Naval Medicine in the Reframing of Medical Knowledge: Schools of Surgery and Marine Hospitals in Eighteenth-Century France

Abstract The establishment of the naval school of surgery in Rochefort in 1720 signified a pivotal moment in the professionalization of health care in the French Navy. The aim of this institution was to cultivate proficient, versatile naval surgeons capable of addressing the comprehensive array of health concerns encountered at sea. In the wake of its establishment, analogous institutions were rapidly founded in Toulon (1725) and Brest (1740). The education imparted by naval schools of surgery encompassed a practical component, acquired through training in marine hospitals and onboard vessels, and included instruction in medicine, anatomy, pharmacy, and surgery. In this article, I will analyze the role of naval schools of surgery and marine hospitals in developing new medical knowledge in eighteenth-century France. Using the case of bone necrosis and its treatment at the Toulon Marine Hospital, I will explain how seaports contributed to innovation in health care, and how naval medicine helped reframe medical knowledge in France.