French physician and physicist who performed the first known tracheotomy to help treat serious respiratory problems. This procedure, which consists of making an external opening into the trachea, is frequently used today to create an airway for a person who otherwise cannot breathe, usually due to some obstruction. In Martine's case, the procedure was used to help diphtheria victims breathe. Martine also performed research in physics, showing that the heat contained by an object is not proportional to its volume.