he studied physiology with henri-étienne beaunis at the medical school in nancy, and afterwards worked as an assistant to étienne-jules marey (1830–1904) in paris. later on, he received the title of "professeur agrégé", and in 1908 became a professor at the collège de france. he was a member of the "académie de médecine" and secretary general of the "société de biologie". he was a colleague to charles richet (1850–1935), and with richet, published the "journal de physiologie et de pathologie générale". with belgian pharmacologist jean-françois heymans, he founded the journal "archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de thérapie" (1895).