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Charcot as therapeutic interventionist and treating neurologist

From the Department of Neurological Sciences (Dr. Goetz), Rush UniversityRush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL; and Université de Paris (Dr. Bonduelle), Paris, France.

Although Jean-Martin Charcot's best-known medical and scientific contributions relate to anatomical-clinical correlation, he was also a highly regarded physician. His published lectures and articles, as well as documents at the Bibliothèque Charcot, demonstrate his active interest in therapeutic interventions and in bringing new experimental treatments to France for study. He investigated the efficacy of bromides for epilepsy, colchicine for gout, and ergots and anticholinergic drugs for Parkinson's disease. Nonpharmacologic treatments in which he took interest included physical rehabilitation/speech therapy, hydrotherapy, electrical stimulation of weakened muscles, isolation, and exotic interventions such as suspension and vibratory treatments with special chairs and helmets. Letters from his patients reveal an active interchange, with patients complimenting Charcot on successful treatments but also demanding more effective ones when his prescriptions did not abate their conditions. These documents demonstrate that Charcot was not a therapeutic nihilist but was particularly active in therapeutic investigations in the context of 19th-century medical science.

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