DRAN, HENRY FRANCIS LE, a French surgeon
of distinguished eminence, was born in the year 1685.
His father followed the same profession at Paris, and
was highly celebrated for his treatment of cancers.
Dran had much experience as well as abilities, although
his anatomical knowledge was rather circumscribed,
and his acquaintance with books was far from being
extensive. In 1730, he published in 8vo a valuable
work, entitled Parallele des differentes Manieres de
tirer la Pierre hors de la Vessie. In this work he takes
a comparative view of the different modes of perform-
ing the hazardous operation of lithotomy, preferring
the lateral method which was practised by Cheselden.
In the year 1731, he published his Observations de
Chirurgie, avec des Reflections, in 2 vols 12mo, which
is justly considered as a valuable performance for men
who are employed in the practice of surgery. In
1757, appeared his Traité ou Reflections tirées de la
Pratique sur les Playes d'Armes à Feu; in which he
gives the results of his own practice while in the army,
with efficacious methods for the cure of gun-shot
wounds. Gataker translated into English his Traité
des Operations de Chirurgie, to which many interest-
ing observations were added by Cheselden. In 1763,
were published his Consultations sur la plupart des Ma-
ladies qui sont du Ressort de la Chirurgie; the plan of
which is admirably calculated for the instruction of
young practitioners. As at least one evidence of the
merit of Dran's works, translations of them have been
made into various languages. If his judgment was pe-
netrating, he was equally famed for his successful opera-
tions. He died at Paris in the year 1770, in the
85th year of his age.