Description

  An important and decorative amputation  saw,  own by Doctor Pierre Lefort (1767- 1843) , 1804. The amputation saw is made by a cutler and a surgical instrument maker TABOUREUX À LYON (circa 1790). See last picture which is a copy of a print.     Lefort was a brilliant doctor of the Navy at Mers born in 1767. At age 26 he started third class surgeon in the Navy. He starts on the ship “l’Indomptable” in Brest. As navy doctor, he was a part of the heroic crew of the “Avenger”. In his first campaign he was staying witnessed the battles of June 1, 1794. After that he was in England for three years as a prisoner. He returned to France in 1797. On his return to France, in 1797, thanks to the knowledge of English that he had acquired during his imprisonment, he was appointed inspector of French prisoners and founded a model school for those who had not his equal in France. During his stay in England, Pierre Lefort met and married Miss Mary Anne, daughter of an Irish officer. No child was born of this marriage. In 1799 Lefort was a doctor first class of the French Navy, he continued to work in various hospitals and in the fleet. In 1801, after the Battle of Algeciras, he was sent to Gibraltar to negotiate the exchange of wounded prisoners. On the fateful day of Trafalgar, October 21, 1805, Lefort is captured by the English, but was paroled after a few months. After release he resumed his service in hospitals, realized medical studies, contributes to the Faculty of Medicine and receives an important medicine price. In 1808 Lefort was appointed chief physician of the first maritime district of the empire. In the capital city of Genoa, he suffered the blockade of 1814, then went to Martinique in the same function. Because of his political views attracted this famous physician to the United States, where he was staying for some time in the vicinity of New York, in the house that was occupied by General Moreau. After being recalled was appointed to France, he was again as a doctor of the king. In 1826, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor and member of the Paris Academy of Medicine. He realized an important contribution to the fight against yellow fever. He died on January 13, 1843 at the age of 76, after a long life of service to others. He’s resting with his wife (she died in 1864) in the Madeleine cemetery in Amiens. Read less     Dr. Lefort was a member of the Legion of Honor, Paris correspondent of the Academy of Medicine and the holder of the prize in the Paris Faculty of Medicine for memory in communicable diseases.     In mint condition and 50 cm long.       See for reference the following website http://clystere.pagesperso-orange.fr/numero-pdf-download/clystere_n41_jui_2015VA.pdf . See fig 3 and 32 from the muséum of the history of medicine of LYON.