Social and professional composition

Judging from data in the register, 40% of the pupils who did write down their 
occupation belonged to the medical profession, and 40% more were medical 
students. Professors, famous naturalists or scientists are rare.
 

Additional data collected in the process of building our prosopographical 
database, indicate that, in spite of slight variations over the years, and a 
marked singularity for the years 1795-1796, the average attendant was the son of 
provincial elites sent to Paris to complete his education. The great majority 
went back to their town or region of origin after their studies. 
 

A few aristocrats, even princes, signed the register.

If the additional data so far collected confirm the predominance of the medical 
professions – physicians, surgeons, pharmacists – military officers, politicians 
(the first two signatures for 1795 belong to two leading politicians, the 
Convention members Creuze-Latouche and Lemoine-Vileneuve), artists (painters and 
draughtsmen, one musician), a few men of letters, several clergymen are also 
present.
 

Of the younger students whose career we have been able to follow, some became 
engineers, lawyers, military officers, administrators or politicians.