Charcot's skepticism

Abstract

This paper brings a short review about a peculiar characteristic of Professor Charcot, the father of neurology: the skepticism, emphasizing his personal view regarding the prognosis of several neurological conditions.

Jean-Martin Charcot: the polymath

“…Charcot may be defined as austere, reserved, introvert, taciturn, shy, authoritarian, associated with a competitive temperament, permeated by a skepticism in relation to the treatment of many neurological diseases, and sometimes, with expressions of irony and even sarcasm, in the relationship with other neurologists, and, paradoxically, an intense love for animals. 2 3 105 106 107 108 109 110…”

“…Even though he was not politically engaged, Charcot had liberal ideas, and even though he was tolerant in religious matters, he was clearly anti-clerical. 3 106 111 Nevertheless, his wake in the chapel of the La Salpêtrière and burial in the Montmartre cemetery were performed within Catholic norms. 2 3 6 7 111 112 Some biography data suggest that Charcot, in the final phase of his life, came to admire Buddhism.…”

Charcot: Buddhist Leanings?

“…Descriptions of the suffering he saw in his patients can be found in letters he wrote to friends and family [12]. As Charcot built his vast clinical experience, evaluating patients with various neurodegenerative diseases and observing their poor clinical progress and early death without any treatment options, he became much more "silent and meditative," expressing skepticism and a cold and pessimistic attitude [1,2,[12][13][14][15][16][17]. After examining a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, he stated, "the prognosis is deplorable, alas, he is a lost soul and it is only a question of time."…”

“…Charcot's personality has been addressed in detail: complex and secret, shy, tyrannical, and ambitious, while also taciturn and occasionally ironic and sarcastic. His literary, musical, and artistic abilities were also well known, along with his dedication to work and his family and a great love for animals [1,2,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Little is known about his political and religious preferences, as there are no indications of his engagement in either area.…”

Charcot's paradox

“…Various neurological conditions and pathologies still bear Charcot's name, reflecting his importance in the field of neurology: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Charcot's disease), hereditary sensory-motor neuropathy (Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease), tabes dorsalis arthropathy (Charcot's arthropathy) and primary intracerebral hemorrhage (microaneurysms of Charcot-Bouchard). Many other, no less important, conditions were also described by Charcot: multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Tourette Syndrome 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,11 . In addition to being able to correlate clinical and anatomical findings, Charcot made important contributions to neuroanatomy, since prior knowledge in this area was based on the findings of animal dissections, which did not always correspond to the findings in humans 5 .…”