Claude Humbert Piarron de Chamousset (1717 – April 1773) was a French master at the

Court of Auditors The European Court of Auditors (ECA; French: ''Cour des comptes européenne'') is one of the seven institutions of the European Union (EU). It was established in 1975 in Luxembourg in order to improve EU financial management. It has 27 members ( ...

, physician and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

. He did struggle against the overcrowded hospitals (several patients in a single bed) and used his own fortune to take care of poor people in his own hotel. That example was followed, and the 'Hotel-Dieu" was reformed according to his principles. He is quoted in the "Mémoires" of Madame de Genlis (chapter III). Born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, he was the originator of mutual benefit societies. According to A. Piron (1838), in 1758 he established a new postal system at Paris charging two sols for a single letter under one ounce, replacing the earlier postal system established in 1653 by

Jean-Jacques Renouard de Villayer Jean-Jacques Renouard, seigneur de Villayer (24 June 1607, Nantes – 5 March 1691, Paris) was a member of the France, French ''Council of State (France), Conseil d'État'', which had been delegated special legal authorities by the absolutist reigni ...

. He is buried at

Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet () is a Catholic church in the centre of Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement. It was constructed between 1656 and 1763. The facade was designed in the classical style by Charles Le Brun. It contains many notable ...

(

5th arrondissement of Paris The 5th arrondissement of Paris (''Ve arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''le cinquième''. The arrondissement, als ...

) 28 April 1773"Un philanthrope méconnu du XVIIIe siècle: Piarron de Chamousset, fondateur de la Petite poste ..."
/ref> A monument in his honor was realized by

Francis de Saint-Vidal Francis de Saint-Vidal (16 January 1840 – 18 August 1900) was a 19th-century French sculptor and medalist. He was a pupil of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. Works * Bust of Ludwig van Beethoven at Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux * ''La nuit'', mar ...

(1840–1900), built at the intersection between

rue Bonaparte Rue Bonaparte is a street in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It spans the Quai Voltaire/Quai Malaquais to the Jardin du Luxembourg, crossing the Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the place Saint-Sulpice and has housed many of France's most famou ...

and

rue de l'Abbaye Rue de l'Abbaye is a commercial street in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, named after the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It has a length of some 170m and runs from the Rue Guillaume Apollinaire to the Rue de l'Echaudé. The street itself dat ...

Saint-Germain-des-Prés Saint-Germain-des-Prés () is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its official borders are the River Seine on the north ...

and inaugurated 3 September 1900 by President

Émile Loubet Émile François Loubet (; 30 December 183820 December 1929) was the 45th Prime Minister of France from February to December 1892 and later President of France from 1899 to 1906. Trained in law, he became mayor of Montélimar, where he was note ...

References

Physicians from Paris 1717 births 1773 deaths Philanthropists from Paris 18th-century philanthropists {{France-business-bio-stub