Science and army: medicine
Since the late 19th century, military medicine has been one of the fields in which the most remarkable progress has been made.
To start with, let me introduce you to the First Empire’s most famous physician, Dominique-Jean Larrey (1766-1842), inventor of the concept of forward surgery, triage of the wounded and flying ambulances.
“Flying” is a bit of a hyperbole, so don’t go imagining an ambulance with wings… they were actually two-or four-wheel horse-drawn carts in which wounded soldiers were laid, driven by a nurse. A real revolution in its day!
Larrey’s concept gained ground: here, in 1862, two beds attached to a mule enabled the wounded to be evacuated on land inaccessible to vehicles. It may not have been particularly comfortable, but such transport enabled physicians to get as close as possible to the battlefield and operate without delay.
Hâvresac d'ambulance et trousse de chirurgie, de l'album "Alexis Godillot, fourniture pour les armées" (1862) by Alfred Saint-Ange Briquet (Photographer) and Alexis Godillot (Editor)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
As for forward surgeons, they operated on horseback on the battlefield itself, provided with first-aid saddlebags. Here’s a surgeon’s equipment dating back to the second half of the 19th century: compresses, scalpels and scissors of all shapes and sizes, along with an amputation saw.
Don’t forget that antibiotics weren’t discovered until 1928, so amputation was the only way of preventing infection.
One of the oldest prostheses discovered dates back to Ancient Egypt in 600 BC: a big toe carved out of wood and attached to the foot with stitched leather. The first prostheses were purely functional and somewhat rudimentary: hooks or simple peg-legs acting as new limbs. It was Ambroise Paré (1510-1590), King Henry II’s surgeon, who revolutionised prostheses by seeking to reproduce natural movements. His articulated prostheses were used up until the early 20th century.
Prothèse d'avant-bras et de main droite articulée Vue de l'aversMusée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
The Musée de l’Armée’s collections contain various prostheses, including this artificial right hand dating from the early 19th century. Attached to a forearm prosthesis, it’s provided with a mechanism enabling its thumb and fingers to move.
Prothèse articulée du général Daumesnil (1805)Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel des Invalides
This artificial leg belonged to General Daumesnil (1777-1832), whose left leg was amputated at the Battle of Wagram in 1809. The peg-leg has been improved by addition of a pendulum movement at hip level.
The General was Château de Vincennes’ governor and is said to have shouted to his enemies during the Battle of Paris in 1814: “I’ll give you Vincennes when you’ve given me back my leg!” At least he hadn’t lost his sense of humour too…
The seriousness of the wounds inflicted over the course of the First World War resulted in almost 300,000 amputees and disabled veterans. With a view to their professional reintegration, some of the war-disabled were provided with revolutionary prostheses, specifically adapted to their trades.
Treatment of veterans’ wounds led to major progress being made in the field of reconstructive surgery. Numerous repair procedures were tested out: all sorts of devices, skin, bone and scalp grafts, as well as masks and prostheses when operations proved impossible. Paul Delcourt of the 3rd Engineer Regiment was the victim of a facial mutilation, suffering a maxillary fracture. This photograph taken on 16 June 1915 shows Paul Delcourt after surgery.
When you’re wounded, the first few minutes count if you’re to survive. All today’s soldiers are trained in combat rescue and have their own kits. This one contains a tourniquet, bandages, medicines and water purification tablets.
A story written and edited by the teams of the Army Museum.
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