Guillaume Dupuytren, a French surgeon, born at Pierre-Buffiere, Limousin, Oct. 6,1777, died in Paris, Feb. 8, 1835. At the age of 12 he was placed in the college of La Marche at Paris, where he engaged in literary studies, but was rebellious, abandoned Latin for the sciences, and became enthusiastic only after undertaking the study of medicine. At 18 he was appointed one of the six assistant dissectors in the newly established schools of health; and in 1801 he succeeded Dumeril without competition as curator of the anatomical department. He displayed unprecedented skill and activity in dissection, and became successively surgeon of the second class in the Hotel-Dieu, inspector general of the university, professor of medical practice, and in 1815 surgeon-in-chief of the Hotel-Dieu. Having now absolute power in the oldest and wealthiest hospital of France, he regularly passed five hours in the morning in performing operations in the presence of more than 400 students. After the fatal attack on the duke de Berry, in 1820, Dupuytren was called to the Tuileries for consultation, and three years later he was made first surgeon to the king. His proud, silent, and capricious character was the object of innumerable epigrams and calumnies.

His health failed in 1833, and he went to Italy, but soon returned and resumed his lectures. He died after much suffering, which excited rather his curiosity than complaints or disquietude, and left a part of his fortune for the foundation of a chair of pathological anatomy in the faculty of medicine in Paris, and of a museum which bears his name. His principal works have been collected in an edition entitled Lecons orales. He simplified many surgical operations, and made some valuable innovations.