title: Pierre-Joseph Desault (1738-1795)--a forerunner of modern medical teaching.
abstract: Pierre-Joseph Desault (1738-1795) was the first French professor of clinical surgery. He was chief surgeon at La Charité and Hôtel-Dieu in Paris, where he developed a new method for teaching anatomy and modified the teaching of surgery. His fame was due to his dedication and to the number and quality of fellows, who included Bichat, Louis, Corvisart, Dupuytren, Percy, Richerand, Petit, Chopart, and Gavard. He taught while performing surgery, and his school included up to six hundred fellows at a time, practicing in the 1200-bed Hôtel-Dieu. He "imprinted" his pupils with his professional teaching, his surgical procedures and his personal charm.
authors.affiliation: First Chair of Nephrology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. nataleg.desanto@unina2.it
authors.forename: Natale G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: De Santo
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bisaccia
authors.forename: Luca S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: De Santo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Richet
mesh_terms: D000715:Anatomy / Q000193:education / Q000266:history; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000266:history*; D005602:France; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education / Q000266:history*; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans