Visit to the gastroenterology INSERM units of France.

On personal invitation, which is here gratefully acknowledged, of Professor C. Burg, the general director of the Institut National de la Santé et de la Récherche Médicale (INSERM), I had the privilege and pleasure to spend the month of October 1976 in France touring Gastroenterology INSERM Units. The INSERM is the French analog of the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the United States. The purpose of my visit was to see the organization and performance of these research units, compare them with what I know about the gastroenterology research laboratories in the United States, and exchange scientific information with the French researchers on the topics of mutual interest. Professor Serge Bonfils was chosen with his kind approval as the host of my visit. His INSERM Unit (number 10) at the Hospital Bichat in Paris, was elected as the "Host Unit" where my visit started and ended, and where the visits to the other units were organized. I owe him sincere gratitude for his guidance and help. After completing my tour, I was left with the feeling that what I had seen would be of interest to American gastroenterologists. Dr. John Farrar, the editor of this journal, encouraged me to review my tour and my impressions.