Paper short abstract:

This paper sets out to examine the situation of private medical practice in French African overseas at the end of the nineteenth century, when African territories fell under French colonial domination.

Paper long abstract:

In France, the movement for the occupational control of labour of professionalism in the area of health began in early nineteenth century, and was authorized around the end of the same century. This process could not ignore medical practice outside France, from the time of overseas territories up to the colonial occupation at the end of the nineteenth century. It is known from travellers' accounts, the literature on the French empire as well as from some incidental mentions in historical accounts on the development of health system in French overseas, that private practice initiated French medicine in overseas and that it was lucrative. It is also known that competition between different occupational groups for status in the area of health was fierce in France until the end of the nineteenth century, and even beyond. Surprising, archives on private medical practice in the colonies are virtually unavailable. This paper sets out to examine the situation of private medical practice in French African overseas at the end of the nineteenth century, when African territories fell under French colonial domination. This understanding is relevant for a better appreciation of the development of the practice during the following sixty years of colonial occupation, and even beyond. So far African medical historians have tended to focus their interest on the colonial state organised medicine. Investigating privately organised practice can shed new light on the official account of French colonial medical assistance in its colonies of Africa.

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