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  • The 'L' is Not Silent: The Secret History of Guillain-Barré

    The 'L' is Not Silent: The Secret History of Guillain-Barré
    Feb 10 2026
    "We’ve been saying it wrong for a century."

    In this episode, we deconstruct the wartime discovery and the linguistic mystery of Guillain-Barré-Strohl Syndrome. From the trenches of the Somme to the lecture halls of the Salpêtrière, we explore how a name became a brand and who was left behind in the process.

    Primary Sources & Further Reading:
    • The Original 1916 Paper: Guillain G, Barré JA, Strohl A. Sur un syndrome de radiculo-névrite avec hyperalbuminose du liquide céphalo-rachidien sans réaction cellulaire. Bull Mem Soc Med Hop Paris. 1916; 40:1462-70.
    • On the Pronunciation: Rogoff, JB. Pronunciation of Guillain. JAMA. 1977; 237(22):2381.
    • The 1937 Retraction: Guillain, G. Radiculoneuritis with Acellular Hyperalbuminosis of the Cerebrospinal Fluid. International Congress of Neurology, Paris (1936).
    • The Legacy of Barré: Schächter, M. In Memoriam: Jean-Alexandre Barré (1880-1967). Revue d'Oto-Neuro-Ophtalmologie. 1967.
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    18 min