A treatise on the diseases of the chest and on mediate auscultation / by R.T.H Laennec ... ; translated from the latest French edition, with notes and a sketch of the author's life, by John Forbes ... ; with plates ; from the third revised London edition, with additional notes.

  • Laennec, R. T. H. (René Théophile Hyacinthe), 1781-1826.
Date:
1830
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the diseases of the chest and on mediate auscultation / by R.T.H Laennec ... ; translated from the latest French edition, with notes and a sketch of the author's life, by John Forbes ... ; with plates ; from the third revised London edition, with additional notes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    17/786
    LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. Rene Theophii.e Hyacinthe Laennec was bom at Quimper., in Lower Brittany, on the 17th February, 1781.* His father was an advocate in the provincial courts, and held some appointments under government, in his native county. He appears to have been a man of some talent, and is said to have possessed, along with the art of the poet, not a little of the instability and thoughtlessness often associated with that character. Fortunately his son was the heir of the more solid parts of his genius ; without his wit, but without his volatility. At an early age he was committed to the charge of his uncle, his father's brother, ,a respectable ecclesiastic, at that time in charge of the parish of Elian, in the vicinity of Quimper. But the valuable superintendence of this gentleman was in a short time lost to young Laennec, first by the promotion of his uncle to an higher office in the church, and afterwards by his exile in the general pro- scription of the clergy, on the breaking out of the French Revolution. He was then transferred to the care of another uncles Dr. Laennec of Nantes ; a circumstance which, no doubt, gave the colour to his subsequent life, and was the remote cause of all his future greatness. Dr. Laennec was a man of the highest respectability both as to talent and conduct, and directed the studies of his nephew with the interest and affection of a parent. The young scholar did credit to his friends and teachers ; having obtained considerable ^distinction among his fellows at the chief school of the department of the Lower Loire, whither he had been sent by his uncle. Having completed his pre- paratory studies at this seminary, his thoughts naturally turned towards physic as a profession. He willingly engaged himself as the pupil of his uncle, and entered upon the study of his future pro- fession with the zeal inherent in his character, and with success indi- cative of his subsequent eminence. Besides the instructions derived from his uncle, who was at that time senior physician of the hospital, and afterwards Professor of Medicine and Materia Medica at Nantes, * All the principal statements contained in this Sketch are derived from two short Memoirs of the Author's Life, published by MM. Kergaradec and Bayle, and from a MS chiefly in the form of Notes on these, which I had the honour of re- eeivin from Dr. Meriadec Laennec, the cousin and friend of the subject of the present notice.