Jean-Nicolas Corvisart (February 15, 1755–September 18, 1821) was an important figure in the history of French medicine. Born in the French village of Dricourt in 1755, Corvisart gained early notoriety for his translation of Leopold von Auenbrugg's Inventum Novum from Latin into French. Corvisart was especially fond of Auenbrugg's use of chest percussion as a diagnostic tool, and began to perfect the technique.
In 1797, Corvisart began to teach at the Collège de France, where he gained a reputation as an expert in cardiology.
In 1804, Corvisart became the primary physician of Napoléon Bonaparte, who he continued to attend to until Bonaparte's exile to St. Helena Island October 1815. He died six years later at Courbevoie.
