Tarnier

Tarnier Stephane (Etienne Stephane Tarnier; 1828-1897), famous French obstetrician. T. received his medical education in Dijon and Paris. He specialized in obstetrics at the Paris Maternité and there wrote the monograph "De la fièvre puerperale" (Paris, 1858). This work on puerperal fever began T.'s long struggle with postpartum infection. In this struggle he proved victorious. T. worked extensively on the theory and construction of forceps; as a result he designed forceps "with axial traction," which are still widely used today, especially in France. T. devoted considerable attention to newborns and premature infants, dedicating a special work to the hygiene and feeding of newborns and proposing an incubator (for premature infants) bearing his name. T. was a world-renowned scientist and an outstanding teacher; among his students was a whole host of distinguished obstetricians: Pinard, Budin, Barr, and others. One of his major works is the three-volume textbook on obstetrics "Traite de l'art des accouchements", co-authored with Chantreuil (v. I-III, P., 1878).