Marie Jean Pierre Flourens (1794 1867): an extraordinary scientist of his time

Marie Jean Pierre Flourens was a French physician, famous for various significant discoveries relating to the nervous system, cerebral localisation and brain functions. He was known for his studies on brain physiology. He was one of the pioneers in the usage of experimental methods in neuroanatomy.1 He was born on 15 April 1794, in Maureilhan, France. He received his medical degree from the University of Montpellier in 1809. He then went to Paris and worked with botanist Agustin de Condelle (1779–1841) and palaeontologists Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), and later became attracted to the study of neurophysiology. In 1833, Flourens became a Professor of Anatomy at the College de France. In 1838, he was returned …