| Urbain Hémard | |
| Birth Date: | Around 1548 |
| Birth Place: | Entraygues, Aveyron, France |
| Death Place: | Estaing, Aveyron, France |
| Nationality: | French |
| Fields: | Physician, dentist |
| Patrons: | Georges d'Armagnac, Archdiocese of Avignon |
| Alma Mater: | University of Montpellier |
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| Thesis1 Year: | and |
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| Known For: | Recherche de la vraye anathomie des dents, nature et propriété d'icelles |
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Urbain Hémard (c. 1548 in Entraygues, Aveyron – 14 October 1592 in Estaing, Aveyron) was a French physician and dentist. He wrote the first French work entirely devoted to dentistry.
He studied at the University of Montpellier and settled around 1529 in Rodez where he served as lieutenant to the King's First Surgeon for his colleagues in the Sénéchaussée and the Diocese of Rouergue.[1] [2]
He was one of the doctors of Rodez called in 1586 to the bedside of Margaret of Valois, who had taken refuge in the castle of Carlat after her rupture with her family and the King of Navarre, the future Henri IV.
In 1589, he went to Aix-en-Provence, which was afflicted by the plague, and was congratulated by Antoine Davin, the King's physician.[3]
It was in Rodez that Bishop Georges d'Armagnac, ambassador of Francis I in Venice, suffering from dental pains called upon him.[4] Hémard remained for ten years in the service of the Cardinal of Armagnac.
In 1582, Hémard dedicated his book Recherche de la vraye anathomie des dents, nature et propriété d'icelles (Research into the true anatomy of the teeth, their nature and properties) to the Cardinal, preceded a few months ahead by an Essay sur les dents (Essay on Teeth).[2]
Taking advantage of his notoriety, he held the post of Consul twice, in 1581 and 1589, but in 1589, he betrayed the confidence of his fellow citizens by taking the side of the Leagueers against that of the Royalists. Indeed, using his status as consul, he facilitated the entry into the city of soldiers of the League against the advice of his rather royalist fellow citizens. The situation quickly degenerated and the inhabitants of the city were the object of vexations: serious incidents broke out.[4] Banished, he found refuge in Estaing and died there on 14 October 1592, at the age of less than fifty.[4]
The book Recherche de la vraye anathomie des dents, nature et propriété d'icelles consists of twenty-three chapters: the first three are devoted to the names, nature and properties of the teeth, the next three to "feeling", the next seven to the development of the teeth, four of which deal with odontogenesis and three with tooth eruption, and finally the last ten deal with dental diseases, four of which are therapeutic and the last with prophylaxis.[2]
A residential street bears his name in Rodez. (44.3626°N 2.5466°W)