Antoine Ferrein (October 25, 1693 – February 28, 1769) was a French anatomist who was a native of Frespech, which today is a commune in the arrondissement of Villeneuve-sur-Lot.
He postulated that the ligaments of the larynx were analogous to the cords on a violin.
He also made the correlation between the size of the glottis and the loudness of a person's voice.
There are several anatomical eponyms attributed to Antoine Ferrein, including:
"Ferrein's canal": (rivus lacrimalis); A space between the eyelids when closed and the eyeball through which tears flow to the lacrimal punctum.
"Ferrein's foramen": Hiatus of facial canal that makes passage for the greater petrosal nerve.
"Ferrein's ligament": The thickened external portion of the capsule of the temporomandibular joint.
"Ferrein's pyramid": Also known as the medullary ray, which is the center of the renal lobule, and is shaped like a small pyramid.
"Ferrein's vasa aberrantia": Aberrant biliary canaliculi that have no connectivity with hepatic lobules.