Pioneering the Concepts of Stereognosis and Polyradiculoneuritis: Octave

Octave Landry was one of a long list of fine 19th century clinicians who died very young and whose discoveries in physiology and descriptions of new clinical pictures helped found current-day neurology. In 1852, Landry proposed a new take on the physiology of sensation which laid the ground for the concepts of proprioception and stereognosis. He also described the clinical picture of a rapidly progressing ascending paralysis, which in 1859 prefigured Guillain-Barré syndrome. In discussing his very active life, we will mention the hydrotherapies in fashion at the time and the pleasures of Parisian society. Landry’s career was also marked by terrible cholera epidemics, one of which killed him at age 39, in the prime of his working life as a devoted physician. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel The use of eponyms is slowly disappearing in medicine [1] . Who uses or is familiar with the term ‘Landry’s paralysis’? Nonetheless, our current knowledge is based on a gradual accumulation of scientific discoveries, over at least two centuries. Octave Landry is among those fine Received: April 2, 2013 Accepted after revision: May 19, 2013 Published online: September 17, 2013 Olivier Walusinski Family Physician, Private Practice 20, rue de Chartres FR–28160 Brou (France) E-Mail walusinski @ baillement.com © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel 0014–3022/13/0706–0281$38.00/0