Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 6 (51) - 2009

Series 6: Medical Sciences

Supplement – Proceeding of The IVth

Balkan Congress of History of Medicine

AMBROISE PARÉ’S BROKEN LEFT LEG IN 1555

P. ALBOU1

Abstract: The scene occurs in 1555: when Ambroise Paré (1510-1590),

the famous French surgeon of the Renaissance, crossed in boat a river to

go to visit with a horse a patient in the surroundings of Paris, his horse

gave him “such a kick” that the two bones of his left leg were entirely

broken, a few centimeters over the foot… The description of this accident

and its consequences was written by Ambroise Paré himself and can be

red in a text named History of the author having a broken leg that we can

find in his Surgical Works.

We will recall in this paper this accident and its consequences, which

lasted several months. Beyond its biographical and anecdotic interest,

this observation informs us about various aspects of the surgical practice

of this time. It illustrates also Georges Canguilhem’s reflection: “The

doctor have to know that he is a potential patient and he is not better

assured than his patients to succeed, if necessary, to substitute its

knowledge for its anguish”

Key words: Ambroise Paré, 1555.

1 St-Amand-Montrond, France.

«Plato was therefore right to say that to be

a true doctor would require that anyone

who would practice as such should have

recovered from all the illness which he

claimed to cure and have gone thought

all the symptoms and conditions on

which he would seek to give an opinion.

If doctors want to know how to cure

syphilis it is right that they should first

catch it themselves! I would truly trust

the one who did»

Montaigne, Essays, III, 13

Ambroise Paré (1510-1590) was the

surgeon of King Henry II and his

descendants: François II, Charles IX and

Henri III.

The scene occurs in 1555: when

Ambroise Paré (1510-1590), the famous

French surgeon of the Renaissance,

crossed in boat a river to go to visit with a

horse a patient in the surroundings of Paris,

his horse gave him “such a kick” that the

two bones of his left leg were entirely

broken, a few centimetres over the foot…

The description of this accident and its

consequences was written by Ambroise

Paré himself and can be red in a text

named History of the author having a

broken leg, that we can find in his Surgical

Works (Œuvres d’Ambroise Paré,1579,

Livre 14, Chap. 23 to 28).

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 6 (51) - 2009 • Series VI

86

Ambroise Paré (1510-1590)

(Copyright BIUM)

Oeuvres d’Ambroise Paré (1579)

(Copyright BIUM)

We will recall in this paper this

accident and its consequences, which

lasted several months:

After his leg was broken, his first

thinking was to be afraid to have his leg

cut off and he began to pray... Ambroise

Paré tells us that when he fell on the

ground, "the fractured bone through flesh,

the trousers, and even the boot”, then he

felt "such a pain it is possible for man to

endure."

After being rescued by his friends, he

was transported to a nearby house with a

lot of pain because, he says, "one brought

the body, the other leg, the other foot and

walking one rose on the left and the other

bent on the right."

First medical care While sweating profusely, a plaster was

applied over the injury from the available

ingredients: egg white, wheat flour,

furnace soot, all mixed with fresh butter

melted.

He asked his friend Richard Hubert

reduce the fracture "and forget the

friendship he bore him, pulling hard on his

foot and digging in the wound with a

razor" to recover more easily bones in their

normal position.

Splints were then implemented his leg

resting on a cushion "as you see in this

figure":

Paré’s figure

(Copyright BIUM)

PHILIPPE ALBOU: Ambroise Paré’s broken left leg in 1555 87

Medical treatment After being transported home, he was

treated as follows:

− bleeding in the left basilica vein

− applying ointment (Onguent rosat)

− light diet with prunes and bread, with

water;

− few mild purgatives as cassia or

rhubarb, and suppositories or soap "to

stimulate my abdomen."

The evolution was complicated by two

problems:

− muscle cramp, so violent that the

bones moved and had to be again pull

to replace the leg in the good way…

while he said feeling "more pain than

first time "

− fever on the 11th day, which lasted a

week, with the appearance of an

abscess on which a patch was applied

to help evacuate.

Prevention of bedsores The main Ambroise Paré’s thinking

was to avoid pressure sores, especially in

the sacrum and heel "because in these

places there is little flesh."

Techniques used for the prevention of

bedsores:

− regular elevation of the heel or lift

from the bed by pulling on a rope

attached to the foot of his bed, to “give

breath to support zones” ;

− use of a pillow under the buttocks and

also under the heel;

− application of plasters, ointment or

cooked alum to "take out the bone

fragments separated" and promote "the

generation of callus"

Albou’s figure

Ambroise Pare’s invention of a notched splint

Pare noted that he invented, after his

own experience, “cassole de fer blanc”, or

splint, notched heel so that it does not

touch the bed.

Paré’s figure

(Copyright BIUM)

Epilogue Let Paré concluded himself that

episode: "I waited over three months that

the callus is done. During this time, I lay in

my bed, which is not agreeable to a sad

sick. It took another month to put my feet

on the ground without my cane... My good

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 6 (51) - 2009 • Series VI

88

leg was helping the injured leg, as does a

sister’s hand or a friend’s arm, helping to

lift, turning in one direction or the other... .

Conclusion Beyond its biographical and anecdotic

interest, this observation informs us about

various aspects of the surgical practice of

this time.

It illustrates also Georges Canguilhem’s

reflection: “The doctor have to know that

he is a potential patient and he is not better

assured than his patients to succeed, if

necessary, to substitute its knowledge for

its anguish”.

References [1]. Ambroise Paré, Œuvres, divisées en

vingt-sept livres, revus et augmentés

par l’auteur pour la seconde édition. A

Paris, chez Gabriel Buon, 1579

(disponible sur www.gallica.fr)

[2]. Georges Canguilhem, Puissance et

limites de la rationalité en Médecine

(1978), in « Etudes d’histoire et de

philosophie des sciences », Vrin, Paris,

2002, p. 409.