Arnulf, Georges ( - 1995)
by
 
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Asset Name
E007796 - Arnulf, Georges ( - 1995)

Title
Arnulf, Georges ( - 1995)

Author
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Identifier
RCS: E007796

Publisher
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publication Date
2015-09-02

Subject
Medical Obituaries

Description
Obituary for Arnulf, Georges ( - 1995), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Language
English

Source
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Full Name
Arnulf, Georges

Date of Death
January 1995

Occupation
Cardiovascular surgeon

Titles/Qualifications
Hon FRCS 1977

Details
In his citation at the admission of Professor Arnulf to the Honorary Fellowship, Professor John Kinmonth said: 'Mr President, it is a pleasure to introduce you to my friend, Dr Georges Arnulf, of Lyon. Georges Arnulf is held in high esteem in France. He is a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. He is a holder of the Croix des Combattants Volontaires, which is the decoration for outstanding work in the Resistance. He is also Officier des Palmes Académiques. His surgical appointments include those of Chirurgien des Hôpitaux de Lyon and Chief of the Surgical Service of the Claude Bernard Clinic. He is Professor in the University of Lyon. 'Georges qualified and did his surgical training in Lyon. He was introduced to surgical research by early contact with Alexis Carrel, the Nobel laureate who had been responsible for the pioneer work on arterial repair and organ transplantation. Later he worked closely with Réné Leriche who, I might recall to you, was also one of the great surgeons from France who have been honorary Fellows of this College. (q.v. *Lives* 1952-64, p.209). 'In the second world war Arnulf cared for the wounded in the retreat in Northern France in the bad days of 1940 and was taken prisoner on the Loire. After caring for the wounded he escaped to resume civilian surgery. He soon became secretly involved in work for the Resistance when a combatant with a severe vertebral wound was brought to him for treatment. He operated and helped this patient, and others followed. The work included not only surgery but many other things. Members of the Resistance and escaped soldiers of France and of our army and air force were hidden, cared for, provided with false documents, and helped to escape. This was done in collaboration with London as part of the network 'le coq enchainé'. It was done at great personal risk had he been discovered. In 1944 when the tide of war turned he joined the French 1st Army and served in the upper Rhine and Danube campaigns. 'After the war Arnulf resumed surgical practice and research in the cardiovascular fields. He did pioneer experimental work in animals on lymphography, but I think his greatest contributions have been in his interest in the carotids and in the coronary vessels. He wrote excellent books on these and persevered in their study and insisted on their future importance when others denied it or were defeatist. When we see now the amount of surgery performed on the carotids and upon the coronary arteries we know that he was a prophet. 'I first met Arnulf in 1951 at Turin when he, with Leriche, dos Santos, and others, founded the European Society of Cardiovascular Surgery. I was privileged to be present in a very junior capacity at that meeting. He has since then been the chief driving force in this society, which has included all the leading cardiovascular surgeons of Europe, including two former Presidents of this College - Lord Brock and Sir Thomas Holmes Sellors. Georges Arnulf was secretary of the society for nineteen years and its President in 1971 and 1972. I believe that his energy and vision have been the chief reasons for the success of that society. It has spread knowledge and friendship between European surgeons in this field. His friendship and help in particular to British surgeons have been warm and outstanding.' Arnulf died in January 1995.

Rights
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England

Collection
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Format
Obituary

Format
Asset

Asset Path
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E007000-E007999/E007700-E007799

URL for File
379979

Media Type
Unknown