The French surgeon who tried to prove cancer was a virus in 1773
In short: In 1773, Bernard Peyrilhe attempted to prove cancer was a transmissible virus by injecting human tumor fluid into a dog. The experiment ended in a noisy disaster, but it marked a pivotal moment in the history of experimental oncology, setting the stage for centuries of research into how cancer spreads.
Bernard Peyrilhe, a French surgeon born in Pompignan, was a pioneering figure in the study of oncology. In 1773, while working toward his PhD, he entered a competition hosted by the Academy of Letters and Fine Arts in Lyon with an essay titled What is Cancer?. His work was remarkably systematic for the era, exploring the nature of tumor growth and the concept of cachexia, or wasting, which he attributed to a viral agent. At that time, the term virus did not refer to modern microbiology but rather to any substance derived from an animal body capable of transmitting disease.
To test his hypothesis, Peyrilhe injected an emulsion of human breast cancer fluid into a wound on a dog. The experiment was cut short when the dog developed an abscess and began howling so incessantly that Peyrilhe’s servants drowned the animal. While the attempt failed, modern science explains why: the transfer of cancerous tissue between different species is typically blocked by the immune system, which identifies foreign cells and destroys them. Despite this, Peyrilhe’s work remains significant as one of the earliest attempts to experimentally investigate the mechanics of malignancy.
Beyond his experimental efforts, Peyrilhe was a bold practitioner. In 1773, he performed what is considered the first radical mastectomy, removing both the pectoral muscle and axillary lymph nodes. He argued that the severe risks of such an invasive procedure were justified by the otherwise certain fatality of the disease. He also explored innovative treatments, such as using carbolic acid to treat ulcerations. His legacy persists in the history of medicine as a bridge between early observational theories and the rigorous experimental methods that define modern cancer research.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Bernard Peyrilhe
- Also: Frontiers in molecular biosciences — Carcinogenic effect of human tumor-derived cell-free filtrates in nude mice. · CC BY
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