Medical Advancements from the French Revolution through the Napoleonic Era in French History - Report Example

Medical advancements Medical advancements from the French Revolution through the Napoleonic era in French history (roughly1770 -1830) Medical is not something that came into existence recently. It should be noted that its roots are from the time of French revolution through to the Napoleonic era. It is equally pertinent to note that, at this time, nations were struggling to gain superiority. The superiority that they struggled for involved war, fighting which at most caused death, because there were no medicine and medicine men (doctors), to attend to the wounded. As much as people lived long, the truth is that they faced a great challenge when it came to nursing their injuries got on the battle line. The people who were most vulnerable for injuries were the military (Belloc, 2005.p.12). This paper demonstrates the advancement of medical from the French revolution time all through to the Napoleonic era. According to research, it is noted that, after the defeat of French by the India in the year (1754-1763), the Great Britain staged a plan where they could start taxing the North American Colonies, all in the name of producing additional income. It was from this point that the massacre and deaths increased in the region, and so the congress thought it is wise to stage a hospital. The year 1775, was the year that marked the commencement of the first hospital which was just but a medical department. The department had an apothecary, four surgeons together with nurses. The nurses were just but the widows and wives of the military personnel. It follows that the military people were the group that experienced the need of having a hospital or a place for treatment the most since they were so vulnerable to injuries, as the states fought for territories (Bernard, 2008.p.58). However, the congress did not fully explain the relationship that existed between the new hospital’s responsibilities to the central government and the responsibilities of the regimental system by then to the state government. Prior to this, the command and staff responsibilities for matters pertaining medical were left fragmented between the congress and the state. In addition, it was also between the hospital and the fragmented medical staff and lastly between the civilians and military. In the pursuit of the directors, Benjamin Church was appointed by the congress as the first director general (Smeaton, 2007). This marked the first step in the medical field, since through the church first innovation came into existence. The first innovation made by Benjamin was instituting examinations for surgeons who did not have a physical certificate or a medical degree. It is interesting, someone who is known as a surgeon, having no certificate or medical degree. However, that was the situation by then, and many complied with it. Due to lack of money, the congress faced un-appropriation of funds for both the regimental hospitals and general hospitals. This was not enough; the congress further confused the matter by creating other departments. These departments were mainly the theaters of operation, each with its one general hospital. The congress remained silent on the issue concerning the relationship between the hospital’s director general and the hospital’s physicians. When a regimental hospital was deployed, the matters become more confusing though confused with its regiment (Flexner, & Pritchett, 2010). The obvious procedure for treatment was that those patients who were too ill to be deployed with the regiment were regularly sent to the nearest general hospital. This occasionally was done without adequate provision and notification about their care. Therefore, the matter was left for the concerned hospital to arrange by themselves. This at most caused a lack of proper medication to the patients, hence still caused death. It further gave out a chance for poor servicing to the affected. According to the history, it is important to understand that the 1775 attack on both Quebec and Montreal marked a great change in the world of medical. The first attack on Montreal was successful, that is as per the sources. However, the second planned attack on Quebec failed due to a smallpox outbreak and the harsh climate the soldiers faced. This forced the continental army to retreat all the way to New York, the following year. Due to this, the hospital established in the city under Dr. Jonathan Potts, was purposely for treating soldiers who were coming back from the Canada planned attack. This work by Jonathan was only valued prior to him treating those who had engaged in war. Afterwards, there were aroused difficulties between the Director General church and regimental surgeons. Here, it is noted that the regimental surgeons who were appointees of the colonel of the regiment had aspired to keep their patients in the hospitals that were under regimental. At most, these regiment hospitals were staged inexpedient buildings. All that church wanted was to send the patients to general hospitals and did not carter for the expenses. After a while, church was found to be reasonably corresponding with the British in Boston. Due to this, church was court martialed and to make this worse, he was found guilty (Vincent, 2000). Due to his guiltiness, the congress decided to look for someone else to take over. Moreover, within no time, John Morgan succeeded church as the director, though seconding church. This person had helped in finding a school in Philadelphia. However much he struggled, he did not solve the hospital command. This is because, according to the study, he was not a tactful man, enough to solve technical issues. Due to his lack of experience, Morgan was removed from the post by the 1777. As a second success, William Shippen who participated in finding the Philadelphia medical school was ushered in. Just on the same way, he also did not do much than Morgan; instead, he was accused of doing many illegal things, for instance corruption. He was court-martialed though he acquitted and he eventually resigned in the early 1781. Trend of medical birth was a contradicting one, most of those men that were put in authority did not do what was expected of them, and so for a long time, the department was swaying and shifting from better to worse. John Cochran also was elected as the fourth Director General. He was thought to be more experienced since Cochran had been acting as a regimental surgeon in the India and French war. According to research, it was tabulated that he was the first Director General who did not have a formal medical degree from Europe. For the remainder of the war, the history stipulates that Cochran remained the director General, and did a great job in assisting those soldiers and military men who came in wounded. That is why; he remained on the post for quite a very long time. One of the main indicators of positive advancement in medical was the battle against small pox. Live smallpox virus was used to inoculate smallpox. This was a bit dangerous since the live virus being used could lead to the patient contracting smallpox, which could also lead to death. Therefore, they were risking death for the sake of healing smallpox. However, its effectiveness had been proven on those people who suffered the smallpox in Boston during the year 1720s. When he served as a surgeon at a Boston hospital, John Warren performed inoculation of smallpox on new recruits. Due to several inquiries, all the line troops were ordered to undergo the inoculation. This marked the advancement of medical, since at least the cure for smallpox, had been identified. Therefore, people were living comfortably in as much as they were exposed to dangers of contracting the virus. Fortunately, the experiment worked on them, and instead of dying, they gained health. The above act was the first one in the history, where all the army was ordered to take the inoculation. Due to this, the death was reduced to 3/1000 from 160/1000 and so they continued enjoying the discovery of the cure they had had. However much the cure for smallpox had been discovered, the medical equipment, drugs, supplies were in dumpy supply. Apart from the above, it is worth noting that most of the regimental surgeons were not properly trained, this was discovered at the beginning of the war, and so they were to face the experience of working with undertrained surgeons in war. It follows that, this was not a very good experience, nevertheless, the fight for territory and superiority continued. This forced the medical officers to set to work with the little things they could carry in their surgical pockets. In itself, this forced them to perform only useful surgery they knew. Due to lack of enough, proper medical tools, and medical roofs, it forced the physicians to be moving medical facilities as the troops fought and advanced and retreated. However, the medical personnel by then tried their best to have a small house, where the wounded soldiers could be taken prior to the fighting. It is amusing to note that even the expected ambulance or medical car was a dream that the land by then had not acquired, therefore, this forced some troops to either limp, or be carried, or even were dragged to the operation house. To make this easy there were certain people, who were enlisted and so they were made to help in the regimental hospitals. The above act contradicted the obvious fact that personnel should undergo training so that they can be able to stand in the gap efficiently. Due to this limitation, the commanders usually assigned enlisted personnel, who also turned out to be a burden and at the same time, were regarded as not fit for military experience. These are the people who were concerned with the issue of taking care of the military. The need for trained personnel pressed them to the extent that they resolved to established well-trained enlisted personnel after several years of hardships. Therefore, as the war went on, the general hospitals became larger and larger, hence increasing its territorial marks. Evidently, it should understand that there is no any larger advancement with regards to surgery or medicine that were as a result of the war, however, the smallpox controlled, marked a good step forward. However, in as much as the war ended with the urge of getting a good medical service, the truth is that still many of the soldiers and civilians died as a result of diseases. The war According to the research, scholars illustrate that, during the reign of French Louise XVI, the government is said to have faced much corruption, oppression, taxation, as well as poverty. The French people were encouraged by the achievement of American Revolution and so they exploded in the year 1789 to attack the Bastille. This notorious fortress was used to hold prisoners who have linked themselves to politics. Unrest was all over the continent that aroused the idea of attacks and revenge. This was as a result of all the monarchies in Europe viewing the French as a threat to them. It followed that for the aim of defending or trying to prove French wrong, the Great Britain, and Holland not forgetting to mention Australia all attacked the lone French (Schama, 2006.p.98). This was the war that marked the first coalition. The above first coalition attack resulted to the arrest of the King, a thing that French did t approve. Not long from then, a strange thing happened where King Louis e was executed and the reign of terror did befall the republic. Immediately, the French troops were sent to defend their republic. In the process, war grew and it developed to the level of invasions and then the coalition armies were pushed back hence making them to retreat. Due to the determination and a heart that did not wish to surrender, the war resulted in marvelous slaughter rate. At the time, they embraced a tactical war which most armies used in the war. Some of the tactics were case shot and messed musket that were associated with cannon rounds at a very close range, which were followed with a bayonet charge. During the revolution, much of the French medical services had been destroyed and so the French troops faced a problem in trying to get a stabilized medical centre. However, it should agree that, on the Northern frontier, the old regime had set up a number of military hospitals; unfortunately, many of those hospitals were not in use. However, those that were in use were not sufficient since the country at that time experienced a large number of casualties, which were unceasingly pouring in. This forced the nearby homes to be used as patient ballets over intent of a home. This act led to the division of medical command into surgeon in chief and physician in chief. This split also indicated a disciplinary split in civilian life. Physicians at that time used polypharmacy prescription in delivering medication care. This was a serious and dangerous act since they used harmful procedures such as purge, bleed and sweat to treat fevers. As much as they did not have a strategic place for the purpose of curing the wounded soldiers, the only option was to drag people, aside and treat them from there. As per this point, it can be noted that the quality of treatment was low,, and so even if they survived, it was by chance. It is disheartening to understand that, at times, wounded soldiers were left at the battlefield to hide until the war had subsided, before they could be remembered. This caused a lot of lameness and death; however the encouraging part is the French kept on pushing and pushing to try and fix the bothering issue of medical (Carlyle, 2007.p.36). Generally, it can be noted that most of the advancement of medical during the French Revolution through the Napoleonic era was motivated by the eruption of war. However, it is a good phenomenon since through war people understood the need to have a stable medical. The most memorable event of war advancement was the discovering of the cure of smallpox. It was through war that the cure of smallpox came into existence. Therefore, the military sector up to now can appreciate the fact that war made them realize the need of medication. From a primitive point of view in medication, to a more stable position of discovery, it should be noted that the French revolution is something worth of praise. From the point where people could not stand on themselves in controlling their medical system, to the point where changes could be made easily and conveniently, is a plus to a nation. That is why, the era is still known as the beginning of a well controlled medication period. For clarity, it should be noted that medical advancement during the time of the French Revolution through the Napoleonic era was propelled by war. People moved from a state of having surgeons and nurses who were not trained to the later trained ones. In addition, it should be reminded that medical centers were the first mobile, however, as the war enlarged, there was a need to build a more centrally staged station, which the dream came true. References Belloc, H. (2005). The French Revolution. New York: Henry Holt and Co. ;. Bernard, L. (2008). Social Interpretations of the French Revolution Alfred Cobban: The Social Interpretation of the French Revolution. (Cambridge: University Press, 1964. Pp. 178. $3.95.). The Review of Politics, 27(02), 273. Carlyle, T. (2007). The French revolution a history. Champaign, Ill.: Project Gutenberg. Engman, M. (1989). From the revolution to the counter‐revolution: Alma SÃderhjelm, a Finnish student of the French revolution∗. Scandinavian Journal of History, 14(4), 285-297. Flexner, A., & Pritchett, H. S. (2010). Medical education in the United States and Canada: a report to the Carnegie foundation for the advancement of teaching. 576 Fifth Avenue, New York City: [s.n.]. Lefebvre, G. (196264). 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