Antoine Petit

Antoine Petit, born in Orléans, was the son of a tailor.

He received a disciplined education and, after studying at the Orléans college, he took up the study of medicine at the University of Paris where he received his doctorate in 1746.{{cite web|last=Gourdol |first=Jean-Yves |title=Antoine Petit |url=http://www.medarus.org/Medecins/MedecinsTextes/petit_antoine.htm |accessdate=20 April 2013 |language=French |year=2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603030845/http://www.medarus.org/Medecins/MedecinsTextes/petit_antoine.htm |archivedate=3 June 2013 }}

Soon he became a good teacher and lecturer in anatomy, surgery and childbirth.{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/sfhm/hsm/HSMx1988x022x003_4/HSMx1988x022x003_4x0237.pdf Un cours de médecine d'Antoine Petit en 1768] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174452/http://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/sfhm/hsm/HSMx1988x022x003_4/HSMx1988x022x003_4x0237.pdf |date=2016-03-03 }}

The accuracy of his diagnosis made him famous and he had a very busy practice, drawing people from every part of France, even from other parts of Europe.{{cite web|title=Eloge d'Antoine Petit, docteur-régent de la Faculté de médecine en la ci-devant Université de Paris|url=http://www2.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/livanc/?cote=90945x17x05a&p=3&do=page|publisher=chez Gueffier|accessdate=20 April 2013|location=Paris|language=French|year=1797}}

He was appointed anatomy professor at Jardin du Roi from 1769 to 1778. In the University of Paris, he founded a chair of anatomy{{cite web|title=Vicq d'Azyr et la Révolution française|url=http://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/sfhm/hsm/HSMx2001x035x003/HSMx2001x035x003x0263.pdf|accessdate=20 April 2013|author=Jean-Jacques Peumery|language=French|year=2001}} then a chair of surgery. The professors, engaged and appointed by the University, had to teach for ten years then made way for younger. He was a member of French Academy of Sciences and wrote several articles for the Diderot and d'Alembert Encyclopédie.[http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rde_0769-0886_1990_num_8_1_1057 Kafker, Frank A.: Notices sur les auteurs des 17 volumes de « discours » de l'Encyclopédie (suite et fin). Recherches sur Diderot et sur l'Encyclopédie Année (1990) Volume 8 Numéro 8 p. 110]

Antoine Petit amassed a significant wealth then, because he had no child, spent a part to found places that accord medical treatment. He spent more than 100,000 French livres to Orléans city: he appointed four physicians and two surgeons for free health care for sick people and those in every kind of need, in a house he built in this purpose. On market days, they took care of those from the country.

In the same way, he appointed two lawyers and a prosecutor who involved towards the poor.{{cite book|last=Larousse|first=Pierre|title=Grand dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle : français, historique, géographique, mythologique, bibliographique.... T. 12|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k2053648/f719.image|accessdate=20 April 2013|location=Bibliothèque nationale de France|pages=715|language=French|format=pdf|year=1866–1877}}

In Fontenay-aux-Roses, he donated a building to house the municipality medical officer.

He died in Olivet, on 1794.

• {{cite book|author=Jan Palfijn|title=Anatomie chirurgicale de Palfin, revue et augmentée par A. Petit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZLE74IBBdVsC&pg=PT599|accessdate=20 April 2013|year=1753|publisher=chez la veuve Cavelier|pages=599–}} Paris. 2 vol. in-12
• Antoine Petit (1757). Discours sur l'utilité de la chirurgie. Paris. in-4°
• Antoine Petit (1765). Projet de réforme sur l'exercice de la médecine en France. Paris. in-4°
• Antoine Petit (1765). Consultation en faveur de la légitimité des naissances tardives. Paris. in-8°
• {{cite book|author=Antoine Petit|title=Recueil des pièces relatives a la question des naissances tardives|url=https://archive.org/details/recueildepices00peti|accessdate=20 April 2013|year=1766|publisher=chez D'Houry}} 2 vol. in-8°
• {{cite book|author=Antoine Petit|title=Premier rapport en faveur de l'inoculation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aq4E8rQgqRIC|accessdate=20 April 2013|year=1766|publisher=chez Dessain junior}} Paris. in-8°
• {{cite book|author=Antoine Petit|title=Lettre de M. A. Petit à M. le Doyen de la Faculté de Médecine sur quelques faits relatifs à la pratique de l'inoculation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sbN1Xbob5gcC|accessdate=20 April 2013|year=1767|publisher=chez Vallat-la-Chapelle}} Paris. in-8°
• {{cite book|author=Antoine Petit|title=Traité des maladies des femmes enceintes, des femmes en couche et des enfants nouveaux-nés|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TOIUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA237|accessdate=20 April 2013|year=1798|pages=237–}} Paris. 2 vol. in-8°

• A street bears his name in Fontenay-aux-Roses.

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• {{cite web|title=Discours prononcé aux écoles de médecine pour l'ouverture solemnelle du cours de chirurgie le dimanche 27me novembre 1757|url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011360304|accessdate=20 April 2013|language=French|format=pdf|year=1757}}

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Category:1722 births

Category:1794 deaths

Category:18th-century French physicians

Category:Members of the French Academy of Sciences

Category:Physicians from Orléans

Category:Contributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)

Category:French male writers

Category:University of Paris alumni