90 JBiographical Account of fAuG. 



was sufficient to satisfy him of the nature of the disease. 

 A few days before his death, a man was brought to him with 

 a dislocation of the elbow joint; he did not touch the 

 patient, but declared that displacement of the articulation 

 existed. A distinguished surgeon denied that it was a dis- 

 location. M. Sanson, however, examined it, and reduced 

 it. But Dupuytren did not always give his opinion so 

 readily, which shews that what some considered instinct, 

 was in him the result of a series of reasonings. 



When he examined a dislocation of old standing, and 

 of which the diagnosis was difficult, he did not prolong 

 his examination beyond the usual time, but he spoke of 

 the circumstance, neither in the wards nor in the theatre. 

 Next day the patient was examined, and if the disease 

 was not recognized, silence was preserved. But on the day 

 when Dupuytren could touch the luxation with his finger, 

 an excellent clinical lecture was delivered. He spoke 

 then of the patient as if he had seen him for the first time, 

 and in the most positive manner, established the diagnosis, 

 the treatment, and the prognosis of the disease. Dupuytren 

 seldom expressed his doubts to his audience. If he doubted,' 

 it might be assumed that he was giving utterance to a cer- 

 tainty. When he explained his diagnosis he never followed 

 out the steps of his reasoning, which gave him a degree of 

 superiority, but did not satisfy. Vidal remarks, that it 

 would have been preferable if the professor had communi- 

 cated his doubts, and thus have exhibited a view of the 

 intellectual process by which he arrived at his conclusion. 

 But perhaps he did not consider it political to initiate 

 others into his thoughts. * 



To those who reproached him for speaking sparingly of 

 his mistakes in practice, it hag been answered that he com- 

 mitted few. He perhaps supposed that some of his friends 

 would undertake this trouble for him ; but such an exposure 

 comes best from one's own mouth. M. Roux and M. 

 Marjolin are always in the habit of stating their unsuccess- 

 ful cases, and have consequently established for themselves 



♦ This observation is not considered just by Mr. King. For, it was, in fact, 

 by teaching so well how to form a correct diagnosis that he attracted so large an 

 audience ; and be spared no pains to exj)lain this difficult art, in a manner, which, 

 while it instructed the experienced practitioner, had so much method, clearness 

 and simplicity that it could be easily followed by the student. 



