Laennec et Caelius : la philologie comme clinique

Abstract

René Théophile Hyacinthe Laennec undertook the translation of the Treatise on Acute and Chronic Diseases from Caelius Aurelianus. Based on the edition of his manuscript established in 2009, I will provide the reader with an interpretation of Laennec’s endeavour within his practice as a clinician. Leaving aside his appreciation and personal interest in classics, I will emphasize his reading and translation of ancient texts, which lay the foundation for a history of the clinic, as rooted in his methodological and epistemological approach, at a time when medical practice was submitted to major redefinitions. Laennec’s project, taking historical testimonies as components of a written and experimental data for diagnosis, allows us to draw analogies with some contemporary issues.