ROMANIAN

PHYSICIANS
AND
FRANCE
André J. Fabre M.D. June 2010
The first Romanian who came to Paris to study medicine was
Ion Vretos Seraphim who graduated in 1815

During XIXth century the number of Paris Romanian students

rose to 19.000 in 1910

A "League of Romanian students" was founded in 1846

with a future State Minister as president : Ion Ghica

At the Faculty of Medicine, in 1830, hardly 200 Romanian

students had registered
they were more than 700 in 1888
including many female students, well ahead of their time
 Nicolas Kretzulescu gave much help to develop
relations between France and Romania

Liberal Party politician, three times Prime Minister

1862-1863, 1865-1866 and 1867

The Paris Faculty still keeps his 1839 Doctorate Thesis

" Outside influences on the Machinery of the Body "
 The Pasteur Institute of Bucarest
A National Institute In 1991
for Research the Cantacuzene
Development in Institute
Microbiology and joined
Immunology the International
was created in 1921 network
on the model of Pasteur Institutes
of the Pasteur under the supervision
Institute of Paris of the
by Joan Romanian Ministry of
Cantacuzene Health.

Fields of activity are broad,

ranging from nosocomial infections,
enteroviruses molecular epidemiology
to vaccines production
The Cantacuzene Institute also provides teaching
in microbiology, epidemiology and immunology
 The
The original
Romanian Academy agreement
of was
Sciences renewed
has in 2004,
cooperative links providing
with exchange
the French National of scientists
Centre on the basis
for Scientific of a
Research (CNRS) biennial joint
appeal,

The implementation of international programs for scientific cooperation

(PICS), European research groups (GDRE) and Scientific coordination
networks as European Associated Laboratories (LEA)
The In the
French Academy of heart of
medicine, Medical evolution,
since its creation, the Academy
remains Is both
in the centre of a observatory
network of and high rank
.
reflections and network of
exchanges expertise
where its
experience,
the amount Romanian
of its works Physicians
and its permanent have
vigilance on all always
subjects, taken
give a major role a notable part
in all fields, in the
iagnostic as well works
as prognostic, of
of Public Health. the
Academy
Romanian Physicians
and
Académie de
médecine
 Surgeon and anatomist, Pr. Ionescu founded among many other achievements,
urologic surgery in Romania

He was also first to perform spinal anesthesia

Born in Ploiesti in Wallachia he came to Bucarest to study medicine

In 1878 he decided to come to Paris

starting Law School then, in 1882, switching to medical studies
After a brilliant success at the Concours de l'Internat,
he became Prosector then Professor of the Faculty
He had obtained the Doctorate with a thesis on "Retro peritoneal internal hernias"

In 1892, he publishes with Professors Poirier, Charpy and Nicolas,

a Treatise on Anatomy which is still a reference book
In 1895 he returned to Rumania to become director of the new
Topographic Anatomy and Experimental Surgery Institute

Later, he was nominated Head Physician of Hospital Coltzea

He was awarded throughout his long career all major honors
Rector of University, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine,
Full Member of the Academie de Médecine
 Direct
Descendant
of Jean VI
Cantacuzene
Byzantine Emperor
(1293-1383)
Joan Cantacuzene was one of the most famous biologists of Romania.
He was direct descendant of a long row of Byzantine emperors
his father had been Minister of Justice of Alexander Cuza,
his mother was daughter of general Mavros.

During his golden childhood Cantacuzene had a Swiss private teacher

to learn him French, English, German, Greek and Latin.

In 1879 he was sent to Paris at Lycee Louis Le Grand, then,

at the Sorbonne where he obtained a License in Philosophy
and met friends as Victor Bérard, Joseph Bédier and Romain Rolland

In 1885, he came back to Romania for his military duties but,

on his return to Paris, in 1891, he switches towards Natural Sciences,
medical studies and Bacteriology

He enters in the famous laboratory of Pr. Elie Metchnikoff

at Institut Pasteur
His Doctorate thesis is a superb achievement
"Research on the modalities of destruction of vibrio cholerae in the body
– A contribution to immunology"
 Nominated Professor in Bucarest , he leaves France in 1902
to start a newly created Department of Experimental Pathology
He remained in function until the end of his life.
He had created in 1921 the Cantacuzene Institute of Serums
and in 1924 the Bucarest Institut des Hautes Etudes

In 1920 he entered the Vaida-Voevod government as Minisiter of Health,

reforming all health legislations with the famed Legea Cantacuzino
and creating a regional network of bacteriology laboratories and hygiene centers,
as well as several tuberculosis sanatoriums

After 1931 he extended his task in the Jorga Governement,

promoting a new Health System in Romania
During his long career, Cantacuzene received the most honorific distinctions
Delegate to the International Office of Public Health,
General Director of Health Services in Romania,
Member of the Biological Society, the Health Committee of the League of Nations,
and the International Labour Office.

He had been elected in 1929 Associate Member of the Académie de médecine.

Constantin Levaditi (1874-1953)
 Constantine Levaditi , world famous cytologist and immunologist,
was born in Galatz in Moldova.
.
In 1892, he began medical studies in Bucharest

In 1895, he enters the Bacteriological Institute of Bucharest

In 1898, he comes to France to be admitted as Assistant at the College de France
then at Institut Pasteur in the Immunology Laboratory of Pr. Elie Metchnikoff

He becomes a recknowned specialist in syphilis, sulfamides and viral diseases

In 1902, he had presented a Doctorate thesis on

"Contributions to the study of mastzellen "

He became in 1920 Director of Laboratory then Professor at Institut Pasteur

1932 : he starts the Institute Alfred Fournier for Infectious and Venereal Diseases

He was elected in 1928 full member at the Academie de Médicine

Herbert
He was Tuchman-Duplessis
born in Czernowitz (Chernivtsi),
was a recognized
part of the
expert
Bukovina
in endocrinology,
but Uprooted
embryology
by the First
andWorld
experimental
War, he arrived
pathology.
in France in 1929.

Herbert
Tuchman-
Duplessis

(1911-2001)
 Herbert Tuchman-Duplessis was a world famous expert in endocrinology,
embryology and experimental pathology
Born in Czernowitz (Chernivtsi) but uprooted by First World War,
he arrived in France in 1929 with his brother to study Medicine
His brother went in general practice but
Herbert was mainly interested in medical research
After his Doctorate in Medicine in 1935 and a Bachelor Degree of sciences
he was working in histophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology
when Second World War burst

He had to get refuge in 1941 in Montpellier,

entering the Histology Laboratory of Pr. Turchini, a leading embryologist
Back to Paris in 1945, he enters the Centre National de Recherche scientifique
In 1946 he obtains brilliantly his nomination of Professeur Agrégé in Histology
and from now on, will focus on Human Embryology
He got world fame with the 1957 thalidomide tragedy
and the 1976 Seveso collective dioxine intoxication
He was elected in 1970 at the Academy of Medicine (Section Biological Sciences)
Born in Galati
Aburel was both He left Romania to come in
surgeon and obstretician France at the famed Clinique
founder of innovative Obstéricale Tarnier.
techniques In 1933 he is nominated
in gynecologic surgery director of the
Obstetrical Institute
After a 1923 thesis on "Grigore Ghica Vodă”
"Contributions to the
treatment He was permanent
of puerperal infections" collaborateur
he began his career to the
at the Iasi Revue Francaise de
Grigore Ghica Vodă Gynécologie et
Hospital d’obstetrique de Paris”

He was President of the Iasi Society of Medicine

member of the Societé francaise de gynecologie et obstetrique
member of the World Associaţion against Uterine Cancer
and elected in 1968 Correspondant Member of the Academie de medecine
Theodor Burghele was a In 1937,
celebrated urology surgeon Burghele was nominated
and also a prominent figure Professor at the Coltea Hospital
in Romanian politics. In 1946, he starts an
Urology Departement
He was born in Iasi, in an He was nominated Professor at
old family of Moldavian the Bucarest Panduri Hospital
Boyards Rector of the Bucarest Institute
He had been student at of Médicine and Pharmacy
the Iasi Medicine School
He became in 1972
He specialized from Health Minister
1930 to 1931 and personal physician of Elena
in Urology in Vienna Ceusescu
He had been elected member of many international Associations:
Société Roumaine de Chirurgie
Association Fr ançaise d'Urologie
Société internationale de chirurgie,
He was elected Associated member of Académie de médecine in 1967
 In 1912, he published
Daniel Danielopolu was a
an important work on
pharmacologist
"Cardiac arythmias"
He began his College
studies at St. Sava in During the Fisrt World
Bucarest War, he takes in charge
a severe bout of
typhus epidemics.
In 1900, he started
medical studies In 1918,
in Bucarest he becomes
and obtained his Pharmacology Professor
Doctorate in 1910 in Bucarest and will stay
there until the end

He was internationally kown as expert of neurovegetative functions,

precursor in cybernetics

He had been elected in 1945 Membre Correspondant of the Academie de médecine

Specialist She is now

in Professor in

Adolescent Forensic

Gynecology Medicine in
New York

She was elected in 1988 Membre Correspondant

of the Académie de médecine
Demosthen started He created several
medical studies in military Hospitals
France (Montpellier)
then came back to Founder
Romania practicing
of the Romanian Military
paediatrics
Medical Institute
He took part
and the renowned
in 1877
to the School
North-American for Army Surgeons
Union War
Returning to Rumania He ended his career as
he became Anatomy and Surgery
Military General Professor in Bucarest
Inspector

In l894, he had been elected Membre Correspondant

of the Académie Nationale de Médecine
 Founding Father of vascular surgery

He started medical studies

in Tulcea
but came to France
in Marseille Faculty of Medicine
to begin there surgical practice

Deeply interested from the start in vascular surgery

he presented a brillant Doctorate Thesis on "artérial embolies in lower members."

The great specialist in vascular surgery of this time, Pr. René Leriche patronized his work.

Later on Haimovici was invited to come to Harvard

by a famed specialist in neuro physiology of this time, Walter Cannon

When the second World War burst, Haimovici was in France and lived many perilous adventures
before he could reach again United States
In 1942, Haimovici arrives in Boston at the Beth Israel Hospital
to work with some prestigious figures as René Dubos and Jacob Fine.

Thereafter he comes to New York at the Mount Sinai Hospital

and later becomes Head of the Surgical Département of the Montefiore Medical Center
His main achievement : foundation of International Society of cardio-vascular surgery
with Pr. Rene Leriche

Henry Haimovici was elected in 1986 Membre Correspondant of the Académie de médecine
 He had also
Franz Halberg
a main interest in
was
Geomagnetism
founder
He created the
of modern
International Association
Chronobiology.
for Geomagnetism and
He creted Aeronomy (IAGA)
in the 1940s He had
the Chronobiology published
Laboratories a biography
In Minnesota University called
"Pathways to Science"

He was member of many international organisations

five times "Doctor honoris causa"
and was elected in 1975 Correspondant member
of the Académie nationale de médecine
 Graduated at the Faculty of
Constantin Istrati was a medicine of Bucarest in 1877
great chimist and a great he later obtained a Doctorate
physician in Chemistry in Paris

In 1883, he was nominated He created the School of

Professor in Physics and Organic Chemistry in
later member of Romanian Bucarest
Académy

He founded the Romanian Society of Sciences in 1890

He had been elected in 1900 Membre Correspondant of the Académie de médecine

 Kalindero had cooperated with Victor Babes on a famed Treatise on leprosy
-
He was married with Princess Ana, daughter of Prince Gheorghe Cantacuzino
He was brother of Joan Kalinderu, General Manager of the Crown Estates
under King Carol I, and one of the most successful industrialists in Romania
!

His magnificent mansion in Calea Victoriei is now part of the

Romanian National Museum of Art

He had been elected in 1900 Membre Correspondant of the Académie de médecine

The founder of
Romanian Neurology
He started as Assitant
of Victor Babes at
hospital Brâncoveanu
He then went to Paris to Professor of neurology at
study neurology with
the famed
Jean-Martin Charcot
at Hospital La Salpêtrière
scientific moving pictures
There he met other
great names in
Neurology
Pierre Marie,
Joseph Babinski
and
Fulgence Raymond
He then went to
Francfort to work with
Carl Weigert
and, in Berlin, with
Emil du Bois-Reymond
In 1897, he returns to
Romania to become
Hospital Colentina.
He was very first (1893)
to come with the idea of
filmed in his Bucarest
Neurology Clinics
He had been elected
in 1900 Membre
Correspondant of
the Académie de
médecine
Marineescu, Victor Babes and Nicolas Kalinderu
At patient bedside !
Physician, His main
biologist works
and deal
anthropologist with
thymus,
Founder of epiphyseal
Romanian gland
endocrinology
and
goiters

He was elected in 1980 Membre

Correspondant de l'Académie de médecine
 .

He was born
from a family Also famed
coming from
Legist,
Tetovo
in Macédonia founder of
He
Legal
became
expert in medicine
Forensic
Medicine in Romania

He had been elected in 1903 Membre Correspondant

of the Académie de médecine
 Founding Father of Biospeology
a discipline with a great future…
Specialist in
Underworld He was author
Biology of a
Cavernicoles
He founded the Classification
Emil Racovitza
Speleology troglobies
Institute troglophiles
in and
Ciuj trogloxenes

He was elected in 1931

Membre Correspondant of the Académie de médecine
 who
practiced
Panaït most
Sirbu of
was his career
a renowned at
obstetrician the
Bucarest
Spitalul
Clinic

He was elected in 1975 Membre Correspondant

de l'Académie de médecine
Veterinarian
and In 1955
biochimist Elected
he member of
got fame the
from Romanian
Academy,
his
and
Works on Veterinarian
animal Academy
metabolism

He was elected in 1956 Membre correspondant

of the Académie de médecine
and many other names...

Daniel Constantin (1879 in Craiova - 1973 in Bucarest)

Ion S. Pavel (1897 in Bucarest)

Mihail Petrini Galatz (1847 in Galat è 1926 in Galati)

Georges Jean Stoicescu (1848 in Ploiesti- 1932 in Bucarest)

Basile Theodoresco (1891 in Bucarest – 1967 in Bucarest)

Octavio Vladitiu (1903 in Malancrav)

All elected at the Académie de médecine

We should also mention the part taken by several Romanian physicians during WW1 in the French Army, thus Handelsmann, brilliant interne des hôpitaux de Paris

Romanian Physicians in the French Army

We should mention the part taken

By Romanian physicians
during WW1
in the French Army

Thus, Dr. Handelsmann,

brilliant Interne des hôpitaux de Paris
Officer of Naval Health Services
In a world in constant change…

…medical relations
between
France and Romania
have significantly
evolved
 French students come
more and more to Romania
to study medicine
The University of Cluj created
in 2005
a French speaking section
Starting from 2 students in 2005
73 arrived in 2008
123 students registered
last September
 Number of Romanian Physicians
in France is growing fast

In 2007, when European Union began

174 Romanian Physicians
were registered at the Conseil de l'Ordre

More than 1.000

are practicing now in France
Franco-Romanian Joint Meetings are quite many

March 2007 : visit to Bucarest

of the French Academy of Surgery

September 2007 : World Congress

International Association of surgeons,
gastroenterologists and oncologists

September 2009 : Joint meeting

at the Academy of Medicine between
Balkan Medical Union and Académie de médecine
under the presidency of
Professors Candy, Popescu and Angelescu
Conclusions
Conclusions
 Romania as well as France
has a long list
of prestigious names
in History of Medicine

Now,
a new era has begun,
showing new fields of cooperation
in medical sciences
between the two countries
 As said
by the great
French philosoph
Paul Valéry
From our mutual
differences

we get every day

richer…