17 fortified town in the eighteenth century . For the States officer corps, French influence on the day to day life and General of the Republic of the United Netherlands, Maastricht culture of the town increased perceptibly, as was evidenced, by was an important forward defence post against the Spanish and the number of books in the town. French armies. This meant that five to eleven thousand troops were quartered in the town, in addition to its general population of eighteen thousand people. In 1672, a military Revolution hospital was established for the garrison, bringing special expertise in military surgery, which was needed because sick In 1794, republican troops of the French revolutionary and wounded soldiers could not be cared for at home. This government conquered Maastricht. Maastricht became the raised the level of expertise of the town’s medicinae doctores capital of the French department of Meuse Inférieure. This had and barber-surgeons, for instance by the public anatomy lessons dramatic consequences for medicine. The guild of barber- given by Adrien Pelerin, head of the army hospital and the first surgeons was abolished, admission of doctors and exams as well professor of medicine in Maastricht. as oversight of health care were not longer the responsibility of the town council but were centrally governed by the department. The properties of the nobility, chapters and Protestant and roman catholic Maastricht monasteries were confiscated. The most interesting books in the town and monastery libraries disappeared to Paris. In the The large garrison was not only of medical significance to meantime real hospitals had been established in Paris. Hôtel Maastricht. The officers of the garrison strengthened Dieu and Hopital Necker were not equipped for the long-term protestantism in Maastricht to no inconsiderable degree. From care of the destitute or disabled but for diagnosing and treating 1632, when Frederik Hendrik captured Maastricht from the diseases. This also reflected the progress that had been made in Spaniards, there had been a so-called simultaneum with equal medicine. In the medical school of Corvisart and Laennec in rights for roman catholics and protestants. The protestant Paris insight was gained into the localisation of disease, and community had remained small, however, until the end of the organ abnormalities were identified as causes of disease. seventeenth century when the garrison was strengthened and a The discovery of the stethoscope made it possible to identify pre-university reformed Illustrious School was established. those disorders. The concept of a hospital for diagnosis and Protestant ministers and Huguenot professors who had fled treatment of diseases was adopted at Maastricht during the France taught at this school, where later Pelerin was appointed brief French period. The Sint Servaas hospice became the professor of medicine. The Dutch and French protestants ‘civilian hospital’ for the town’s citizens and military personnel enhanced the cultural diversity and the educational when they were ill. opportunities in the until then rather inwardly oriented roman catholic town. As a result of this and due to the international
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