title: The heart of Blessed Anne-Madeleine Remuzat: a biomedical approach of "miraculous" heart conservation.
abstract: We present here the results of our inter-disciplinary examination of the mummified heart of Blessed Anne-Madeleine Remuzat (1696-1730). This organ has been examined in the context of a canonization process. This analysis is related to important aspects of the early history of anatomy in Europe, that of "Holy autopsies", and to the relationship between anatomical investigations, Catholic theology, and religious/medical customs. According to anatomical, genetic, toxicological, and palynological analyses, it has been shown that this organ has not been naturally ("miraculously") conserved but embalmed using myrtle, honey, and lime. Moreover, a right ventricle dilatation has been diagnosed, that may represent a post-tuberculosis condition and may have played a role in the cause of death of this religious figure.
authors.affiliation: Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology, UFR of Health Sciences (UVSQ, AP-HP), 2 avenue de la Source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France. Electronic address: philippe.charlier@uvsq.fr.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Charlier
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Pitié-Salpétrière (AP-HP), Hospital boulevard, 75013 Paris, France. Electronic address: isabelle_huynh@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huynh-Charlier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Toxicology, University Hospital Lariboisière (AP-HP), 2 A. Paré street, 75010 Paris, France. Electronic address: joel.poupon@lrb.aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Poupon
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: carles.lalueza@upf.edu.
authors.forename: Carles Lalueza
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Institut Médico-Légal, Humann street, Strasbourg, France. Electronic address: ckeyser@unistra.fr.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keyser
authors.affiliation: Imagerie de Clairval (Générale de Santé), Marseille, France. Electronic address: christophemougniot@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mougniot
authors.affiliation: GeoBioStratData, Rillieux-la-Pape, France. Electronic address: speranta.popescu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Spéranta-Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Parakou, Benin. Electronic address: luc.brun2013@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brun
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, UMR 7273, Institut de Chimie radicalaire, 13397 Marseille, France. Electronic address: sylvia.pietri@univ-amu.fr.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pietri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Lyon 1 University, LGL (Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon) UMR 5276, 69622 Villeurbanne, France. Electronic address: frederic.thevenard@univ-lyon1.fr.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thévenard
authors.affiliation: Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology, UFR of Health Sciences (UVSQ, AP-HP), 2 avenue de la Source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France. Electronic address: laetitia.laquay@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Laëtitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laquay
authors.affiliation: Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology, UFR of Health Sciences (UVSQ, AP-HP), 2 avenue de la Source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France. Electronic address: agathejhurel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Agathe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hurel
authors.affiliation: Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, 81 avenue du Prado, 13008 Marseille, France. Electronic address: jpnellul@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ellul
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Ethics, University of Paris 5, 45 Saints Pères street, 75006 Paris, France. Electronic address: christian.herve@parisdescartes.fr.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hervé
mesh_terms: D000715:Anatomy / Q000266:history; D001344:Autopsy / Q000266:history; D002410:Catholicism / Q000266:history*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004615:Embalming / Q000266:history; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D009106:Mummies / Q000266:history; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry; D011058:Pollen; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
keywords: Dilated right ventricle cardiopathy; Heart anatomy; History of medicine; Mummification