I posted recently about Jean-Baptiste Morin as an astrologer who makes an appearance in my work in progress The Favourite Murder, which will be the fifth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. He was also a physician. So let us continue with another Renaissance physician.
Guillaume de Baillou (1538–1616) was a pioneering French physician, often regarded as the “father of modern epidemiology.” His contributions to the study of epidemics laid the groundwork for later developments in public health and infectious disease control.
Baillou was born in Paris and educated in medicine at the University of Paris, where he later became a professor. He practiced in a time when Europe was frequently struck by outbreaks of plague, smallpox, and other infectious diseases. Baillou’s first-hand experience treating patients during these outbreaks made him acutely aware of the need to document and understand patterns of illness. His detailed observations of epidemics were ahead of his time, marking a shift from mystical and superstitious interpretations of disease to a more scientific approach based on observation and evidence.
One of Baillou’s most significant works was Epidemiorum, a two-volume treatise published posthumously in 1640. In this comprehensive text, he described the symptoms, progression, and outcomes of various epidemic diseases, including whooping cough, which he was one of the first to clearly describe. His clinical descriptions were notable for their accuracy and detail, offering one of the earliest systematic records of epidemic diseases in Europe.
Baillou’s work also contributed to the revival of Hippocratic medicine, emphasizing careful observation of patients and their symptoms. His influence extended well beyond his lifetime, with later physicians building on his work to establish the field of epidemiology as a key discipline in understanding and controlling diseases.
Though lesser known today, Guillaume de Baillou’s careful study of epidemic disease represents an essential chapter in the history of medicine, marking the transition to a more empirical and rational approach to health.