, public school, or government school is a primary school, primary or secondary school that educates all stu ...

and in 1849 became ''médecin des hôpitaux''. In 1864 he attained the chair of internal pathology at the faculty of medicine in Paris. As a professor, he was associated with the

Hôpital de la Charité Hôpital de la Charité (, "Charity Hospital") was a hospital in Paris founded by the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God in the 17th century. In 1935, it was closed and demolished to make way for the new faculty of medicine. Located at 45, ...

(1864–67), Hôpital Pitié (1867–69) and the

Hôtel-Dieu In French-speaking countries, a hôtel-Dieu () was originally a hospital for the poor and needy, run by the Catholic Church. Nowadays these buildings or institutions have either kept their function as a hospital, the one in Paris being the oldest an ...

(1869–76). In 1866 he became a member of the

Académie nationale de médecine Situated at 16 Rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the Académie nationale de médecine (National Academy of Medicine) was created in 1820 by King Louis XVIII at the urging of baron Antoine Portal. At its inception, the institu ...

(section for

pathological anatomy Anatomical pathology (''Commonwealth'') or anatomic pathology (''U.S.'') is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross examination, macroscopic, Histopathology, microscopic, biochemical, immu ...

). He is credited with the popularization of the

hypodermic syringe A syringe is a simple reciprocating pump consisting of a plunger (though in modern syringes, it is actually a piston) that fits tightly within a cylindrical tube called a barrel. The plunger can be linearly pulled and pushed along the insid ...

in France, a device invented in 1853. He is also known for his pioneer experimentation with the opiate

narceine Narceine is an opium alkaloid produced by the ''Papaver somniferum'' (opium poppy) plant. It is a bitter, crystalline compound with narcotic effects. It was formerly used as a substitute for morphine. Its name is derived from the Greek (''nárk� ...

, and for his advocacy of

hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...

(cold water baths) and alcohol (a "Todd's mixture" containing

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 ...

) for the treatment of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

. Along with

dermatologist Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medi ...

Alfred Hardy, he is associated with the eponym "Béhier-Hardy symptom" (also known as "Béhier-Hardy

aphonia Aphonia is defined as the inability to produce voiced sound. This may result from damage, such as surgery (e.g., thyroidectomy) or a tumor, or can be a result of psychological means. Aphonia means "no sound.” In other words, a person with th ...

"), described as the loss of voice as a sign of the early stages of pulmonary

gangrene Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...

Selected works

* ''Traité élémentaire de pathologie'' (with Alfred Hardy), (3 volumes, 1844–55). * ''Conférences de clinique médicale, faites à la Pitié, 1861-1862'' (with Albert Louis Menjaud and

Adrien Proust Adrien Achille Proust (18 March 1834 – 26 November 1903) was a French epidemiologist and hygienist. He was the father of novelist Marcel Proust and doctor Robert Proust. Biography He studied medicine in Paris where obtained his medical doct ...

), 1864. * "A Contribution to the history of Leucemia (Intestinal Leucemia)", (In English, 1868). * ''Transfusion du sang : opérée avec succès chez une jeune femme'', 1874. * ''Sur le traitement du rhumatisme'', 1876.IDREF.fr
bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Behier, Jules 1813 births 1876 deaths Scientists from Paris Academic staff of the University of Paris French pathologists