24 
abundant in calculation than that of the 
celebrated proieffor of Naples. , 
His fuccefs in a branch of phyfiology 
fo much cultivated at that time, attracied 
the attention of one of his fuperiors, a 
zealous partifan of the doétrine of the 
mechanicians, who wifhed to attach him 
to his perfon ; but his defire of fame re- 
quired a more extenfive theatre, and his 
love of fiudy made him folicitous of better 
means of inftruétion. Paris preferted 
both thefe advantages, and he accordingly 
repaired thither in 1764, at the age of 
nineteen, in fearchof them. | f 
Surgery, at that period, flourifhed in 
the capital, under the aufpices of a La- 
FAYE, a Moxanpb, an ANDOUILLET, 
and aLowuis. ‘The fight of fuch great 
mafters excited the genius of thole who 
afpired to emulate them: young Des- 
AULT deemed himlelf worthy of equal- 
ling men. whom other ftudents were con- 
tent with only admiring. Animated by 
this fentiment, he entirely refigned him- 
felr to his ardour; anatomy became the 
fpecial objeét of his labours, and his dif- 
feétions were not confined to the human 
body, for he inveftigated, by means of 
his knife, a prodigious number of animals 
of all kinds. at firft. from a difficulty of 
procuring human fubjeéts, and afterwards 
on account of the advantages which -he 
experienced from this general method, 
In order to become intimately acquainted 
with our own organization, it is neceflary 
to compare it with whatever has arefem- 
blance to it in other bodies. 
He accordingly fpent the greater part 
of the day in the amphitheatrés.. The 
hours ftolen from his favourite labours 
were employed in attending the hof- 
. Pitals ; he was the firft at the bed of the 
patient where an operation was to be per- 
formed, and was fure to be prefent at 
the dreifings, on purpofe to examine the 
refulr. The infirmities of mankind, 
fterile in refpect to the vulgar, ferved 
_ him as the beft treatife for curing them ; 
and the great furgeons of all nations have 
formed their mode of praétice by con- 
tempiating the fame book. 
But he reckoned too much on a robuft’ 
and vigorous temperamenr, for, after two 
years’ clofe and affiduous application, he 
fellinto a cacheétical habit of body, which 
had nearly proved mortal, and which 
confined him, for almoft twelve months, 
to his bed ; but, at length, owing partly 
to the vigour of his youth, and partly to 
the attention of his young friend Chopart, 
his infeparable companion in his opera- 
tions, who attended -him alfo during his 
Original Anecdotes— Default. 
‘purcoafe ceriain franchifes. 
-fAugs 
laft illnefs, and only furvived him a 
few days, he was fo fortunate as tu re 
‘€over. 
Reftored to life, he forgot that an ex- 
cefs of attention had condué&ted him to 
the very gates of death ; a new career 
opened to his view, and required new 
efforts on his part. In the winter of 
1766, he commeneed a courle of anatomy, 
and foon reckoned 300 pupils, moft of 
them oider than himtelt, who were at- 
tracted by the clearnefs of his demon- 
ftrations, the methodical arrangement of 
his deferiptions, and, above all, by his 
indefatizable zeal in the {cience of in- 
HnUchon..2) ote 
His fuccefs infpired the privileged pro-* 
feffors, whole {chools became deferred, 
with jealoufy and revenge; they em- 
ployed the authority of the corporatioxz 
againft him, and would have nipped his 
efforts in the bud had it not been forthe 
proteéiion of Louris and LAMARTI- 
NIERE, who were zealous of protecting 2 
youth of talents, whofe fole reproach 
was, that he had not wealth enough to 
After all, 
had it not been for the permiffion he ob- 
tained of borrowing the name or a cele- 
brated phyfician, he muft have aétually 
defifted from his leétures. 
DeEsAULT’s reputation now began 
to be buzzed about, and a multitude of 
patients claimed his affiftance, but he 
conftantly refufed to praétife until he 
fhould be placed at the head of fome 
great eftablifhment. 
At length, at the repeated folicitations 
of his friends, he prefented himfelf as a 
candidate to the corporation of furgeons, 
and they, much to their honour, admitted . 
him in 1776, cn condition of paying the 
ufual fees when convenient. The fol- 
lowing is the title of his thefis : 
“< De calculo vefica winarie@, eoque éx- 
trabendo, previa fectione, ope infrumentt 
Haukenfiant emendati.” 
His public leftures were accompanied 
with as much celebrity as his private 
ones. Brilliant difcoveries were not the 
objeét of his anatomical Jabours, which 
were always connected with the art of 
healing: he was, however, tke firft man 
in France who taught furgical anatomy. 
After becoming firft a fimple member, 
and then a counfellor, of the perpetual 
commitree of the Academy of Surgery, he 
was appointed chief furgeon to the hof- 
pital of the college, end confulting fur- 
geon to that of St. Sulpice: neither of | 
thefe added any thing to his fortune, but 
they gave him a clear infight into prace 
q tice, 
