Jean Marc Gaspard Itard

foundation for his subsequent scientific and philosophical studies. His school career ended at sixteen but the young man spent two more years with his uncle. His father had decided upon a business career for his son and had made arrangement for him to enter a large bank at Marseilles, but the national situation prevented the realization of any such hope for in 1794 France sent out a call to colors which affected all males between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. Itard was just nineteen.2 Both the father and uncle were determined to save the young Itard from the dangers and rigours of military service, so with this in mind the Canon used his influence with the Director of the Toulon military hospital which had temporarily been moved to Soliers. The director, a citizen of Riez, listened to the pleadings of the Canon and accepted the young Itard in the service "de sante," or the medical service. 1 Fynne, Robert John, Montessori and Her Inspircrs, 1924, p. 64. 2 Schroder in Monatschrift fur Ohrenlieillcunde und Laryngo-Ehinologie, 1914, 48, pp. 358-365 and Baldrian, in the same Journal, 1925, 59, pp. 13141317, both state that Itard actually entered the bank but as the only authority they give for their sketch of Itard is Bousquet's eulogy, this is no doubt an