MS Through History
Jean Cruveilhier (1791-1874)
Jean Cruveilhier was an eminent Parisian anatomist who also lived through the mid 19th century. Cruveilhier, like Robert Carswell, described the pathology of the lesions seen in MS and although the two men worked independently, their illustrations appeared almost simultaneously. Much debate exists as to which illustration was made first. However, Cruveilhier's version, seen here, was not published until 1842.
Cruveilhier's contribution to our understanding of MS goes beyond his description of its pathology as he was the first to record the clinical history of a patient later found to have neuronal lesions. His notes recall that the woman:
had been ill six years without cause...she noticed that the left leg resisted her will to such a degree that she fell in the street
Cruveilhier described how over several years, the patient developed weakness of both legs and arms, spasms, difficulty in swallowing and visual disturbances. From this he diagnosed a lesion of the upper portion of the spinal cord.
