DUPUYTREN, GUILLAUME, BARON, one of the most distinguished of French surgeons, was born October 6, 1777, at Pierre Buffière, a small town of Limousin. He was sprung from poor parents, and was furnished with the means of receiving an ordinary education at the Collège de la Marche, by some charitable persons to whom he had been introduced. At the Ecole de Médecine, he began the study of medicine with invincible ardour, and was appointed professor of the faculty when only 18 years of age. When only
26 he succeeded Peletan as head surgeon at the Hôtel-Dieu; and he was appointed professor of surgery at the age of 33. At the same time he became inspector of the university, a chevalier and afterwards an officer in the Legion of Honour, chevalier of St Michel, baron, member of the Institute, and first surgeon to the king.
Dupuytren's energy and industry were alike remarkable. He visited the Hôtel Dieu morning and evening, performing at each time several operations, lectured to vast throngs of students, gave advice to his out-door patients, and fulfilled the duties consequent upon one of the largest practices of modern times. By his indefatigable diligence and activity, he amassed a fortune of 1,300,000, the bulk of which he bequeathed to his daughter, but deducting considerable sums for the endowment of the anatomical chair in the Ecole de Médecine, and the establishment of a benevolent institution for distressed medical men.
Dupuytren's writings are by no means numerous. The most important of them is his Treatise on Artificial Anus, in which the principles laid down by John Hunter are happily applied. In his operations he was remarkable for the skill and dexterity with which he overcame the numerous difficulties incidental to so extensive a practice as he enjoyed. Instead of attempting to introduce new methods of procedure, he commonly limited himself to modifying and adapting to his particular exigencies the established laws of surgery. In private life, Dupuytren was cold and reserved; his brow, furrowed with wrinkles, betrayed the weight of cares with which he was burdened; and it was seldom that a smile, except one of irony or disdain, played about his lips. His unsocial coldness was further heightened by his constant struggle against a consumptive tendency, which ultimately carried him off, 8th February 1835.
After death Dupuytren's head was opened, and his brain taken out and weighed. Its weight was found to be exactly the same with that of Dr Abercrombie, viz. 64 ounces.