Antoine Marfan
From Marfan Friends World Wiki
Antoine Marfan was born in Castelnaudary, Aude, France on 23rd June 1858. His father, a local GP, at first discouraged his son from entering medicine. Eventually, though, he allowed him to begin medical studies in Toulouse. Two years later Marfan moved to a Paris medical school and in 1882 started an internship. After taking time out to do his military service, he graduated in 1887 with a silver medal.
In 1892 he was appointed assistant professor of paediatrics in the Paris faculty. He went on to become the head of the diphtheria service at the Hospital for Sick Children and then professor of therapeutics in 1910. When he was 56 years old Marfan was appointed to the post of professor of infantile hygiene at the University of Paris. He worked at the Hôpital des Enfants Malades until his retirement in 1928.
Marfan's interest in pulmonary tuberculosis was prompted by the writing of his doctoral thesis, "Troubles and gastric lesions in pulmonary tuberculosis". This paper gave rise to the concept known as the Marfan law, which noted the rarity of pulmonary tuberculosis following the healing of local tuberculous lesions because of the development of immunity. Marfan wrote: "One rarely records pulmonary tuberculosis in people who, during their childhood, had been attacked by the disease and in whom lesions had healed before the age of 15 years". Research such as this led to the development of the BCG vaccine. Marfan was also one of the first to realise the value of skin testing in tuberculosis and integrated this technique into his classic studies. Marfan was known for his patience and outstanding clinical skills. He continued his interest in diphtheria, and developed an expert knowledge of the nutritional aspects of child health, writing important papers and books in these areas. He conducted research into the use of goat's milk for infant feeding.
Marfan described the disease that still bears his name at a meeting of the Medical Society of Paris in 1896. He presented the case of a five-year-old girl called Gabrielle, pointing out her disproportionately long limbs. In 1902 Méry and Babonneix studied this same girl again, but this time they had the advantage of new technology in the form of radiography. They noted that her dorsal spine was malaligned and that there was thoracic asymmetry, calling the condition hyperchondroplasia as they believed the disease to be the opposite of achondroplasia. In later studies further anomalies were documented, including arachnodactyly (long digits), cardiovascular abnormalities and dislocation of the ocular lens. A common and often lethal complication is dissection of the aorta, and it is now known that inheritance is autosomal.
Outside his working environment Marfan took a keen interest in music, art and literature. He gained an international reputation and was widely recognised as a pioneer of paediatrics in France. This was very much the case in Britain, too, where, in 1934, he received an honorary fellowship of the Royal Society of Medicine.
In his later years he continued to promote child health, sitting on the governing body of the Society for the Preservation of Infants Against Tuberculosis. He died aged 84, leaving a large chunk of his wealth to this society. He is still considered to be the founder of paediatrics in France.
