French Travellers’ Treatises on Oriental Diseases and Symptoms: Indo-French Medical History

Abstract

French travellers and adventures of the 17^th and the 18^th centuries had shown immense interest to explore the medical knowledge of the Orient. This article systematically analyzes their observations and evaluation on different diseases, symptoms and effects on patients which helped the travellers and adventurers of the later times by providing medical precautions to be taken before sailing on a voyage to the Orient. This article, based on many translated and un-translated records written in the form of letters, memoirs and travelogues by the French, who visited India, focuses on the varied facets given by them on medical knowledge and history of the Orient. Undoubtedly, the Portuguese and the English travellers also provided interesting accounts on oriental diseases, symptoms and their therapies but those given by the French are yet to be explored in detail.