Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The National Academy of Medicine was founded in 1820 under Louis XVIII in the merger of three learned societies: the Royal Society of Medicine (1776), the Royal Academy of Surgery (1731) and the Society of the Faculty of Medicine. Initiated by Baron Antoine Portal, this creation aimed to centralize the medical expertise to advise the state on epidemics, forensic medicine or remedies. His statutes, inspired by those of the Academy of Surgery, also entrusted him with the preservation of the archives of the merged institutions.

Between 1820 and 1902, the Académie occupied several places: the Faculty of Medicine of Paris, a local rue de Poitiers (1824–50), and the disused chapel of the hospital of Charity (rue des Saints-Pères). Its current headquarters, a hotel built by architect Justin Rochet between 1899 and 1902, is located on Bonaparte Street in the 6th arrondissement. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1931 for its facades, portico and amphitheatre, the building also houses a library rich of 4,000 periodicals and 114 incunables.

The institution, first royal then imperial (1851–70), became national in 1947. Its missions, defined by the 1820 Ordinance and updated in 2013, include clarifying public health policies, promoting medical research and managing scientific awards (such as the Jansen Prize or the Academy Prize). It is also self-employed on ethical or environmental issues through specialised committees (ethics, ethics, digital health, etc.).

The Academy has 135 full members, 160 national correspondents and 180 foreigners, divided into four divisions (medicine, surgery, biological sciences, public health). Its financing mixes state grants and equity funds from bequests or donations. Despite her prestige, she was criticized for conflicts of interest (mediator's case) or controversial positions, as in 2019 on the LDC or in 2025 on eugenic statements attributed to one of its members.

The library, one of the richest in Europe in medicine, has also preserved archives since 1820 and an artistic heritage. The protected elements of the building (façades, rotunda amphitheatre) bear witness to its history, between the heritage of the Enlightenment and scientific modernity. Its present status, similar to that of the academies of the Institut de France, guarantees it administrative and financial autonomy under the protection of the President of the Republic.

External links