BICHAT, best* Marie Francois Xavier, French physician: b. Thoirette, department of Jura, 14 Nov. 1771; d. 22 July 1802. His father, a physician, early initiated him into the study of medicine, which the young Bichat prosecuted at Lyons and Paris, where he studied under the direction of Desault (q.v.), who treated him as a son. On the latter's death, Bichat superin tended the publication of his surgical works, and in 1791 began to lecture upon anatomy in connection with experimental physiology and surgery. From this period, amidst the pressing calls of an extensive practice, he employed him self in preparing those works which spread his reputation through Europe and America, and which had the most beneficial influence upon medical science generally. In 1800 appeared his 'Treatise on the Membranes,' which passed through numerous editions, and immediately after publication was translated into almost all European languages, and (Researches Concern ing Life and Deathd followed, the next year, by his 'General Anatomy) (4 vols., 8vo) — a complete code of anatomy, physiology and med icine, which was translated into English by Dr.
G. Hayward, and published in 3 vols. 8vo. In 1800 he was appointed physician of the Hotel Dieu, in Paris, and with the energy character istic of true genius began his labors in patho logical anatomy. In a single winter he opened no less than 600 bodies. He had likewise con ceived the plan of a great work upon pathology and therapeutics; and immediately upon com mencing his duties as physician to the HOtel Dieu he began his researches in therapeutics by experiments upon the effects of simple medi cines. In the midst of his activity and useful ness he was cut off by a malignant fever, prob ably the consequence of his numerous dissec tions. His friend and physician, Corvisart, wrote to Napoleon in these words: 93ichat has just fallen upon a field of battle which counts more than one victim; no one has done so much, or done it so well, in so short a time He was the creator of general anatomy, or of the doctrine of the identity of the tissues of the different organs, which is the fundamental prin ciple of modern medicine.