1040 GENERAL JOSEPH GALLIENI: PROSTATE SURGERY AT THE WESTERN FRONT, 1916

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology Forum1 Apr 20111040 GENERAL JOSEPH GALLIENI: PROSTATE SURGERY AT THE WESTERN FRONT, 1916 Drew Freilich and John Phillips Drew FreilichDrew Freilich Valhalla, NY More articles by this author and John PhillipsJohn Phillips Valhalla, NY More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2011.02.1076AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES General Joseph Gallieni (1849–1916) may have been the 'savior of Paris' but did not survive prostate surgery on the eve of the Battle of Verdun. A life-long soldier, Gallieni was a voice of caution, pragmatism, and flexibility in a Great War where such traits were lacking in the military leadership of any side. His death from post-operative hemorrhage silenced a voice that may well have altered the course of the war and tempered the Armistice now so inextricably linked to the turmoil that lead to World War II. The details of Gallieni's prostate surgery, his physicians, or the symptoms necessitating the procedure are little known. We wished to elucidate this important chapter in Gallieni's life, and identify the urologist(s) and doctors involved in trying to assuage Gallieni's final days on the Western Front. METHODS We translated Gallieni's diaries from the 1911–1916 period, consulted contemporaneous treatises and texts on WW I era prostatectomy, and reviewed military hospital records from the Marne/Verdun front, where Gallieni's surgery was performed. Physicians were cross-referenced to data and archived photographic collections from the French Academy of Medicine and National Library (Paris). Surgical treatises authored by Gallieni's urologist were obtained with permission from the August C. Long Health Sciences Library (Columbia University, NY). RESULTS Gallieni's urologist was the renowned pioneer of French urology, Georges Jean-Baptiste Marion (1869–1960) who treated the General for urinary retention, inanition, edema, and the uremia of chronic obstructive uropathy. A vegetarian, Gallieni's doctors first prescribed calories with meat protein despite worsening oliguria. A cystoscopy was performed on April 20, 1916 and, with catheterization, the general convalesced somewhat. A month later, the patient underwent prostatectomy, likely via the suprapubic approach, Marion's preferred technique. “Internal bleeding” was documented on post-op day 2. Marion, “calm and stoic”, transfused 200 grams of his own blood post-op day 5; by May 27th, the general was dead. CONCLUSIONS General Gallieni suffered from prostatism for years, even declining the position of Supreme Commander of the French army in 1911 due to ill health. Victor of the Battle of the Marne, 1914, he served his country heroically up to his death. He was mourned by all of France. Marion went on to train hundreds of urologists over a 50 year career, author seminal texts in urologic surgery, and was voted into membership to the esteemed French Academy of Medicine in 1934. © 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 185Issue 4SApril 2011Page: e418-e419 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2011 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Drew Freilich Valhalla, NY More articles by this author John Phillips Valhalla, NY More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...