Dominique Jean Larrey
French surgeon and soldier (1766–1842)
Who was Dominique Jean Larrey?
Dominique Jean Larrey lived from July 8, 1766 to July 25, 1842. He has been credited with 24 important surgical advances and is called the "father of modern military medicine" and "the father of emergency medical services". Larrey was born in Beaudéan, Bigorre, as the second of three children of Jean Larrey, a shoemaker, and Philippine Perès. His father died in 1780, When Larrey was only 13 years old.
Historical significance
Dominique Jean, Baron Larrey (8 July 1766 – 25 July 1842) was a French surgeon and soldier best known for his service in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. An important innovator in battlefield medicine and triage, he invented the flying ambulance and is sometimes considered the first modern military surgeon. He was then sent to live with his uncle Alexis, a surgeon in Toulouse where he learned his first medical skills. Larrey excelled in this training, winning first prize in a medical competition from the Saint-Joseph de La Grave society and penning a well received thesis on Caries. After an 8-year apprenticeship, he went to Paris to study under the renowned Pierre-Joseph Desault, who was chief surgeon at the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris.
