2008/10/01 by Mary Mendenhall Wood · 6 citations
Arts and Humanities · Medicine · #Ancient history #Art history #Classics #Historical and Scientific Studies #History #History of Medicine Studies #Medical History and Innovations #Medicine #Memoir #Surgery
paper · pdf · doi:10.3138/cbmh.25.2.515
published in Canadian Journal of Health History 25(2), 515-535 (University of Toronto Press)
openalex publication_date 2008/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Dr. Dominique-Jean Larrey wrote memoirs of 12 diseases he encountered while serving as chief surgeon of the French army during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. He describes symptoms and treatments, evaluates remedies used by the Egyptians, and the effects of the climate. Of interest are his original though misguided explanations of causes of sickness or complications from wounds as well as descriptions of medications--now known to be dangerous--but all balanced by his common sense and efforts to ameliorate suffering.