150 Years of Surgery in New France

Jean Madry Commissioned First Canadian Surgeon

Nov 6, 2009 Rosemary E. Bachelor

In 1658, barber-surgeon Jean Madry was granted a royal commission to practice in New France. Between then and 1825, little progress was made in surgical procedures.

The history of medicine in New France, its largest territory being what is now Canada’s Province of Quebec, officially began with Jean Madry’s royal commission in 1658.

Bloodletting a Cure-All

It was a leech, not a knife, that Madry used as the main instrument of his “surgery”. Blood was sucked from the arm or elsewhere to reduce fever, or combat numerous illnesses. It was thought to be a purification process and was universally practiced up until the early 1800s.

This remedy for nearly all physical ailments of the human body was also considered a good preventive measure. Whether sick or well, many people wished to be bled once a year and it was the barber-surgeon who performed the procedure.

Symbol of the Barber Surgeon

The sign of the barber-surgeon was more commonly known in past centuries as the barber’s pole. It was red and white striped in a spiral design. Sometimes a blue or black stripe was added. In those days most people were illiterate and the barber’s pole at the door proclaimed that surgery was performed by the master craftsman within. For many decades one of these was located on Quebec's Cote de Fabrique, facing the square adjacent to the Roman Catholic cathedral.

Barber and Surgeon Roles Clarified

In France the barber-surgeons were separated from the wigmakers and coiffeurs and incorporated as a distinct profession during the reign of Louis XIV. In England, the barbers first received incorporation in 1461 from Edward IV. In the reign of Henry VIII they were united with the company of surgeons and it was then enacted that the barbers should confine themselves to simpler operations of bloodletting and pulling out rotten teeth. The surgeons then were prohibited from “barbery or shaving”.

In 1745, during the reign of King George II, barbers and surgeons were separated into distinct groupings called corporations. In 1788, an act was passed to prevent persons practicing physic (a cleansing of the bowels) and surgery within the Province of Quebec without a license. (Prior to the 1759 conquest by the British, Canada was ruled by the French,)

19th Century Medical Advances

Prior to the 19th century three major factors held back medical advances. They were dealing with bleeding, infection and pain. For centuries there had been a stalemate in these three areas. Pain had been dealt with by doses of opium, or drinking wine and using marijuana. Bleeding was thought to be beneficial, even though some patients bled to death when limbs were amputated. Causes of infection were unknown. Indeed, a doctor who advocated hand washing was thought to be insane.

Then, the answers all appeared early in the 19th century. Anesthetics were developed for pain and antiseptics for warding off infection. Cauterization had been used to stop bleeding before the use of ligatures to close off severed blood vessels. Knowledge of blood types meant transfusions could replace lost blood. Surgery was transformed from a centuries-old risky procedure to a marvel of medical science.

Canada’s First Medical Society

By the early 1800s, the practice of medicine in Canada began to become more of a science. Yet surgery was still in many ways akin to butchery and major changes were not made until Canadian surgeons began using anesthesia.

The first medical society in Quebec was organized in 1826 under the presidency of Dr. Joseph Morrin, founder of Morrin College and mayor of Quebec. Morrin College later became “The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Lower Canada” until medical courses were offered by McGill and Laval Universities. The original Morrin College building was renovated in the early 21st century and continued as longtime headquarters of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec.

Sources:

Gale, George, Historic Tales of Old Quebec, 1920, The Telegraph Printing Company, Quebec.

Science Museum’s “History of Medicine” website.

The copyright of the article 150 Years of Surgery in New France in Canadian History is owned by Rosemary E. Bachelor. Permission to republish 150 Years of Surgery in New France in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Leech for Bloodletting