Georges Charles Guillain

Born	1876
Died	1961

Related eponyms

• Emery-Dreifuss syndrome
• Erb's reflex
• Glanzmann-Saland syndrome
• Guillain's sign
• Guillain, Guy Laroche and Léchelle reaction
• Guillain-Alajouanine-Garcin syndrome
• Guillain-Barré-Strohl syndrome
• Guillain-Betrand-Lereboullet syndrome
• Guillain-Mollaret triangle
• Guillain-Thaon syndrome

Bibliography

French neurologist, born March 3, 1876, Rouen; died June 29, 1961, Paris.

Biography of Georges Charles Guillain

Georges Charles Guillain was born to a bourgeous family. His father Louis was an engineer, his mother Gabrielle the daughter of a wealthy owner of a spinnery in the Normandy town. After customary schooling he commenced the study of medicine in his native town, but after two years moved to Paris, where he received his clinical education at several hospitals. He soon became interested in neurology, and his first scientific work, of 1898, concerns lesions of the plexus brachialis. He received his medical doctorate at Paris in 1902.

In 1909 Guillain married Juliette Chauffard, the marriage producing five girls. Very little is known about Guillain’s private life, as it seems that he devoted his life to his professional work.

He became chef de clinique for nervous diseases and was habilitated in 1910. After the war he served at the Hôpital Charité until his career was crowned with the professorship of neurology at the famous Hôpital de la Salpêtrière in Paris in 1923. He held this position until his retirement in 1947.

Guillain was a busy writer. In 1920, with his friend Barré, he published a large work on clinical experiences during the war.

Guillain received many honours. He was a member of French, American, and Japanese academies of science. In 1949 he was appointed commander of the Legion of Honour.