Pierre-Joseph Desault
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Joseph Desault was a French
anatomist and surgeon
.
He was destined for a career in the Church, but his own inclination was towards the study of medicine; after learning something from the barber-surgeon of his native village, he was settled as an apprentice in the military hospital of Belfort
, where he acquired some knowledge of anatomy and military surgery. Going to Paris at about twenty years of age, he later opened a school of anatomy there in the winter of 1766, the success of which excited the jealousy of the established teachers and professors, who tried to make him give up his lectures. In 1776 he was admitted as a member of the Corps of Surgeons; and in 1782 he was appointed Surgeon Major to the Hospital of Charity.
Within a few years he was recognized as one of the leading surgeons of France. The clinical school of surgery which he instituted at the Hôtel-Dieu
attracted great numbers of students, not only from every part of France but also from other countries; and he frequently had an audience of about 100. He introduced many improvements to the practice of surgery, as well as to the construction of surgical instruments. In 1791 he established a Journal de chirurgerie, edited by his pupils, which was a record of the most interesting cases that had occurred in his clinical school, with the remarks which he had made upon them in the course of his lectures.
In the midst of his labors, however, he became obnoxious to some of the Revolutionary authorities, and he was, on some frivolous charge, denounced to the government. After being twice examined, he was seized on 28 May 1793, in the midst of delivering a lecture, carried away from his surgical theatre, and committed to prison in the Luxembourg
. In three days, however, he was liberated, and permitted to resume his functions. On 31 May 1795 he was summoned to attended to the young King Louis XVII by the royal's prisonguards, due to his severe illness. Desault died the next day, before he could visit the King. The rumor that his death was caused by poisoning--due to this summons--was disproved by the autopsy carried out by his pupil, Marie François Xavier Bichat
. A pension was settled on his widow by the Republic.
(1743-1795), he published Traité des maladies chirurgicales (1779), and Bichat published a digest of his surgical doctrines in OEuvres chirurgicales de Desault (1798-1799).
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
anatomist and surgeon
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
.
He was destined for a career in the Church, but his own inclination was towards the study of medicine; after learning something from the barber-surgeon of his native village, he was settled as an apprentice in the military hospital of Belfort
Belfort
Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
, where he acquired some knowledge of anatomy and military surgery. Going to Paris at about twenty years of age, he later opened a school of anatomy there in the winter of 1766, the success of which excited the jealousy of the established teachers and professors, who tried to make him give up his lectures. In 1776 he was admitted as a member of the Corps of Surgeons; and in 1782 he was appointed Surgeon Major to the Hospital of Charity.
Within a few years he was recognized as one of the leading surgeons of France. The clinical school of surgery which he instituted at the Hôtel-Dieu
Hôtel-Dieu de Paris
The Hôtel-Dieu de Paris is regarded as the oldest hospital in the city of Paris, France, and is the most central of the Assistance publique - hôpitaux de Paris hospitals. The hospital is linked to the Faculté de Médecine Paris-Descartes...
attracted great numbers of students, not only from every part of France but also from other countries; and he frequently had an audience of about 100. He introduced many improvements to the practice of surgery, as well as to the construction of surgical instruments. In 1791 he established a Journal de chirurgerie, edited by his pupils, which was a record of the most interesting cases that had occurred in his clinical school, with the remarks which he had made upon them in the course of his lectures.
In the midst of his labors, however, he became obnoxious to some of the Revolutionary authorities, and he was, on some frivolous charge, denounced to the government. After being twice examined, he was seized on 28 May 1793, in the midst of delivering a lecture, carried away from his surgical theatre, and committed to prison in the Luxembourg
Luxembourg Palace
The Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, north of the Luxembourg Garden , is the seat of the French Senate.The formal Luxembourg Garden presents a 25-hectare green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and provided with large basins of water where children sail model...
. In three days, however, he was liberated, and permitted to resume his functions. On 31 May 1795 he was summoned to attended to the young King Louis XVII by the royal's prisonguards, due to his severe illness. Desault died the next day, before he could visit the King. The rumor that his death was caused by poisoning--due to this summons--was disproved by the autopsy carried out by his pupil, Marie François Xavier Bichat
Marie François Xavier Bichat
Marie François Xavier Bichat , French anatomist and physiologist, was born at Thoirette .Bichat is best remembered as the father of modern histology and pathology. Despite the fact that he worked without a microscope he was able to advance greatly the understanding of the human body...
. A pension was settled on his widow by the Republic.
Works
Together with François ChopartFrançois Chopart
François Chopart was a French surgeon born in Paris.He was trained in medicine at the Hôtel-Dieu, Pitié and the Bicêtre hospitals...
(1743-1795), he published Traité des maladies chirurgicales (1779), and Bichat published a digest of his surgical doctrines in OEuvres chirurgicales de Desault (1798-1799).