Lucien-Marie Pautrier

Lucien-Marie Pautrier's father came from Aix, his mother from Arles. He commenced his medical studies in Marseille but transferred to Paris where he was influenced towards dermatology by Emile Leredde (1866-1926) and became a dermatologist with Louis-Anne-Jean Brocq (1856-1928) at the Hôpital Saint-Louis.

His thesis in 1903 on “Atypical Cutaneous Tuberculosis,” an imposing 350 page document, attracted the attention of Ferdinand-Jean Darier (1856-1938) with Pautrier’s demonstrations and clear patient presentation.

He joined the army at the outbreak of the first World War and became a medical officer to a field artillery regiment. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery under fire and became a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1916, finally becoming Grand Officer. Towards the end of the war he established a centre for investigation of skin and venereal disease in Bourges, in the département Cher in Central France.

When the war ended and the Alsace once more became a part of France, he was appointed professor of dermatology at Strasbourg and there rapidly built up a national and worldwide reputation which attracted students from all over the world. When the second World War commenced he was repatriated to Claivive in the Dordogne, but in 1942 he was invited to take the chair of dermatology in Lausanne, Switzerland, when professor Edwin Ramel (born 1895) died.

At the end of the war he returned to Strasbourg, but two years later retired, occupying himself with his great loves of art and music. He was a close friend of the Romanian violinist Georges Enesco, known for his interpretation of Bach and his work in Romanian style. He founded a society of the Friends of Music in Strasbourg and was largely responsible for the 21st Festival of Music in that city. He founded the Society of Friends of the avant-garde cinema and finally whilst he was president of the Friendly Society of the University of Strasburg he managed to find the necessary funds to create a centre for research in experimental surgery.

Lucien-Marie Pautrier was buried in his birthplace.