The history of pediatric surgery in France.

Abstract

In 1741, Nicolas Andry, counsellor of King Louis XV, published a book about "orthopedics," inventing this word. The book is interesting as the author refers to beliefs and habits of the time. In 1864, Guersant published Notes About Pediatric Surgery, a real textbook which was translated into English and German and dealt with the importance of children's psychological training, anesthesia, and water or mother's milk after the operation, and also described tracheotomy, draining of cervical adenitis, and lithotrity. The classification of bone affections was still very confused. Tuberculosis and syphilis have an important place; hypospadias is not treated by surgery. In 1905, Froehlich published Pediatric Surgery Studies dealing exclusively with visceral surgery and demonstrating progress compared to Guersant's study. In 1906, Kirmisson published Pediatric Surgical Textbook, containing the first discussion of radiology and the description of the pathology of the omphalomesenteric duct and of other congenital malformations. Osteomyelitis was given its proper name, and cervical fistulas were explained. In 1914, A. Broca achieved further progress describing treatments of megacolon, intussusception, and the operation of Fredet Ramstedt. The book by Ombredanne, already out of date at the time of its publication, showed that he was not aware of the wartime, progress achieved by Ladd and Gross in the USA. French publications have diminished since then, and French pediatric surgery is still trying to find a precise identity.