1813.] de Foiifcroy. S23 



This great anatomist was an acquaintance of M. de Fourcroy^ 

 the father. Struck with the appearance of his son, and the 

 courage with which he struggled with his bad fortune, he con- 

 ceived an affection for him, and promised to direct his studies;, 

 and even to assist him during their progress. The study of 

 medicine to a man in his situation was by no means an easy task„ 

 He was obliged to lodge in a garret, so low in the roof t!mt he 

 could only stand upright in the centre of the room. Beside him 

 lodged a water-carrier, with a family of 12 children. Fourcroy 

 acted as physician to this numerous family ; and in recompense 

 was always supplied with abundance of water. He contrived to 

 support himself by giving lessons to other students, by facilitating 

 the researches of richer writers, and by some translations which 

 he sold to a bookseller. For these he was only lialf paid; but 

 the conscientious bookseller offered, 30 years afterwards, to 

 make up the deficiency, when his creditor was become Director 

 General of Public Instruction. 



Fourcroy studied with so mucj) zeal and ardour that he soon 

 became well acquainted with the subject of medicine. But this 

 was not sufficient. It was necessary to get a Doctor's degree ; 

 and all the expenses, at that time, amounted to 250/. sterlings 

 An old physician, Dr. Diest, had left funds to the faculty to 

 give a gratuitous degree and license, one every two years, to 

 the poor student who should best deserve them. Fourcroy was 

 the most conspicuous student at that time in Paris. He would 

 therefore have reaped the benefit of this benevolent institutioOg 

 had it not been for the unlucky situation in which he was placed^ 

 There happened to exist a quarrel between the faculty charged 

 with the education of medical men and the granting of degrees, 

 and a society recently established by Government for the im- 

 provement of the medical art. This dispute had been carried to 

 a great length, and had attracted the attention of all the frivolous 

 and idle inhabitants of Paris. Viq. d'Azyr was secretary to the 

 society, and of course one of its most active champions, and 

 was in consequence particularly obnoxious to the faculty of 

 medicine at Paris. Fourcroy was unluckily the acknowledged 

 protegee of this eminent anatomist. This was sufficient to induce 

 the faculty of medicine to refuse him a gratuitous degree. He 

 would have been excluded in consequence from entering upon 

 the career of a practitioner, had not the society,, enraged at this 

 treatmentj and influenced by a violent party spirit, formed a 

 subscription, and contributed the necessary expenses. 



It was no longer possible to refuse M. de Fourcroy the degree 

 of Doctor, when he was thus enabled to pay for it. But above 

 the simple degree of Doctor, there was a higher one, entitied^ 

 Dodeur Regent^ which depended entirely upon the votes of the 

 faculty^ It was unanimously refused to M» de Fourcroy, This^ 



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