1809 Proposal from a French Physician to the Ministry of Finance Requesting Funding

On offer is a fine example of a proposal from a physician to a French government ministry along with a follow-up letter, both dating from 1809. 

The proposal is from a French doctor, Doctor Dufour, to the Ministry of Finance, requesting them to consider paying for the publication of his treatise on the study and treatment of venereal disease. The recipient of the treatise is a bureaucrat named Monsieur Bouconvillier.

The proposal is dated April 17th, 1809. It begins:

Lorsque je ais l'honneur de vous adreser l'introduction de l' ouvrage que je prius la liberte de vous envoyer aujourd'hui je vous disois que il'y avait beaucoup de maladies virulent qui [] tres frequentes n'en sont pas moins inconnus a cause des diffirens curaitires quelles presentent…

[Translation: Having had the honour of sending you the introduction to the work I pray the liberty to send you today, I tell you that there are many virulent diseases which [] are very frequent but are no less unknown because of the different curative treatments they present…]

Over the next three  pages he goes on to describe what he proposes and ends with the following:

J'espere de votre bonte et de votre charite que vous faires imprimer cet ouvrage vous rendus en memetemps un service signale au public il en conservira d'autant plus de souvenir que je le lui annvinierai par l'epitre dedication qui je vous adrepirai a la ouverage si vous me le permettre.

[Translation: I hope from your goodness and your charity that you will have this work printed and at the same time you will be doing the public a service, and that it will be remembered all the more because I will remember it by the letter of dedication which I will add at the opening if you will allow me to do so]

Not having had a response in six months, he apparently had a colleague or supporter named Caire write, urging that they consider his proposition. An excerpt from the second letter follows:

Monsieur Dufour medecin a notre department…a fait passer au ministre des finances un traite de medecine intitule prolegomenes contenant les principes necessaires a l'etudes et au traitement de toutes les maladies venerienes pour qu' apres l'avoir fait examiner il voulent bien de charger de la faire imprimer au frais du gouvernment, ce traite vous a ete envoye le 9me mai domier sous le numbre 25.85 [] 108 du registre.

[Translation: Mr. Dufour, a physician in our department…sent to the Minister of Finance a medical treatise entitled "Prolegomenes" containing the principles necessary for the study and treatment of all venereal diseases, so that, after having had it examined, he would be willing to have it printed at the government's expense; this treatise was sent to you on May 9th under the number 25.85 [] 108 of the register…]

The reverse side of the letter carries the address – a Monsieur Amaberd, Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance. This was a powerful position as Ministries were small by modern standards.- on average, less than 150 persons. Our informal research has not been able to find any information on him.

The address still bears part of the red wax seal.

These two documents offer an excellent insight into the operations and process of government during Napoleonic times.

The proposal document contains four pages but is 75% complete and measures 8.5” x 6.75” and is in good condition with normal signs of ageing. The handwriting is legible. The follow-up letter measures 9” x 7.25”. It is four pages long but only 50% complete, and in good condition with normal signs of ageing.