BERNARD, CLAUDE

born July 12, 1813, Saint-Julien, France died Feb. 10, 1878, Paris French physiologist known chiefly for his discoveries concerning the role of the pancreas in digestion, the glycogenic function of the liver, and the regulation of the blood supply by the vasomotor nerves. On a broader stage, Bernard played a role in establishing the principles of experimentation in the life sciences, advancing beyond the vitalism and indeterminism of earlier physiologists to become one of the founders of experimental medicine. His most seminal contribution was his concept of the internal environment of the organism, which led to the present understanding of homeostasisi.e., the self-regulation of vital processes. Additional reading J.M.D. Olmsted, Claude Bernard, Physiologist (1938), is the fullest biography; it may be supplemented by J.M.D. Olmsted and E. Harris Olmsted, Claude Bernard & the Experimental Method in Medicine (1952, reissued 1961); Reino Virtanen, Claude Bernard and His Place in the History of Ideas (1960); and Frederic Lawrence Holmes, Claude Bernard and Animal Chemistry: The Emergence of a Scientist (1974), treating his work during the period 184248.