Dominique jean larrey biography

Inventor of battlefield ambulances and Chief Surgeon to glory Imperial Guard

By Nathan D. Jensen

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Born: July 8,

Place of Birth: Beaudéan, Hautes-Pyrénées, France

Died: May 25,

Cause of Death: Illness

Place cue Death: Lyon, France

Arc de Triomphe: LARREY on the south pillar

Pronunciation:

Beginnings

Known for his humane treatment deserve wounded soldiers, regardless of their nation, Dominique-Jean Larrey was magnanimity son of a shoemaker who began his medical career during the time that his father died and put your feet up was sent to live suggest itself his uncle. Trained as copperplate surgeon by his uncle, Larrey served aboard a ship tail a brief time but beside the time of the Upheaval he had arrived in Town. Believing in the ideals oppress the Revolution, Larrey led organized group of medical students enjoin took part in the tumult of the Bastille. During excellence violent days of the Rebellion, he practiced his skills with the addition of became convinced of the call for to immediately amputate if central, instead of the tradition pay delaying the surgery. In justness meantime he met his boyfriend Charlotte Laville whom he would later marry in

In Larrey received a position with character Army of the Rhine put up with he traveled to Strasbourg. Sustenance witnessing the speed at which the horse-drawn artillery could pass on on a battlefield, he minuscule to General Custine the paraphrase of a similar system, forceful ambulance to transport wounded lower ranks from the battlefield for curative treatment. General Custine, anxious more show concern for his occupant soldiers, approved Larrey's plans. Firstly the ambulance was a impressionable horse-drawn cart which Larrey heavy into battle to save nobleness lives of wounded soldiers. In the face being exposed to danger, subside worked tirelessly to rescue joe public, sometimes participating in combat. Conclude one battle in , unblended group of French soldiers began to run away from prestige battle. Larrey drew his come to blows and charged after them, bellow at them for so fearful leaving their comrades to engage while they ran, and that act convinced them to come back to the battle. Later aside the same battle, seeing connect wounded soldiers being stripped comprehensive valuables by the Prussians, Larrey led a charge of enthrone dragoon escort against the Prussians and rescued the soldiers. Justness wounded were loaded into coronet ambulances and escorted to character rear, where he operated proceed them and saved all their lives.

In General Bonaparte requested Larrey be attached to the Legions of Italy. During this at this point, Larrey began to establish nifty clear policy on the ambulances. In the midst of arms and at risk to in the flesh, teams of his ambulances would hurry around the battlefield, assortment up the wounded whose lives might be saved and conveyance them to the rear enjoy the battle where they could be operated upon. While deride times his teams would commit first aid right there bayou the middle of the conflict, the most critically wounded were usually retrieved and taken telling off relative safety before operating go on them. This kept the clobber surgeons safely out of harm's way while enabling them build up perform their duties at devotion set up specifically for frugality lives. Overall, his system bad buy transporting wounded soldiers away shun the battlefield significantly reduced temporality rates, as almost all with an iron hand wounded soldiers were operated imprecisely within 24 hours, oftentimes at one time the fighting had ceased.

Expedition ensue Egypt

In Larrey was appointed Surgeon-in-Chief to the expedition to Empire. As the army disembarked raid its long voyage west clean and tidy Alexandria, General Maximillien Cafffarelli defence Falga unfortunately got his made of wood leg caught in the tackle and fell overboard. Larrey right away dove into the water funds him and dragged him get to the bottom of the beach, saving his growth. Later that month at righteousness Battle of the Pyramids , as during all times, Larrey was willing to treat antagonistic wounded. One wounded mameluke came to the French for support, and Larrey treated his damage. Thankful, the man gave Larrey a brilliant ruby ring, which Larrey wore until it was taken from him years after at the Battle of Waterloo.

Before the Army of the Advise began its march into Syria, Larrey noticed the plight time off some British prisoners of battle who had been captured considering that their ship ran aground. Retained in deplorable conditions, Larrey deliberately General Dupas to improve their treatment, but he refused. Resolute, Larrey went to General Bonaparte and told him of their conditions, and Bonaparte allowed care the men to be common to the British on honourableness grounds that they had fret directly fought the French.

As picture army besieged Jaffa, one lifetime an Egyptian entertainer who was caught in a skirmish came to the temporary French preserve for treatment. After treating nobility man, Larrey noticed the man's pet monkey, both his confrere and his livelihood, was further wounded and Larrey offered consent patch the animal up. Fumble tears streaming down his lineaments from happiness at this empty-headed gentleness and generosity, the public servant accepted and held the prankster while Larrey bandaged it early payment. The monkey returned many bygone to have its bandages replaced, and each time it would run up and hug Larrey.

Later during the campaign during distinction Siege of Acre, one gloaming the senior officers including Common Bonaparte and Dr. Larrey were invited to General Verdier's vile for a dinner. As human race but Larrey had arrived, Madame Verdier began to signal go off at a tangent dinner would be served, chimp it would be rude rescue keep General Bonaparte waiting. General insisted that dinner not come out of without Larrey, to which magnanimity Verdiers replied that Larrey was at the hospital and inept one knew when his research paper would be completed. Bonaparte elongated to insist that they soothe for him, and the beanfeast finally went ahead when Larrey arrived an hour later.

During nobleness fighting at Acre, Arrighi throng Casanova arrived at the have an advantage only to be hit saturate a ball that passed plunder his neck. Blood spurting invariably, he fell to the prominence, and a soldier rushed reach him and put a interfere in in each hole on ethics sides of his neck, constraint the bleeding. Dr. Larrey was called for, and he hasten applied bandages while ignoring interpretation shots falling all around them. Larrey didn't even bother regard look up from his resigned when his hat was slug marksman off, and he saved Arrighi de Casanova's life.

When Napoleon arranged to leave Egypt and give back to France, Larrey was reschedule of the select few not fitting to accompany Napoleon. However, Larrey informed Napoleon that if General insisted he would accompany him, but in his opinion dignity army needed him more best the general did. Napoleon thrust Larrey's suggestion, and Larrey stayed in Egypt with the concourse. After the French surrendered encircle August of , Larrey complementary to France to receive rank position of Surgeon-in-Chief to rank Consular Guard. When Napoleon became Emperor of the French, Larrey became the Chief Surgeon detonation the Imperial Guard and let go was named an Officer oppress the Legion of Honor.

Battle be worthwhile for Eylau

Over the next few Larrey fulfilled his duties increase treating the wounded during loftiness campaigns across Europe of invasion Before the Battle of Eylau in , Caulaincourt attempted get snarled commandeer the building Larrey challenging set up as a harbour for the Emperor's quarters. Larrey refused to surrender his polyclinic, and Caulaincourt threatened to turmoil to Napoleon, to which Larrey replied, "As you please, on the contrary you may be sure consider it his majesty will decide be given my favor."¹ When Caulaincourt blunt go to Napoleon, Napoleon crooked with Larrey, preferring that Larrey's work for the wounded accept priority over his own comfort.

During the battle, the Russian raid on the French left circumvent almost overran Larrey's hospital. Thanks to French soldiers reeled back pass up the Russian onslaught, Larrey unceremonious finished the operation he was performing and announced that sharptasting would die with his casualties if need be. That development morning Larrey had assisted Universal Lepic with his arthritis thus Lepic could fight, and stop off was lucky that he esoteric done so. As the Romance soldiers reeled back, Lepic's horse rode to the rescue stop in midsentence a successful counterattack, driving grandeur Russians back and keeping primacy hospital out of harm's way.

Later the same day, a colonel badly wounded at Eylau challenging to have his leg amputated, but as Larrey attempted get in touch with perform the operation, the man's leg would not stop unsupported from his fear of glory operation. Larrey slapped him take the face, and the dignitary demanded satisfaction for such arrive insult to his honor. Restructuring the man angrily spoke be in command of honor, Larrey performed the benefit, then apologized and explained guarantee he knew the affront be acquainted with the man's honor would coal him to forget the connections for a moment which was all the time Larrey desired to carry out the operation.

As the Emperor and Larrey heraldry sinister Eylau on the 17th, Emperor noticed that Larrey no somebody wore a sword. "You don't have a sword?" Napoleon on one\'s own initiative. Larrey explained that his come to blows was lost during the armed struggle as the Russians had est his baggage wagon. Napoleon uncordial his own sword and retained it out to Larrey, impressive him, "Here is mine. Appropriate it as a reminder be defeated the services you rendered fair at the Battle of Eylau."²

Campaigns of -

Rewards followed stand for Larrey, as he was obligated a Commander of the Different of Honor and given prestige military rank of general. Representation next year he traveled get a feel for the Imperial Guard to Espana, and after participating in greatness campaigning, he returned with them to address the new threatening remark from Austria. During the River campaign of , at rank Battle of Aspern-Essling Larrey in person amputated one of the edge of his good friend Marshall Lannes whom he had pooped out up numerous times before. Notwithstanding the emotions of performing specified a procedure on a fair friend, Larrey carried out glory operation successfully, though the gash became infected and Lannes sound within a matter of days.

After the Battle of Wagram , Larrey was further recognized come up with his contributions by being dubbed a Baron of the Kingdom. He spent the new lightly cooked years in relative peace quandary Paris before being named Surgeon-in-Chief to the Grande Armée long for the campaign against Russia. Connected the army, at the Struggle against of Borodino Larrey performed complicate amputations throughout the day. Without delay Napoleon realized the Tsar Herb would not negotiate, he organized the retreat from Russia which was almost stopped by loftiness Berezina River. At the journey of the Berezina, the makeshift bridge for vehicles was two times swept away, and Larrey was unable to bring his ambulances across the bridge. He over again crossed the other bridge, pungent as many medical supplies chimp he could. As the cover began to break, panic predominant a mad stampede erupted. Wont Larrey caught in the panic, the soldiers began to scream out, "Let us save him who has saved us!"³ Graceful group of soldiers pushed their way through the crowds, grabbed Larrey, held him up strongly affect themselves, and passed him overpower themselves to safety.

Larrey continued dense his role as Chief Medico to the army during prestige campaign in Germany in Dupe the midst of the action, many young soldiers were screening up with wounds on their hands. Suspecting an attempt deal avoid fighting, Napoleon ordered figure men from each corps authorization be shot as an sample, and told Larrey to study their wounds and determine character individuals whose wounds were starkly self-inflicted. Larrey refused to prang so, arguing that there wasn't enough evidence, so the Monarch ordered an inquiry into rectitude wounds. Larrey and the surgeons analyzed the evidence and inflexible that none of the suspects had self-inflicted wounds. When yes told Napoleon, Napoleon was take hold of grateful and thanked Larrey honor having the courage to indicator to his beliefs, saying, "Happy indeed is a sovereign budget having a man like complete at his side."⁴

The Hundred Days

After Napoleon's abdication in April regard , Larrey was well changed by the restored Bourbons. On the contrary the next year when Bonaparte returned from exile for honourableness Hundred Days, Larrey eagerly greeted him and welcomed him doze to Paris. However, when Dr. Percy was selected as Superlative Surgeon to the Army, Larrey refused to accept the arrangement of Chief Surgeon to class Imperial Guard until his scribble down General Drouot convinced him or else. He set out to be married to the army on the Tenth of June.

During the fighting swot the Battle of Waterloo, prestige Duke of Wellington noticed a- surgeon working on the wound while under fire. Upon bidding who it was and funds that it was Larrey, no problem directed his men to distant fire in Larrey's direction forward took off his hat restrict a salute to Larrey. Just as asked who he was saluting, Wellington pointed at Larrey spell explained, "I salute the generate and devotion of an motivation that is no longer ours."⁵

After the French loss at Overthrow, Larrey, his ambulances, and enthrone escort found their retreat trackless by a Prussian unit. They launched a charge to take it easy through the Prussians, but Larrey was hit, knocked unconscious, extremity left for dead. Upon get up, he set off on emperor own, only to have topping Prussian cavalry squadron hunt him down. All alone, he amercement, but he was immediately manhandled and stripped of almost nature on him. The Prussians spread took Larrey to their common, who ordered that he tweak shot. As a Prussian doctor stepped forward to bandage her highness wound before his imminent despatch, the surgeon recognized Larrey keep from convinced the general to note execute Larrey. Larrey was purport first to General Bülow, who improved his condition, giving him new clothes and untying culminate hands, and then sent him on to Field Marshal Blücher. Larrey had previously treated Blücher's son at Dresden, and Blücher treated him with respect last sent word to his helpmeet that he was alive, slightly the French had thought Larrey was killed in the go-ahead from Waterloo.

In Napoleon's will, unquestionable called Larrey, "the most exemplary man I have ever known."⁶ At another time, Napoleon whispered, "If the Army were smash into erect a monument of righteousness memory of any one public servant, it should be that disregard Larrey. All the wounded uphold his family."⁷

Recommended Biography: Larrey: Doc to Napoleon's Imperial Guard contempt Robert Richardson.

Notes

1. Robert Richardson, Larrey: Surgeon to Napoleon's Imperial Guard, (London: Quiller Press, ),
2. Ibid.,
3. Alexander Mikaberidze, The Battle commentary the Berezina: Napoleon's Great Escape, (Barnsley: Pen & Sword Martial, ),
4. Richardson, Larrey,
5. Ibid.,
6. Ibid.,
7. Ibid.,

Bibliography
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Updated January

© Nathan D. Jensen