[Felix Vicq d'Azyr, founder of the Academy of Medicine (1748-1794)]

Vicq d'Azyr (1748-1794) was the son of a norman physician. He was graduated at the Paris university and obtained quickly a brilliant renown and career. During his whole life he continued studies on human and animal anatomy. Member of Académie des sciences and Académie française, he was the queen's physician, superintendent for epidemies, and above all general secretary of the Société royale de médecine. In that position he kept a regular correspondence with a great number of physicians and surgeons in the Kingdom. They gave the Société informations about epidemies and epizooties in relation with the climate, about economic resources of the population, the quality of food supplies, the ability of health professionals, etc. The amount of the informations so collected during sixteen years is considerable. Vicq d'Azyr also worked out a plan for setting up the medicine in the country. That plan was based on public physicians in countries, districts and departments, giving an "academic body" an account of their task. His vow was satisfied in 1820 when the Académie royale de médecine was founded.