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ROZIERE DE LA CHASSAGNE and the EARLY HISTORY of PERCUSSION of the THORAX by GEORGE DOCK, M.D

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ROZIERE DE LA CHASSAGNE and the EARLY HISTORY of PERCUSSION of the THORAX by GEORGE DOCK, M.D ROZIERE DE LA CHASSAGNE AND THE EARLY HISTORY OF PERCUSSION OF THE THORAX By GEORGE DOCK, M.D. PASADENA, CALIF. HE early history of percus- to Olirer Goldsmith, and published sion of the thorax has often it with other preriously unrecognized been told, and the essential essays of the great English writer.1 facts are accessible. In brief, It was made known to medical readers Tthere is the Severn years’ workIry Dr.o f Henry S. Viets soon afteH Leopold Auenbrugger, and the publi- and I shall refer to it again. cation, early in 1761, of a book of Not much less complete is the ninety-fire pages entitled: “Inrentum oblirion surrounding the first transla- norum ex percussione thoracis humani tion of the “Inrentum norum” into ut signo abstrusos interni pectoris French, in 1770. The author was morbos detegendi.” An impression M. de Rozicre de la Chassagne, Doctor with “errata” and “corrige” was of Medicine of the Faculty of Mont- issued in the same year, and another pellier, etc. (see Fig. 1). As the title edition in 1763 almost identical with page shows, the translation of Auen- the corrected one of 1761. The failure brugger was printed as a sequel or of the author to follow up the rich appendix to a compcnd on diseases lead he had discorered, in the nearly of the chest. This book seems always fifty years ahead of him, is quite as to hare been rare. I acquired a copy in strange and unexplained as the fact 1907, while forming a collection of that although some of the considerable early texts on physical diagnosis. It number who noticed the work in is rarely offered for sale, and then medical and other periodicals spoke at prices equal to those of the works well of it, not one gare any eridence of Corrisart and Laennec, or eren of continued interest in the subject more. There is a copy in the Library until Corrisart did. When we think of the Surgeon General, U. S. A., of a few contemporaries whose minds and one in the Library of the New were otherwise open, we hare to take York Academy of Medicine. It is refuge in the statement that Auen- not mentioned in the Catalogue or the brugger was half a century ahead of Supplement of the British Museum. his time. Neither name of the author can He and his discorery were thor- be found in the indexes of manuals oughly discussed in 1909, when the of bibliography or in works on the centenary of his death was obserred, history of medicine. Eloy’s four rol- and without eliciting any essentially ume “ Dictionnaire Historique de la new facts. Almost twenty years later, Medeane ancienne et moderne”3 does Dr. Ronald S. Crane discorered the not mention him. But he and his remarkable reriew of the “Inrentum works are included, with obrious norum,” printed in an English peri- deriration from Corvisart’s preface, odical August 27, 1761. By clerer in the sections on Auenbrugger in the literary detectire work Dr. Crane “Biographie mcdicale” of the “Dic- traced the authorship of the review tionnaire des sciences medicales,”4 the “ Dictionnaire historique de la accent on the first e of Roziere, and medecine”5 and the “Biographie was followed by most French writers, medicale” of Bayle and Thillaye.6 but there is none on the title page. Some writers spell the name Rosiere, He is not mentioned in modern bio- but he is usually called Roziere, or graphical works, Larousse and the de Roziere, or sometimes la Chas- Grand Encyclopedic. Recent French sagne. I shall follow the simpler form. and German medical works down to The lack of a baptismal name was very Max Neuburger are equally negative, common on title-pages and in prefaces or dismiss Roziere’s work with truth- at that time. ful but too brief statements. But Roziere was not entirely ig- At the time I obtained my copy, a nored by his contemporaries. J. B. friend who was studying medieval Th. Baumes, Professor of Pathology French in Montpellier tried to find and Nosology in Montpellier, made a personal data there, but wholly with- reputation by his efforts to found a out success. Corvisart put a grave theory of pathology based on chemis- try, and he was recognized also as an north of Montpellier, so it would able practitioner and author of works seem that Roziere had moved from on clinical medicine esteemed at the the larger city and clinic. Baumes cites a number of passages from the “Manuel des pulmoniques,” as on page 465, vol. I, from p. 271 of the Manuel, where it is said that if two women are affected equally with tu- berculosis, and one becomes pregnant, she will survive and go to term, but the one not pregnant will die. In 1808 Corvisart published his transla- tion of the “Inventum novum,” with extensive commentaries, and made Roziere’s work superfluous, even if it had not been so before. In his preface, Corvisart gave Roziere credit for his translation, and also pointed out his shortcomings, as I shall show. The next mention I find is in the “ Dictionnaire des sciences medicales,” edited by a society of physicians and surgeons, which appeared • in Paris from 1812 to 1822, and formed a landmark in encyclopedic medical lit- erature. The list of collaborators in- cludes many illustrious names, and many articles are of great interest. The section on percussion in tome 40, 1819, introduces Auenbrugger (p. 288) and says that the “Inventum novum” “was translated into French by Roziere de la Chassagne, physician of the faculty of medicine of Montpel- lier, after his Manuel des pulmo- time. Among his productions was a niques.” A few lines later it is said “Traite de la phthisie pulmonaire, that “in France the work of Chas- connue vulgairement sous Ie nom sagne apparently did not make a great de maladie de poitrine,” which was sensation,” and a note in the Bibliog- crowned by the Royal Society of raphy (p. 305) says Roziere’s Manuel, Medicine of Paris in 1785 and pub- “become very rare, contains (p. 185) lished in 1798. A second edition, in a well-made chapter on edema of the two volumes, was issued in Paris in lung, a disease that Laennec (see 1805. In this Baumes refers to Roziere Pectoriloque) believes undescribed.” as “a physician of Malzieu.” Malzieu- “ Pectoriloque” was one of the names ville is a small town in Canton Lozere, Laennec gave his “cylindre,” before now a seat of textile manufacture, he definitely adopted “stethoscope.” Laannac did not mention Roziere in Poitrine,” in italics, is dirided be- either of the two editions of his works tween the facing pages, and continues prepared during his lifetime. L. Mail- through both parts of the rolume. lot, in his concise and comprehensire Economy of paper is rery striking. “Histoire de la percussion,”7 refers There is no half-title, so common in to the silence about both Auenbrugger French books of the time. On the and Roziere, saying that a discorery rerso of the first title-page is a list so important as that of percussion of medical books on sale in the “meme could not wait long without becoming Iibraire,” riz.: known beyond the country of its author. “Soon, in fact, Roziere de la Traite des Vapeurs & des Pertes de Chassagne gare a translation. No one Sang 1 vo I. in-12. read that work, therefore the dis- Traite de la Digestion dans Iequel on expose, selon les loix de la plus saine corery of the Viennese physician Physique, le mechanisme de cette im- remained unknown in France.” As I portante fonction, arec une methode de hare not been able to find an adequate remedier aux differents fonctions qui account of Roziere’s works, I shall peurent la troubler, autorisee par la try to gire one based upon my own raison & {’experience, in-12 2 vo I. examination, beginning with the phys- Aris aux gens de Lettres sur Ieur sante, ical makeup of the book. par M. Tissot, in-12. My copy is half-bound, with board Traite de toutes les ss ps cs s de colique sides, corered with mottled brown 1 vo I in-12. paper, rellum corners, and calf back Secret utiles & eproures dans la pra- with gold title and ornaments. The tique de la Medecine & de la Chirurgie title reads; “De Rozierne/Manuel/des/ pour conserrer la sante & prolonger la Pulmoniques.” The pages are cut, rie, arec un appendix sur les maladies des Cheraux, & le Manuel de Medecine, and measure 16.4 by 9.6 cm. The type tires des Ourrages d’Hippocrate & de columns measure 12 cm. or 12.4 cm. Celse: Ourrage utile a tous Chirurgiens, by 6.2 cm. The rariation depends on Cures & habitans de la campagne. I Et the number of lines. Twenty-nine is autres. the usual number, where there are no footnotes, but there are a few pages Following six pages of preface is a with thirty lines, with no apparent “Table du Traite des Maladies de la reason. There are 12, 319, 1, and 62 Poi'trine,” which runs orer in two pages, more accurately described be- lines on the next page. With only a low. Paper, type, printing and proof- ruled line between them, the Table reading are mediocre. The water lines of Contents of the translation from are horizontal except in the first Auenbrugger follows, with the state- few pages. The “gathers” alternate ment that it is the “Table / Des regularly, eight and sixteen pages.
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