« Back to results

Pierre Bretonneau

Caption:

French physician Pierre Bretonneau (1778-1862) give the disease diphtheria its name.

Description:

French physician Pierre Bretonneau (1778-1862) give the disease diphtheria its name. The origin was the Greek word for "leather" or "hide," which describes the coating that appears in the throat (that is, the pseudomembrane). Bretonneau also distinguished diphtheria from scarlet fever.

Creator:

The Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Timeline Category:

Diseases & Vaccines

Diphtheria

Source:

The Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Nuttall, GHF. The Bacteriology of Diphtheria Including Sections on the History, Epidemiology and Pathology of the Disease, the Mortality Caused by It, the Toxins and Antitoxins and the Serum Disease. London: Cambridge, University Press, 1908.