Jean Martin Charcot (1825-1893).

C a r c o t i s c o n s i d e r e d t h e father of neurology. Not so much appreciated are his contributions t o m e d i c i n e a n d rheumatology. In fact he has been considered o n e o f t h e m o s t influential physicians of all time. Charcot was born on 29th November 1825 in Paris. His father was a carriage builder. He could support higher e d u c a t i o n o f o n l y one of his four sons. C h a r c o t p e r f o r m e d better than his brothers at the school, and could pursue higher education.1 Medicine was his choice. A keen observer and a gifted painter, Charcot possessed good visual memory. These assets were of great help to him in his future work. He was proficient in French, English, German, Italian languages and could access literature in these languages1. No wonder he was very well read.1 Charcot joined medical school of Paris University at the age of 19 years and qualified at 23 years of age. He was an intern at the great Selpetriere hospital, Paris, and subsequently worked in various capacities at the same hospital. [Chef de Clinique (1853), physician to the hospital of Paris (1856), Professor of the Pathological Anatomy at the Universtiy of Paris (1872)].1 In 1982 he became the first Professor of diseases of nervous system, (a position created for him) and established neurological clinic at Salpetriere hospital.2 He remained associated with the hospital till the end. At *Director, **Research Administrator, Research Department, P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and MRC, Veer Savarkar Marg, Mahim, Mumbai 400 016 Pioneers in rheumatology