Dr. C.I. Parhon: A True Pioneer of Endocrinology

I decided to take a short trip to Romania and visit my father. He is doing great, no health issues whatsoever -- I am so proud of him!

I wanted to take advantage of being in Bucharest to check in with the endocrinologist who diagnosed my Hashimoto's last year, maybe discuss my current treatment options with her, but she was on a maternal leave.

As I was trying to find a good alternative, I made a fabulous discovery: there is an entire hospital attached to an institute devoted to endocrinology in Bucharest! The National Institute of Endocrinology was founded in 1946 by Dr. Constantin I. Parhon, who wrote, with Moise Goldstein, the very first treaty of endocrinology, over 800 pages, published in French, in 1909!

There are 42 medical doctors specializing in endocrinology working at the hospital which can host 400 patients. There is a research facility as well, which just got 10 million euros in funding, so things look quite promising... Maybe Dr. Ray Peat should be invited to test some of his theories?

The incredible Dr. Parhon also became the first president of Romania, when the King was forced to abdicate! How about THAT?

Dr. Parhon's fabulous accomplishments include founding yet another hospital, dedicated to old people this time, the first Geriatrics Hospital in the world -- as Parhon considered old age more of a disease than a natural state.

Parhon appointed a woman as director of this Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, presumably a former student and follower of his, Dr. Ana Aslan.   She went on to develop a line of youth promoting products that attracted quite a following (A. Onassis, J. Kennedy were among her clients). I think I will try to get a hold of these patented products, "the first medicine designed to delay human aging processes".  And I am in the process of locating a copy of Dr. Parhon's book "Old Age and Its Treatment".

I almost feel grateful to my Hashimoto's for enlarging my horizon... Um... Not really.

I figured there must be some pretty impressive endocrinologists in Bucharest, with such an outstanding school behind them, so I pursued my research.

I scheduled an appointment with none other than the Head of the Romanian Society of Endocrinology, Dr. Mihai Coculescu, whose impressive list of publications on PubMed and whose views on thyroid and estrogen went straight to my heart.  I'm thinking I should bring him Dr. Peat's books, maybe something develops... It would be worthwhile to see Dr. Peat invited to one of these mainstream congresses of endocrinologists. Anyway, the RSE publishes Acta Endocrinologica since...1938. It also publishes "The Romanian Journal of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases".

I bought for five dollars, from the selection of a street vendor in Bucharest, "Clinical Endocrinology", published in 1976, authored by two of Parhon's collaborators, Stefan Milcu and Marcela Pitis, to which Dr. Coculescu, back then a young research assistant, is listed as a top contributor.

Here is Dr. Coculescu, delivering a speech at the Romanian Academy (in Romanian):

He talks about another illustrious Romanian endocrinologist I knew nothing about, Dr. Paulescu, who first discovered insulin, in 1921.  Dr. Paulescu is a controversial figure because of his antisemitic views.  Many claim that he was robbed of his Nobel prize.

Dr. Parhon is not much talked about in Romania nowadays because he was a communist. I guess Dr. Parhon was either inspired, or a student of Dr. Paulescu's. As Dr. Parhon was openly opposing antisemitism, his relationship with Paulescu must have been at least strained. Fascinating...

Back to 2013: confident that Romania boasts a mighty tradition of endocrinology, I crowned my stay in sunny Bucharest with another doctor's visit and a panel of brand new blood tests, of which I might soon write.