[Medical historiography at the time of the Revolution: the French and Italian experience]

After a brief hint at the history of medical historiography from Hippocrates to the age of the French Revolution, the author compares the Italian and French contributions published at the end of the XVIIIth century. In that century, history of medicine shows annalistical, bibliographical and methodological trends. In France, with Pinel and Cabanis, it has a predominantly methodological character, as thought by Cullen. Also in Italy, where the interest for this discipline arises somewhat later than in other European countries, the French methodological model is accepted.