Nicolas Andry de Bois-Regard (Lyon 1658-Paris 1742): the inventor of the word "orthopaedics" and the father of parasitology

Abstract

This is an historical essay about Nicolas Andry, a French medical doctor (Lyon 1658-Paris 1742) who wrote in 1741 the famous book called "L'orthopedie", which was soon after translated into English (1742) "Orthopaedia or the art of correcting and preventing deformities in children". His life and works are detailed as the containment of the book composed of two volumes and many engravings (the crooked tree has become the symbol of numerous orthopaedic societies around the world). A discussion of semantics (ORTHO-PEDIE) and evolution of the meaning of this word is also discussed.

Keywords: History of orthopaedics; The crooked tree; The word “orthopaedics”.

Fig. 1

Parish of Saint Nizier and the bridge La Feuillée (on the bank of the river Saône). Historical engraving

Fig. 2

a Treatise on the generation of worms, 1700. b Clarification of the treatise, 1704. c, dTwo plates illustrating worms

Fig. 3

Satirical engraving of “Homini Verminoso” (French National Library)

Fig. 4

The engraved frontispiece of the French edition of L’Orthopédie (1741)

Fig. 5

The English edition “Orthopaedia” (1743)

Fig. 6

He recommends the carrying of a ladder to help correct scoliosis

Fig. 7

The famous engraving of the “crooked tree” (p. 282 of vol. 1)

Fig. 8

Engraving illustrating the chapter “Orthopaedics” in the Encyclopaedia, Paris, 1763

Fig. 9

Two logos derived from the “crooked tree” (SOFCOT and SOFOP)

Fig. 10

The portrait of N. Andry by Chereau