Séverin Lachapelle
Encyclopedia
Séverin Lachapelle was a physician, educator and political figure in Quebec
. He represented Hochelaga
in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1892 to 1896 as a Conservative
member.
He was born Pierre-Alphonse-Séverin in Saint-Rémi
, Canada East
, the son of Léon Lachapelle and Rébecca Lanctôt, and was educated at the Petit Séminaire de Montréal. Lachapelle served as a papal zouave from 1868 to 1870. He then studied at the Montreal School of Medicine and Surgery and set up practice in Saint-Constant
, later moving to Saint-Henri. Lachapelle married Elise Demers in 1874. He was mayor for Saint-Henri from 1886 to 1887.
He contributed to the monthly L’Union médicale du Canada, also serving on its editorial board, and wrote a science column for the Revue canadienne; he also was the first editor for the Journal d’hygiène populaire and the magazine La Mère et l’enfant. He became one of the first professors at the Montreal
campus of the Université Laval
and served on the medical board for the Notre-Dame Hospital. In 1888, he published Manuel d’hygiène à l’usage des écoles et des familles ..., an instructive guide on hygiene which was also translated into English in 1891. In 1889, he was named superintendent for the Crèche de la Miséricorde, a child care facility. He contributed to Le médecin de la famille, encyclopédie de médecine et d’hygiène publique et privée contenant la description de toutes les maladies connues ..., published in 1893. In 1907, he helped found the Hôpital Sainte-Justine
. He helped establish the Gouttes de Lait program at Montreal with the aim of reducing infant mortality.
Lachapelle was first elected to the House of Commons in an 1892 by-election held after Alphonse Desjardins
was named to the Canadian senate. He was defeated by Joseph Alexandre Camille Madore
when he ran for reelection in 1896 and 1900. He died in Montreal at the age of 62 and was buried in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
.
In 1880, Lachapelle said "There is one particularly unsettling belief that is particularly widespread and deeply rooted in our families because it is shared by medical practitioners, and that is that there is no point in treating children's diseases." He was part of a movement which addressed that misperception.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He represented Hochelaga
Hochelaga (electoral district)
Hochelaga is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988 and since 2004...
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 1892 to 1896 as a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
member.
He was born Pierre-Alphonse-Séverin in Saint-Rémi
Saint-Rémi, Quebec
Saint-Remi is a city in the municipality of Les Jardins-de-Napierville in Quebec, Canada, situated in the Montérégie administrative region. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was around 7000.-Population:Population trend -Population:...
, Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
, the son of Léon Lachapelle and Rébecca Lanctôt, and was educated at the Petit Séminaire de Montréal. Lachapelle served as a papal zouave from 1868 to 1870. He then studied at the Montreal School of Medicine and Surgery and set up practice in Saint-Constant
Saint-Constant, Quebec
Saint-Constant is an off-island suburb of Montreal in the Roussillon Regional County Municipality of southwestern Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 23,957.-Population:Population trend-Language:...
, later moving to Saint-Henri. Lachapelle married Elise Demers in 1874. He was mayor for Saint-Henri from 1886 to 1887.
He contributed to the monthly L’Union médicale du Canada, also serving on its editorial board, and wrote a science column for the Revue canadienne; he also was the first editor for the Journal d’hygiène populaire and the magazine La Mère et l’enfant. He became one of the first professors at the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
campus of the Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
and served on the medical board for the Notre-Dame Hospital. In 1888, he published Manuel d’hygiène à l’usage des écoles et des familles ..., an instructive guide on hygiene which was also translated into English in 1891. In 1889, he was named superintendent for the Crèche de la Miséricorde, a child care facility. He contributed to Le médecin de la famille, encyclopédie de médecine et d’hygiène publique et privée contenant la description de toutes les maladies connues ..., published in 1893. In 1907, he helped found the Hôpital Sainte-Justine
Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine
The Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine is a pediatric university health centre affiliated with the Université de Montréal, located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
. He helped establish the Gouttes de Lait program at Montreal with the aim of reducing infant mortality.
Lachapelle was first elected to the House of Commons in an 1892 by-election held after Alphonse Desjardins
Alphonse Desjardins (politician)
Alphonse Desjardins, PC, KPO was born in Terrebonne, Quebec and was mayor of Montreal from 1893 to 1894 and later a Canadian cabinet minister. He married Virginie Paré in 1864 and remarried Hortense Barsalou in 1880....
was named to the Canadian senate. He was defeated by Joseph Alexandre Camille Madore
Joseph Alexandre Camille Madore
Joseph Alexandre Camille Madore was a Canadian politician.Born in Blue Bonnet's, Canada East, Madore was educated at the Montreal College, St. Mary's College and at McGill University, where he graduated a...
when he ran for reelection in 1896 and 1900. He died in Montreal at the age of 62 and was buried in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
Founded in 1854, Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is a 343-acre cemetery located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The entrance and the grounds run along a part of chemin Côte-des-Neiges and up the slopes of Mount Royal...
.
In 1880, Lachapelle said "There is one particularly unsettling belief that is particularly widespread and deeply rooted in our families because it is shared by medical practitioners, and that is that there is no point in treating children's diseases." He was part of a movement which addressed that misperception.