(Georges-) Fernand-Isidore Widal was a French #physician and #bacteriologist who made important c…
Published
(Georges-) Fernand-Isidore Widal was a French #physician and #bacteriologist who made important contributions to the #diagnosis, #treatment, and #prevention of many #diseases. In 1896, he developed the #Widal reaction, a procedure for diagnosing #typhoid #fever based on the fact that #antibodies in the #blood of an infected individual cause the #bacteria to bind together into #clumps. In 1906, he recognized that the retention of #sodium #chloride was a feature found in cases of #nephritis and #cardiac #edema, and he recommended salt deprivation as part of the treatment for both diseases. During WWI, Widal prepared a #vaccine that appreciably reduced #typhoid contagion among the allied armies.
