A pupil of Fernel, De Baillou was a follower of Hippocrates in his advancement of the doctrine of “epidemic constitutions”. Crookshank regards him as the first modern epidemiologist. This work includes the first description of whooping cough. This was originally written in 1578. Baillou called it “tussis quintana”. For translation see R. H. Major, Classic descriptions of disease, 3rd ed., 1945, p. 210.  The above work includes a description of the epidemic of diphtheria in Paris, 1576. Later de Baillou advocated tracheotomy, although there is no evidence that he performed that operation.