Samuel-Jean
Pozzi
(1846–1918)
Other names: 'Siren',
'Doctor God'
Biographical
Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour 1914
Commandeer of the Legion of Honour 1904
Officer of the Legion of Honour 1894
Knight of the Legion of Honour 1886
Senator for Dordogne 1898
Member of the Academy of Medicine in Paris 1896
President of the Society of Anthropology 1888
Member of the Society of Anthropology 1870
Hailing from a Huguenot Swiss-Italian family,
Pozzi was a pioneering French physician, widely celebrated as the
father of modern French gynaecology and a central figure of the Belle
Époque. Known for his medical brilliance, personal charm, and
striking appearance, Pozzi left an indelible mark on both the scientific
and cultural landscapes of his time.
In 1864, he enrolled in the Medical School of Paris,
where he distinguished himself with a doctoral dissertation that earned
him the Gold Medal from the Faculty of Medicine.
He later held various appointments as an intern. When the Franco-Prussian
War was declared in 1870, he joined the second-aid staff of the Military
Health Service. By 1875, he had become a professor at the Medical
School of Paris and went on to hold several notable positions, including
surgeon to the public lunatic asylum of the Seine Department in 1874,
director of the Surgical Department at the Lourcine Hospital in 1883,
and professor of the first Chair of Gynaecology at the Medical School
of Paris in 1901.
His career spanned surgery, gynaecology, anthropology, and politics.
Pozzi published more than 400 scientific works, including the influential
Treatise of Clinical and Operative Gynaecology, published
in 1890, which was translated into six languages. He advocated for
women’s comfort and dignity during medical examinations—an
unusually progressive stance for his time—and pioneered techniques
in abdominal surgery, including France’s first successful gastroenterostomy.
His contributions extended beyond medicine. He served as a senator
for his home region, was an avid anthropologist, a passionate art
collector, and a patron of artists. Pozzi believed that art could
heal, and he integrated this belief into his hospital work by commissioning
paintings to adorn the walls of public hospitals. In his personal
life, he captivated many of the era’s leading women—from
actresses to poets—forming deep friendships and passionate affairs.
Among his closest companions was the actress Sarah Bernhardt, who
affectionately called him 'Doctor God'. However, his charisma didn’t
always endear him to those at home. His wife, Thérèse
Loth-Cazalis, her domineering mother, and their daughter Catherine
viewed him with distance, in part due to his many extramarital affairs.
Pozzi’s life ended dramatically. After being shot by a former
patient who falsely blamed him for impotence, he dictated his own
surgery, refusing anaesthesia. Though he remained lucid and directed
the operation, he succumbed to internal bleeding. His death shocked
the Parisian elite, with Marcel Proust and other luminaries mourning
the loss of a man they saw as brilliant, beautiful, and kind. Today,
Pozzi is perhaps best remembered visually through his portrait by
John Singer Sargent. He stands as a symbol of intellect, elegance,
and sensuality—an unforgettable figure whose legacy transcends
disciplines and decades.
Place of birth: Bergerac, Dordogne
Place of death: Paris
Place of burial: Bergerac, Dordogne
Son of Samuel Pozzi and Ines Escot-Meslon, he
married Thérèse Loth-Cazalis
in 1879, and had issue.
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