René-Joseph-Hyacinthe Bertin


René-Joseph-Hyacinthe Bertin was a French anatomist known for his pioneer work in cardiology. He was the son of anatomist Exupère Joseph Bertin.

Early life and education

Bertin was born in Gohard, France on April 10, 1757. His father was Exupère-Joseph Bertin, who was a prominent physician remembered for his description on invaginated renal cortical tissue columns of Bertin. After studying in Paris, Bertin graduated from medical school at the University of Montpellier in 1791.

Career

Bertin was a military physician during the French Revolution and in the Napoleonic wars. After his military service, Bertin then returned to Paris and became the physician-in-chief at Hôpital Cochin. He specialized in disorders of the cardiovascular system with his assistant Jean Baptiste Bouillaud.
Bertin was an early advocate of auscultation for elucidating the pathologies of cardiovascular disorders. He developed insight into the physical principles responsible for heart murmurs associated with valvular stenosis.
Bertin was especially interested in cardiac hypertrophy and originated the idea of having three designations of cardiac hypertrophy, which he called "eccentric", "concentric" and "simple" hypertrophy of the heart.
He was the author of Traité des Maladies du Coeur et des Gros Vaisseaux, an important work on the pathological anatomy of the heart. In this book, he discusses topics such as auscultation, valvular deformities, and hypertrophy of the heart. His student Jean-Baptiste Bouillaud assisted him with this edition.

Death

Bertin died in 1828.

Written works

Copied from the equivalent article at the French Wikipedia.