Autograph testimonial, signed as part of a folio document recommending a soldier

Larrey, Dominique Jean

Published by Paris, 1811

About this Item

Larrey, Dominique Jean (1766-1842). Autograph note signed, written in the margin of a manuscript petition signed by Jacques Rajade and addressed to M. Bergon, Conseiller d'État, Directeur-général des Forêts. August 28, 1811. 1 page, plus integral blank. 325 x 197 mm. Light toning, creased where previously folded, upper edge frayed, one corner chipped, small pinhole not affecting text. Larrey's note was written to strengthen the petition of Jacques Rajade, who had served as a dragoon in Napoleon's army during the Egyptian campaign; having been mustered out of the army, Rajade was asking the French government for a position as a forester. The note reads: Je soussigné en Chirurgien et Chef de l'Armée d'Egypte, l'un des [.] généraux de service de Santé [.] prend la liberté de recom[mander] à la bienveillance de Monsieur le comte de Bergon, Conseiller d'État et Directeur général des Eaux et Forêts, l'objet de la [.] du pétitionnaire. D. J. Larrey. Larrey was the greatest military surgeon in history. He invented the "flying ambulance" for removing wounded soldiers from the battlefield, performed some of the first amputations at the hip-joint, gave the first descriptions of trench-foot and the therapeutic effects of maggots on wounds, and invented several surgical operations. He was also the first to observe the contagiousness of trachoma, a disease encountered by Napoleon's army shortly after its successful invasion of Egypt in 1798. .

Seller Inventory # 34553

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Autograph testimonial, signed as part of a folio document recommending a soldier
• Publisher: Paris
• Publication Date: 1811
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)