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.
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