La responsabilité médicale de 1789 à 1914
Institution:
Bordeaux 4Disciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
Medical responsability has always been omnipresent during centuries. It is relative to the errors commited by practicioners in the art of curing. The french revolution liberates the practioners from the constituent bodies, puts obstacles to medical structures and favours charlatans who are freely practising in health. Neverthless, the thermidorian convention and the directory reorganise the art of curing as the consulate did before, when working for the public health protection, by keeping the right to cure others to holders of diplomas and by excluding theorically the charlatans and empirics with the help of laws. The law (19 ventose an xi) is relative to medical doctors, health officers and midwives and includes penalties against those practising these kinds of professions being unqualified. Other texts, as the opinion given by the council of state falicitates the intervention of nuns and monks in health. The law (21 germinal an xi) regulates the professions of chemists, grocers, druggists, herbalists and distillers to make empiricism disappear. The law of november 30th, 1892, aims to remedy deficiencies included in law of (ventose an xi). The medical responsability is criminal or contractual in law, and based upon the medical errors, the personal acts and the choice of prophylaxis in medicine, surgery and obstetrics. The medical secrecy and the act of other professionals in health are responsible as well for their own acts. The quackery of authorized personnel is a case of responsability as well as the illegal practise of medecine. Those are guilty because they go beyong their own attributions. Continually denounced by medical doctors, the social bane of quackery remains strong, a fortiori when it comes from nuns or monks against whom the jurisprudence is always timorous.
Abstract FR:
Inherente aux fautes commises par les praticiens de l'art de guerir, la responsabilite medicale est omnipresente au fil des siecles. La revolution de 1789 libere les praticiens des corps constitues, entrave les structures medicales et favorites les charlatans qui pratiquent librement les professions de sante. Cependant la convention thermidorienne et le directoire reorganisent l'art medical a l'instar du consulat qui oeuvre pour la protection de la sante publique en reservant aux diplomes, le droit de soigner autrui, ecartant ainsi theoriquement, les charlatans et les empiriques par des lois. La loi du 19 ventose an xi concerne les docteurs en medecine, les officiers de sante ainsi que les sages-femmes et prevoit des penalites a l'encontre de ceux qui exerceraient ces professions sans etre diplomes. D'autres textes dont l'avis du conseil d'etat du 8 vendemiaire an xiv fixent le cadre tolerant accorde aux religieux dans le domaine de la sante. Quant aux pharmaciens, epiciers, droguistes herboristes et distillateurs, la loi du 21 germinal an xi fixe leur reglementation afin de supprimer l'empirisme. La loi du 30 novembre 1892 sur l'exercice de la medecine vise a remedier aux carences de celle de ventose an xi. Admise en droit positif et basee sur la faute du medecin, la responsabilite medicale est delictuelle ou contractuelle. Quant aux medecins, elle concerne leurs faits personnels, l'acte medical et le choix de la prophylaxie en medecine, chirurgie et obstetrique. Le secret medical et le fait d'autrui peuvent engager leur responsabilite. Les autres professionnels de sante repondent egalement de leurs actes. Le charlatanisme medical exerce par certains professionnels legaux constitue une cause de responsabilite comme l'exercice illegal de la medecine dont se rendent coupables divers praticiens qui depassent leurs attributions. Constamment denonce par les medecins, le fleau social du charlatanisme demeure vivace a fortriori lorsqu'il est le fait des religieux a l'egard desquels la jurisprudence demeure frileuse.