The Physician-Legislators of France by Jack D. Ellis - 9780521382083

The Physician-Legislators of FranceMedicine and Politics in the Early Third Republic, 18701914\nAuthor(s): Jack D. Ellis\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Cambridge University Press\nISBN-13: 9780521382083, 978-0521382083\nSynopsis\nBetween the birth of the Third Republic and the outbreak of World War I, French medical doctors gained a far-reaching influence over the political life of their country, serving as mayors on the local level and ranking second only to lawyers in parliament. Their frequent medical contact with the people served as the foundation for their political success. In this volume, first published in 1990, Ellis explores the causes and significance of this phenomenon by examining the careers of the members of parliament who held degrees in medicine. It is the first book to deal explicitly with the backgrounds and careers of the physician-legislators, and uses a wealth of previously untapped sources. This study places .