User:MacGyverMagic/In Progress/Jean-Jacques Bénigne Winslow

"Jean-Jacques Bénigne Winslow, Jean-Jacques Bénigne Winsløw, Jacques Bénigne Winslow, Jacques-Bénigne Winslow, Jacques Bénigne Winsløw, Jacques-Bénigne Winsløw, Jacob Winsløw, Jacob B. Winsløw, Jakob Benignus Winslow, Jakob Benignus Winsløw, Jacob B. Winslow"

Jean-Jacques Bénigne Winslow or Jacob Winsløw (April 2, 1669 &mdash; April 3, 1760 ) was an anatomist originally from Denmark who spent most of his life in France. He is best known for his 1740 thesis "Morte incertae signa" which discussed the fallibility of the signs of death which he believed regularly led to people being buried alive. He was also a member of the Académie Royale des Sciences. The foramen of Winslow, the opening between the greater and lesser sacs of the peritoneum, is named after him.

Death is certain, since it is inevitable, but also uncertain, since its diagnosis is sometimes fallible.

Early life and education
Winslow was born as Jacob Winsløw to Peder Jacobsen Winsløw who was the dean of a Protestant Church in Odense, Denmark. In 1687, he enrolled in the University of Copenhagen to study theology, but after 4 years he switched to anatomy and surgery only to discover he had no future as a surgeon. The sight of flowing blood during one of his first operations made him decide he would never try a surgical procedure again. His professors recommended him to focus on anatomy instead. Since the death bodies had no flowing blood, Winsløw could continue his studies without any problems. He became the prosector of Caspar Bartholin and soon received a royal grant to continue his studies in the Netherlands and France.

When he was studying in France in 1699, Winsløw was deeply influenced by Jacques Bénigne Bossuet. After meeting with him, he reverted to Roman Catholicism and even changed his name to Jean-Jacques Bénigne Winslow in honor of Bossuet. He was unwilling to return to Protestant Denmark so he had to continue his work in France.

Career
With the help from Bossuet and some other benefactors and his education at the medical faculty from the Univeristy of Copenhagen, which was highly regarded at the time, he was able to resume his work in Paris. He became physician to several hospitals and in 1728 he became the docteur-régent of the Paris Faculty of Medicine. In 1732, Winsløw published his treatise "Exposition anatomique de la structure du corps humain." which was used by other medical professionals well into the 19th century. In 1743, at the age of 74, he was promoted to full professor of anatomy at the Jardin du Roi. He remained in this post until 1758 when his deafness forced him to retire.

Note

 * While the website lists his name as Joseph, it is reasonable to assume the same person is meant, because birth and death years match and no other person with that last name has been recorded.

External link

 * First Swedish edition of "The uncertainty of the signs of death, and the danger of precipitate interments and dissections, demonstrated" with notes by Jean Jacques Bruhier d'Ablaincourt (Paris 1740). Information from antiquarian bookseller Olof Edlund in Stockholm.

Winslow, Jean-Jacques Bénigne Winslow, Jean-Jacques Bénigne Winslow, Jean-Jacques Bénigne