“I treated him but God healed him.” That’s the motto of the man immortalized in this bust. We are standing before the Ambroise Paré Bust. It commemorates a pivotal figure in medical history.
Ambroise Paré was more than just a surgeon. He was a pioneer. Paré lived from 1510 to 1590. He served as a barber-surgeon for French Kings Henry II, Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III.
Imagine a time when surgery was crude. Gunshot wounds were treated with boiling oil. Amputation meant searing flesh with hot irons. Paré dared to challenge these brutal practices.
Born in Bourg-Hersent near Laval, France, Paré’s journey began humbly. He apprenticed as a barber. Barbers and surgeons worked together then. He rose early to shave customers and learned the trade.
Paré gained invaluable experience at the Hôtel Dieu. There he served as a surgeon in the French army. This experience fueled many innovations throughout his career. By the time Paré arrived, barber-surgeons were part of the University of Paris’s education system. They attended lectures on anatomy and surgery. They took exams to gain professional recognition.
Paré’s battlefield experiences shaped his revolutionary approach. Once he ran out of boiling oil to treat gunshot wounds. He used a mixture of egg yolk, rose oil, and turpentine instead. To his surprise the wounds healed better.
He published his findings in 1545. His book described treating wounds made by harquebuses. It was initially ridiculed. It was written in French not Latin. Yet his methods proved superior.
One of Paré’s most significant contributions was the ligature of arteries. This replaced cauterization during amputations. Searing with hot irons often failed to stop bleeding. It caused deadly shock. Paré designed the “Bec de Corbin”. This “crow’s beak” was a predecessor to modern hemostats. It helped clamp arteries for ligation. Although ligatures sometimes spread infection, it was a crucial advancement. Paré detailed this technique in his 1564 book Treatise on Surgery.
Paré also explored the phenomenon of phantom limb pain. He documented the pain amputees felt in their missing limbs. He correctly believed the pain originated in the brain.
Despite his contributions, Paré faced criticism. Physicians considered surgeons inferior. Surgeons worked with their hands and lacked formal education. Paré was often criticized for writing about topics outside his specialty.
His life was intertwined with the French monarchy. He served four kings. Yet he couldn’t save King Henry II after a head injury during a tournament.
Paré’s impact extended beyond the battlefield. He invented surgical instruments. He also created ocular prostheses from gold, silver, porcelain, and glass.
According to Henry IV’s Prime Minister, Sully, Paré was a Huguenot. During the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, King Charles IX saved Paré’s life. He locked him in a clothes closet.
Paré died in Paris in 1590 from natural causes. He was about 80 years old. Though his religious beliefs remain debated he was known for his humanitarianism. His motto “I treated him, but God healed him” reflects his humility.
A collection of Paré’s works was published in Paris in 1575. It was reprinted many times. It appeared in German, Dutch, and English.
So, as you stand before this bust remember Ambroise Paré. Remember a barber-surgeon who became a father of modern surgery. Remember his courage to challenge tradition and improve the lives of countless people.