Bernard Peyrilhe

Lore & Background

Bernard Peyrilhe was born in Pompignan and became a lecturer at the Paris School of Surgery. In 1773, while studying for a PhD, he wrote the first systematic review of cancer in a prize-winning essay submitted to the Academy of Letters and Fine Arts in Lyon in response to the essay competition entitled "What is Cancer?". His essay covered the nature of the disease, its growth, treatment, and how a "virus" produced by the tumor caused wasting (cachexia). At the time, the term "virus" meant any substance which came from an animal's body and which could transmit a disease. Peyrilhe attempted to demonstrate this virus by injecting an emulsion of fluid from a human breast cancer into a wound he had created on the back of a dog. He kept the dog at his home to observe it, but the dog developed an abscess at the injection site and howled so much that Peyrilhe's servants drowned it. As is now understood, the transfer of cancerous tissue between species is generally unsuccessful, as the recipient's immune system recognizes cells from a different species as foreign and destroys them (a graft-versus-host interaction). Also in 1773, Peyrilhe was the first surgeon to treat breast cancer by radical mastectomy which included both the pectoral muscle and axillary lymph nodes. He considered that the risks of amputating the pectoral muscle were outweighed by the otherwise certain outcome of death. Peyrilhe also successfully treated ulceration with carbolic acid, which was, at the time, a recently discovered acid.

Reader's Guide

Bernard Peyrilhe's significance lies in his pioneering contributions to the systematic study and surgical treatment of cancer. His 1773 prize-winning essay represents the first systematic review of cancer, establishing a framework for understanding the disease's nature, progression, and potential transmissibility. His experimental attempt to transfer cancer via injection, though unsuccessful and ethically problematic by modern standards, reflects an early scientific effort to identify a causative agent. Peyrilhe's radical mastectomy in the same year marked a major surgical advance, as he was the first to remove both the pectoral muscle and axillary lymph nodes, prioritizing the chance of survival over cosmetic or functional preservation. His use of carbolic acid for ulceration also demonstrates an early application of antiseptic treatment. While his cross-species experiment failed due to immune rejection, his work laid groundwork for later cancer research and surgical oncology. Peyrilhe's legacy is that of a transitional figure who moved cancer study from anecdotal observation toward systematic investigation and aggressive surgical intervention.

Did You Know?

• Peyrilhe's 1773 prize-winning essay was the first systematic review of cancer, submitted to the Academy of Letters and Fine Arts in Lyon.
• He attempted to demonstrate a cancer-causing 'virus' by injecting fluid from a human breast cancer into a wound on a dog's back.
• The dog developed an abscess and howled so much that Peyrilhe's servants drowned it.
• In 1773, Peyrilhe performed the first radical mastectomy, removing both the pectoral muscle and axillary lymph nodes.
• He successfully treated ulceration with carbolic acid, a recently discovered acid at the time.