, a very celebrated French physiciaiTj was born in 1684, at Sauve
, a very celebrated French physiciaiTj
was born in 1684, at Sauve in the diocese of Alais. His
father, who was a Protestant clergyman, bestowed great
pains upon his early education, after which he was sent to
the university of Montpelier, where he was created M. A,
in 1700. He then began the study of medicine; and in
two years obtained the degree of bachelor^ having upon
that occasion written a dissertation on the cause of fermentation, which he defended in a very able manner. On
Jan. 25, 1703, he was created doctor of physic, after which,
before arriving at extensive practice, he applied to the
study of medical authors, both ancient and modern, with
uncommon assiduity. The good effects of this study soon
appeared; for in 1710 he published a treatise concerning
muscular motion, from which he acquired very high reputation. In 1717 he was appointed to teach medicine at Montpelier, which he did with such perspicuity and eloquence
that his fame soon rose to a very great height; the king
assigned him an annual salary, and he was at the same time
appointed to superintend the mineral waters in the province
of Languedoc. But as Montpelier did not afford sufficient
scope for one of his celebrity, he went to Paris with a great
numher of manuscripts, which he designed for the press.
Soon afterwards, however, he left it, having in 1729 accepted the office of first physician to the king of Poland,
which was then offered to him; but here his stay was very
short, as he disliked the ceremonious restraint of a court.
He again therefore returned to Paris, and upon the death
of the celebrated Geoffroy, in 1731, he was appointed regins professor. The duties of this office he discharged in
such a manner as toanswer the most sanguine expectations; and he drew, from the other universities to that of
Paris, a great concourse of medical students, foreigners as
well as natives. At the same time he was not more celebrated as a professor than as a practitioner, and his private
character was in all respects truly amiable. He reached a
very advanced age, and died May 5, 1766. Of his works,
which are very numerous, the following are the principal
1. “Origine de la Peste,
” De ia Contagion cle la Peste,
” De Motu Musculari,
”
Memoires pour servir a l'Histoire naturelle cle Languedoc,
” De Morbis Veuereis, libri’sex,
” Traitedes maladies desFemmes,
” L'Art crAccoucher reduit a ses principles,
”
Theses de Phantasia,
” &c. 9. “De
motus Fermentativi causa,
” Memo ire
sur la Digestion,
” Tractatus Pathologicus,
” Trait des Tumeurs,
” 2 vols. 12mo; and one or two
treatises not connected with medicine, one with the singular title of “Conjectures sur les Memoires originaux qui
ont servi a Moise pour ecrire la Genese,
” Paris,