Amyussa, Jean Sulema

Born on November 21, 1796 in the town of Saint-Mexan-L'Ecolle (department of De-Sevres ) in the family of a doctor. He received his first medical education from his father - surgeon Servan. He was called up for military service in 1814 , at the age of 17 years. The young man had to conduct many surgical operations on the battlefield during the Napoleonic Wars. During his stay in the warring army, he studied anatomy well, analyzing combat damage on the corpses of soldiers. After the war, despite the lack of funds, he went to Paris to continue his medical education. One of his mentors was Trussel, who made it possible to participate in anatomical autopsies at the Salpetriere Hospital . As a student at the University of Paris, he received a position at Charite Hospital by competition. At the hospital, he also received housing - and ample opportunities to continue his medical education. Nilamon Theodore Leminier (1770-1836), who noticed an interest in pathological anatomy, helped him and allowed him to work in his hospital.
Two years later, by competition, he got practice and returned to Salpetriere Hospital. While working here, during a study of the spinal cord, in particular, aimed at identifying pathological changes that may be caused by epilepsy, he invented a rickhot that has become widely used in surgical practice. During this time, he also began giving private lectures on anatomy for artists.
In December 1821, he became an assistant to the prosector of the competition, and thus, an opportunity appeared to double or triple his knowledge in the course of anatomy, surgery, and operative art. The attempt to compete for the post of proctor at the faculty was unsuccessful, since at that time Amyuss almost died from infection, and his health was seriously damaged. After a number of diseases, he was forced to refuse to participate in the competition for the position of prosector. With the loss of any prospects at the medical faculty and the opportunity to work as a doctor in a hospital, he was forced to engage in private practice.
In 1824, he was elected a member of the Paris Medical Academy, even before he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine.
In 1826, he defended his doctoral dissertation at the Paris Medical Academy on the topic: "Some Considerations on the Study of Anatomy" ( Quelques considérations sur l'étude de l'anatomie ). This work emphasizes the importance of animal experiments for physiological purposes.
In 1831, he organized a field surgery course for young doctors who were to join the African army .
Jean Sulem Amyuss died of diphtheria on May 13, 1856 . He was buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
His heart was removed and delivered to Saint-Mexan-L'Ecolle (De Sevres) on January 16, 1857, where he was buried. In the same grave lies his son Auguste Alfons Amyussa (1829-1878) ^[3] .

In 1827 and 1828, he conducted a series of studies on traumatic bleeding and methods for stopping it. Subsequently, in 1829 he came up with the method of torsion of arteries at the Paris Institute. It was a brilliant invention of Amyuss, with which his name will always be associated.

One of his achievements was the return to surgical practice of the almost forgotten sectio alta - a high incision - with stones of the bladder. Although his surgical interests varied, he focused on surgery for the bladder, prostate, and abdominal organs. The originality of his work is clearly demonstrated by the professional prizes that he received: 2,000 francs for lithotripsy, 6,000 for torsion of arteries, 4,000 for a description of an air embolism , and 3,000 for what was then called an "artificial anus" - a colostomy .
Amyussa entered the history of world medicine with the following discoveries:

• Amyussa fold - abnormal folds of the urethra at the level of the spermatic tubercle .
• Amyuss method - twisting of an artery to prevent arterial bleeding.
• Amyuss surgery - the formation of extraperitoneal colostomy in the lumbar region with colon obstruction.
• Amyuss valve - a spiral valve in the cystic duct. The cystic duct is an anatomical structure that connects the gallbladder to the common bile duct.
• Amyussa sign - the presence of transverse tears or ruptures of the intima of the carotid arteries near the bifurcation , which are detected when the corpse is opened in case of hanging .
• At the beginning of his scientific work, Amyuss invented a tool for opening the spinal column - Rachitome.

Amyussa became a famous surgeon, even without being an employee of the medical faculty of the university or a hospital doctor. As an operator-surgeon, he was a great artist, and worshiped his art passionately, although he carried it out carefully and skillfully. As a surgeon, he was generally conservative, but still unusually innovative.

Poor health did not prevent Amyuss from becoming a prolific scientific writer. His first work was in the Journal de médecin in 1819 , his last, in 1854, was a treatise on the possibility of treating cancer. Most of his work was published in reports from meetings of the medical academy, in the editions of the Archives générales de médecine . The most significant work can be considered:

• Note sur la possibilité de sonder l'urètre de l'homme avec une sonde tout-à-fait droite, sans blesser le canal; ce qui à donné l'idée d'extraire les petits calculs urinaires encore contenus dans laerveie, et de briser le gros avec la pince d Hunter modifiée. Nouveau journal de médecine, T. 13, 1822. (on the structure of the human urinary system and lithotripsy);
• Recherches sur l'appareil biliaire, 1824 (on the structure of the gall apparatus );
• Quelques considérations sur l'étude de l'anatomie. Thèse. 33 pages. Paris, 1826, No. 186. (on the use of animals in physiological experiments);
• Sur les sondes urétrales. 1827. (about sounding the bladder);
• Lithotritie et lithotomie. 1827 (lithotripsy and lithotomy);
• Torsion des artères; Archives générales de médecine, Paris, 1829, 20: 606-610. (about twisting of arteries);
• "Amussat's lessons on retention of urine, caused by strictures of the urethra, and on the diseases of the urethra." Edited by A. Petit. Translated from the French by James P. Jervey, MD 3 p. 1., 246 pages. Charleston, SCJ Dowling, 1836. (About Amyuss's work in the field of diseases of the urinary system).

Amyussa began teaching as a student, and then taught at the Department of Anatomy, taught courses in operating, dressing and experimental surgery. He also held weekly surgical conferences at which local and foreign doctors were invited to share their experiences.
Being a friendly person, he founded a society of mutual assistance for doctors. He also instituted an award for the best scientific work in the field of experimental surgery, which survived him for a long time.

There was a prize in his name (“ prix Amussat ”) for the best work in surgery, which amounted to 1000 francs and was issued with a frequency of once every two years.

• Jean Zuléma Amussat