LARREY DOMINIQUE JEAN: (1766-1842) French Surgeon of Napoleon´s Grande Armée. Larrey was the ...

LARREY DOMINIQUE JEAN: (1766-1842) French Surgeon of Napoleon´s Grande Armée. Larrey was the Emperor´s favourite surgeon, an innovator in the battlefield medicine and widely considered one of the first modern military surgeons. Rare and extremely interesting lengthy A.L.S., `D.J. Larrey´, four pages, 8vo, Dresden, 7th July 1813, to his wife, in French. Larrey first reports on his recent conversation with the Emperor stating in part `I was waiting for the right moment to talk to H[is] M[ajesty] about this friend and for this reason I was keeping all the time the paper in my pocket. That morning at dawn…the Emperor asked me few graceful questions regarding my wounded soldiers with mutilated fingers, and I responded to all of them. Then he told me ''Seems like you have had a great success as I have been told that they were all recovering'', Yes Sir, we have only lost a very small number. ''That is good, I am satisfied''. Because Your Majesty is satisfied with my behaviour, would you allow me to ask for a favour? ''Yes, What do you want?''..´ Larrey reports the full sentences exchanged with the Emperor, who finally had to refuse to Larrey´s request, further saying `..everybody was astonished, and were commenting the great influence I was having on the Emperor, because he gave to me many details and explanations regarding my request and the reasons for denying it..´ Larrey refers to the difficulty in finding the right moment and having the opportunity to talk to the Emperor, also saying `..in case the Emperor doesn´t change his mind, your sister and family should be happy as they have fortune, while we do not have a sol. I will not complain. I will have so many good souvenirs of my medical career, that as long as you have enough to live when I will die, that my soul will leave satisfied.´ Further on Larrey says `..Everything makes me fear a new war… I hope I will be able to see you before the 19th of November, because if I had to do another winter campaign I would for sure die. I hardly can warm up now.´ Before concluding Larrey refers to the news received from his friend Pelletan who is still at Wilna. A letter of very interesting content. Provenance, Crawford collection. Very small overall, minor age wear. VG

Marie Elisabeth Laville-Leroux (1770-1842) French Painter and wife of Larrey. She was pupil of David, and used to sign her paintings ''Larrey'' when accompanying her husband during Napoleon´s campaigns. Larrey was right when he writes ''Everything makes me fear a new war''. Only a month later, 11th August, Austria would put an end to the armistice, and few weeks later took place the last major victory of Napoleon at the battle of Dresden. Philippe Jean Pelletan (1747-1829) French Surgeon. One of Napoleon´s consultant-surgeon from 1804. Pelletan was present at the crime scene of Marat and signed the minutes on the death certificate and was also responsible of the controversial autopsy of the 10 years older Louis XVII, younger son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, both executed. It has been reported that during the autopsy, Pelletan was shocked to see the countless scars which covered the body of Louis XVII as a result of the physical abuse the child suffered while imprisoned in the Temple. Napoleon would say about Larrey `If the army ever erects a monument to express its gratitude, it should do so in honour of Larrey.´ At Waterloo in 1815 his bravery under fire was noticed by the Duke of Wellington who saluted his courage and ordered not to fire in his direction so as to ''give the brave man time to gather up the wounded''. When the battle was lost, Larrey was taken prisoner by the Prussians when he was trying to escape. They were about to execute him on the spot but was recognized by one of the German surgeons because he had saved the life of Blucher´s son when he was wounded and taken prisoner by the French. He was pardoned, invited as a guest to Blucher's dinner table and authorized to go back to France with money and proper clothes.