Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-08-04
DIR. pIGxE-nupuYTREN.


By Dr. n. A. de Cafihol.
Following lie translation of the trib
ute spoken by DIR. Z. A. de Cailhol Of
this city at Ar. N. of August ID, 1886.
standing over the open grave Of the la.
mented venerable French physician and
surgeon J. B. Pigne.Dupuytren, his
friend and colleague:
Ladies and Gentlemen. While we are
assembled here to bid the last farewell
to the remains Of the loved and veneer
ated physician and surgeon j. B. Pigne.
Dupuytren, allow me before we separate
10 pass in brief review what sort OF man
he was and the deeds Of worth and
usefulness he has performed during
career Of nearly four-score of years. j.
b. Pipne .Dupuytren has had many
titles to the honor of distinction among
bis fsllowmen. The French colony Of
Southern California especially, and all
good men here, have reason to feel very
proud u & ss,iim. He was born in 1907 In
humble condition in life, his parents
being farmers. and very small farmers at
that, near the city OF Grenoble. France.
The celebrated Professor Cruveilher, his
countryman, then occupying a chair at
the Medical School of Paris, was init
mately acquainted with an uncle of j.
b. Pigne, who was no less than
the widely known military sur
geon, Dupuytren, Baron of the
Empire Of the great Napoleon.
Cruveilher, being at home during va
cation. officiated at the birth of young
J. B Pigne, and later. at the request OF
his uncle, engaged to superintend the
intruction of his nephew. and to do all
in his power to render 1t as complete as
possible. As soon as young Pigne had
been educated at the best colleges Of
Paris, and had received his degrees Of
Bachelor and of Master OF Arts, he en-
tered the medical school to study medi.
cine and surgery, having also Cruveilher
as private teacher or, as it is called in
French, 'repetiteur." OF course, under
such training, his progress was rapid.
His uncle, who had been SO useful in
the French armies of Napoleon the First,
the great warrior had been made bar
on, with donation Of castle worth
1000, 600 francs ($200, 000) as q reward
for his bravery and surgical services
rendered on fields of battle. But this
distinguished man was nevertheless
troubled with . great grief-although
married he had no male heir to his es-
tate and baronetcy. His sister, the
mother Of young ]. B. Pigne, being in
poor circumstances, he determined to
adopt her boy as his own, and begged
the Emperor Napoleon to authorize his
adoption of the child, with the permis.
sion to add to the name Of Pigne that OF
his own-Dupuytren. The Emperor
granted the request and young Pigne
became heir to the title Of Baron as well
as to the estates of his uncle. The de.
ceased has often laughed with me over
the circumstance, which seemed to |
run counter to his modest desires,
arguing that he would never bear the |
title for several reasons: First, because |
he himself was unworthy of it. having |
never done anything remarkable; Sec
ond, because he being an unflinching |
and determined Republican, it would be
q reproach to accept an empty title. |
But may say that without reproach to |
the vanity of Baron Dupuytren, vanity |
justiiable perhaps on account of his |
great services, he might also have been |
credited with the time and care he de- |
voted to the perfect instruction CT his |
adopted boy.
Baron Dupuytren by reason of his re-
peated war marches and counter marches,
in following his sovereign, became an
acute observer, and thoroughly imbued /
be derived by young student in travel
ling, and coming in contact with the
manners, uses and customs of different
nlx~.n f~~ 1
Pigne was through with his medical and
surgical studies in Paris, the B.ron noti-
fed him to take his chaise de poste 10
private travelling carriage in vogue
among people of tone in that epoch. and
to 60 direct to Heidelberg for the pur
pose Of mastering the surgical and medi-
cal science of Germany. In a compare.
lively short time he mastered the Ger
man language and graduated splendidly
as physician and surgeon in that great
scientific university. After his return to
Paris, Ms soon as his uncle had congrat.
ulated him upon his successes, he was
again instructed that the chaise was in
readiness to take him to Boulogne, on
the frontier of France, the objective
point from thence being Edinbnrg,
in Scotland. There it became
necessary for him to first master
the English language, and after to re-
commence medical and surgical studies
under English professors. Naturally,
after all his previous acquisitions, his
progress was as rapid as it had been in
Heidelberg, and he graduated with the
highest honors. Returning to Paris in
1915 he was appointed by ministerial de-
cree Conservation of the Anatomical Mu-
scum, founded by the Baron, his uncle,
and which bears his name. This muse
um, on account Of its extensive anatom-
ical specimens, is known all over the
medical world. At that time DIR. Pigne
was in the prime Of life, 3S years Of age,
a very handsome man in every respect,
with perfect features, always smile
upon his face. always kind and obliging
to everybody. The Dean Of the faculty
him prosector, end in that ca.
pacity his duty was to prepare dissect-
ing materials for anatorical study by
the students. 1t was during this period
that / was fortunate enough to become
acquainted with him, and to get to know
his natural kindness and generosity of
disposition, HIS ardor in the pursuit Of
science, his chivalric bearing and and
treatment of his fellow
men, and also his wsrm sltachmeat to
republican principles of government.
The political events of France in lS4S
exercised fascinating influence upon
the heated and active imagination of the
young but already renowned DR.. PigDe.
When the Reppblic was proclaimed he
was wild with enthpsissrp, But he was
destined not merely to DISAPPOINTMENT,
but veritable disgust, when he saw
Prince Louis Napoleon elected President
of the French Republic, for with his per-
{, ct knowledge Of the human heart, his
sharp and investigating eye, he felt sat.
issed that man capable of such
irrational pronunciamientos as the
two promulgated during the
reign Of King Louis Philippe at
Boulogns and Strasbourg, would
prove unworthy Of the high trust, and
that this yagabond of royalty would
0 ertsinly bring humiliation and disgrace
u BON bis beloved France, He did not
wish TO witness these calamities, which he
was powerless to avert, and so decided
to emigrate to this side Of the Atlantic,
where his vision beheld o happy and
prosperous future under the glorious
d ~ of the stars and stripes. Accord.
ingly at the end of that year he arrived
in New York. As soon as he located in
the Empire City he was made acquaint.
ed with the most prominent families
there, such az the Asters, Vanderbilt,
CYRUS W. Field, Delmonico and great
many Others. A few splendid surgical
o operations that he performed upon the
star, his pleasant face, his amenity and
Of manners, soon made him
popular smong them all. But
he was anxious to visit the whole OF the
great Republic from north to south.
1 saving New York City with abundant
L tiers Of accommodation he success
fully visited Niagara Falls, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, Washington, Rich
mond, Chicago, St. Louis and New