title: [The chief surgeon Claude Louis Sommé (1772-1855) French military physician, surgeon of Antwerp hospital].
abstract: Claude Louis Sommé was born in Paris in 1772. After surgical studies between 1790 and 1792, he successfully embraced a military career in the armies of Napoleon at different fronts and in several hospitals. In 1806 he submitted his doctoral thesis at the Special Medical School of Strasburg, Dissertation upon Pain. The same year he presented his dismissal from he imperial armies and became chief-surgeon at the St Elisabeth hospital of Antwerp where he stayed on duty until his death in 1855. Sommé wrote a lot of medical books: surgical, anatomical and physiological. After the battle of Waterloo one third of the injured soldiers were transferred to Antwerp and were attended in his department. He also played an important role as a professor at the Primary Medical School of Antwerp. Sommé also created the botanical garden of Antwerp, close to the hospital.
authors.forename: Jean-pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tricot
mesh_terms: D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000266:history*; D005602:France; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000266:history*; D010146:Pain / Q000266:history; D066231:Surgeons / Q000266:history*