Pierre Paul Broca: Physician, Anatomist and Anthropologist

There is no doubt that many of the scientific discoveries and advances in medicine that we are exposed to today would not be possible without the work of brilliant scientists from the past. The 19th century is just one time period that brought about such brilliance, and one of the most famous scientists goes by the name of Pierre-Paul Broca, or as he is more commonly referred to, Paul Broca. Paul Broca was a French anatomist, surgeon, physician and anthropologist, who even at a young age was known as a prodigy and someone well ahead of his time. Broca received his basic education in his hometown of Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, and then went on to receive his bachelor’s degree at the young age of 16. At the age of 17, Broca entered medical school and went on to graduate at the age of 20. Broca held degrees in mathematics, literature and physics. Broca’s early scientific work focused on cartilage and bone, the treatment of aneurysms, infant mortality and cancer pathology. However, Broca is most well known for his work with the brain and the localization of brain functions, specifically the sp...