[An apothecary from the Cévennes region on the rolls of Oriental Pyrenees Army in 1793].
In 1793 during the french Revolution, the decret of February 23rd orders a big recruitment of 300 000 people. The city of Alès (Cevennes) has to supply ninety-seven soldiers to establish the battalion of the Gard. They will be allocated to the "Armée des Pyrénées-Orientales" (Army of the Eastern Pyrenees) which is going to defend the border with Spain. These armies have to face the influx of wounded persons but especially the devastation of the epidemics. Besides the soldiers, are enlisted the officers of health, the doctors, the surgeons and the pharmacists. So the city of Alès indicates to be of use to this army the youngest of the doctors, freshly honed of theuniversity of Montpellier and two old pharmacists (51 y. and 61 y. old). They were allocated to the hospital of Narbonne where they worked to fight against the epidemics, in particular by the disinfection of rooms. The oldest of them succumbed to the disease. Two others, safe and sound income in their home town, played a notables' role.