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Dominique Anel

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Dominique Anel
Bornc. 1679
Diedc. 1730
NationalityFrench
OccupationSurgeon
Known forSurgical treatment of fistula lacrymalis

Dominique Anel (c. 1679c. 1730), French surgeon, was born at Toulouse. Anel was a pupil of well-known French surgeons J. L. Petit (1674-1750) and Georges Mareschal (1658-1736).[1] After studying at Montpellier and Paris, he served as surgeon-major in the French army in Alsace; then after two years at Vienna he went to Italy and served in the Austrian army. In 1710 he was teaching surgery in Rouen, whence he went to Genoa, and in 1716 he was practising in Paris.[2]

In military, Anel’s job was to clean soldiers’ wounds at the battle fields. He invented a small suction syringe which was used to remove much of the dirt and infection. [3] This prevented the professional ‘suckers’ who followed the armies at that time to offer lip-service for money. [4] Anel’s syringe survived with modification for 250 years.[1] This became the forerunner of modern aspirator.[5] Based on this unique design, hypodermic syringes were ultimately improved.[6]

The Anel syringe. Credit: Wellcome Collection

Anel was celebrated for his successful surgical treatment of fistula lacrymalis, and while at Genoa invented for use in connection with the operation the fine-pointed syringe known by his name.[2] In 1713, Anel became famous after he treated the Duchess of Savoy for lacrimal fistulae in a period of ten days.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b Price, John (2012). "Dominique Anel and the small lachrymal syringe" (PDF). Medical History. 13 (4): 340–354. doi:10.1017/S0025727300014770. PMC 1033979. PMID 4899814. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Anel, Dominique". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 2.
  3. ^ Jacobson, Ryan (1 August 2017). Marvelous Medical Inventions. Minneapolis: Lerner Digital. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-512-46014-8. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  4. ^ de MOULIN, D. (1960). "Dominique Anel and his operation for Aneurysm" (PDF). Bulletin of the History of Medicine. 34 (6): 498–507. JSTOR 44446690. PMID 13773232. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  5. ^ Bennion, Elisabeth (1 January 1979). Antique Medical Instruments. Oakland: University of California Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-520-03832-5. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  6. ^ Duce, Martín (1999). "Origins of the hypodermic syringe and local anesthesia. Their influence on hernia surgery" (PDF). Hernia. 3 (2): 103–106. doi:10.1007/BF01194615. S2CID 195308011. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  7. ^ Javed Ali, Mohammad (8 February 2018). Principles and Practice of Lacrimal Surgery. Singapore: Springer Nature. p. 2. ISBN 978-9-811-05442-6. Retrieved 24 February 2022.