The great military surgeon Larrey served during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt, where he was the first to observe the contagiousness of trachoma shortly after the successful invasion in 1798. The disease spread to Europe under the name of “military ophthalmia” or “Egyptian ophthalmia”. This pamphlet was printed at Napoleon's press in Cairo, the first printing press established in Egypt. Reprinted in Larrey’s, Rélation historique et chirurgicale de I’expedition de l'Armée d’Orient, Paris, 1803.

Larrey's history of his experiences with Napoleon and Napoleon's armies during the Egypt campaign. Includes a reprint of Larrey's treatise on trachoma, which was first published at Napoleon's press in Cairo.
Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.

Larrey was the greatest military surgeon in history. Of him Napoleon said: “C’est l’homme le plus vertueux que j’ai connu”. He was present at all Napoleon’s great battles and one of the few who stood by him on his abdication, and was waiting for him on his return in 1815. Larrey was one of the first to amputate at the hip-joint; he described the operation in vol. 2, pp. 180-95, reporting at least two successful cases. He was the first to describe the therapeutic effect of maggots on wounds, gave the first description of “trench foot”, invented the “ambulante volonte”, used advanced first-aid posts on the battlefield, and devised several new operations. He was familiar with the stomach tube, with débridement, and with the infectious nature of granular conjunctivitis (trachoma). He was a kindly man, who devoted much of his life to the well-being of the soldiers, among whom not even Napoleon commanded more love and respect. Larrey states on page 1 of vol. 5, published 24 years after vol. 4, that he intended it to complete his campaign memoirs. Vol. 5 includes his account of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon’s exile.

English translation with notes by Richard Willmott Hall of vols. 1-3 in 2 vols. as Memoirs of military surgery and campaigns of the French armies, on the Rhine, in Corsica, Catalonia, Egypt and Syria; at Boulogne, Ulm and Austerlitz; in Saxony, Prussia, Poland, Spain, and Austria. Baltimore, 1814. English translation of vol. 4 by John C. Mercer, as Surgical memoirs of the campaigns of Russia, Germany, and France. Philadelphia, 1832.

Larrey’s most comprehensive surgical treatise, and the only one of his works that is extensively illustrated. Many of the plates concern surgical pathology.

Digital facsimile from BnF Gallica at this link

Some copies of this book include 8 of the 16 plates hand-colored; an unusual manual process for a book produced at this date.