Biomaterial Database

[Eulogy for Pierre Chirac by Fontenelle]. 1999

J J Peumery

Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657-1757) in the "Eloges des Academiciens des Sciences" who died between 1699 and 1740, allowed to Pierre Chirac - Louis XV Chief Doctor - a worthy scientific place. Born at Conques, in the Rouergue country (Aveyron), in 1650, Chirac purposed to enter the priesthood when, settling in Montpellier, he was spotted by the Chancellor and Judge of Montpellier University, Michel Chicoyneau, in 1678, who encouraged him to take up medicine studies. Became a Montpellier Faculty member in 1682, Chirac will teach, here, medicine, five years after; he got great success. Then he started practising, and in 1692, the Marechal de Noailles appointed him in the Roussillon Army Heath Service as a Doctor. In 1693, he had to fight against a dysentery epidemic and later, at Rochefort, against the "Mal de Siam" (Yellow fever) which infected him but, nevertheless, he was cured. In 1706, the Duc d'Orleans promoted him his private doctor and attached him to go to Italy and Spain. Coming back to France, Chirac went to Paris and remained here till his death. In 1715, the Duc d'Orleans became Regent and selected him for Principal Doctor, In 1718, he succeeded to Guy Crescent Fagon as "Jardin du Roy" Superintendant. In 1720, he was called in Marseille where a plague epidemic was raging. In the funeral oration, Fontenelle was very insistent about the fact that Pierre Chirac endeavoured to set up a Medicine Academy. Unfortunately, his death (March the 1st 1732) kept him from succeeding in such a way.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008091	Literature	Writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest. The body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age. (Webster, 3d ed)	Literatures
D001877	Books	Non-periodical written or printed works consisting of sheets of pages fastened or bound together within covers.	Book Chapter,Book,Book Chapters
D005197	Famous Persons	Individuals widely known or recognized.	Famous Person,Persons, Famous
D005602	France	A country in western Europe bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, the Mediterranean Sea, and the countries of Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the principalities of Andorra and Monaco, and by the duchy of Luxembourg. Its capital is Paris.	Corsica,Saint Pierre and Miquelon,Miquelon and Saint Pierre,Miquelon and St. Pierre,St. Pierre and Miquelon
D005655	Funeral Rites	Those customs and ceremonies pertaining to the dead.	Mortuary Customs,Custom, Mortuary,Customs, Mortuary,Funeral Rite,Mortuary Custom,Rite, Funeral,Rites, Funeral
D000047	Academies and Institutes	Organizations representing specialized fields which are accepted as authoritative; may be non-governmental, university or an independent research organization, e.g., National Academy of Sciences, Brookings Institution, etc.	Institutes,Research Institutes,Academies,Academy and Institute,Institutes and Academies,Academy,Institute and Academy,Institute, Research,Institutes, Research,Research Institute
D012586	Science	The study of natural phenomena by observation, measurement, and experimentation.	Sciences
D049670	History, 17th Century	Time period from 1601 through 1700 of the common era.	17th Century History,17th Cent. History (Medicine),17th Cent. History of Medicine,17th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 17th Century,History of Medicine, 17th Cent.,History, Seventeenth Century,Medical History, 17th Cent.,Medicine, 17th Cent.,17th Cent. Histories (Medicine),17th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 17th (Medicine),Century Histories, Seventeenth,Century History, 17th,Century History, Seventeenth,Histories, 17th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 17th Century,Histories, Seventeenth Century,History, 17th Cent. (Medicine),Seventeenth Century Histories,Seventeenth Century History
D049671	History, 18th Century	Time period from 1701 through 1800 of the common era.	18th Century History,18th Cent. History (Medicine),18th Cent. History of Medicine,18th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 18th Century,History of Medicine, 18th Cent.,History, Eighteenth Century,Medical History, 18th Cent.,Medicine, 18th Cent.,18th Century Histories,Cent. History, 18th (Medicine),Cent. Medicine, 18th,Century Histories, 18th,Century Histories, Eighteenth,Century History, 18th,Century History, Eighteenth,Eighteenth Century Histories,Eighteenth Century History,Histories, 18th Century,Histories, Eighteenth Century,History, 18th Cent. (Medicine)