Career Back in the colony, Sarrazin resumed his medical practice, armed with the knowledge and credentials he had gained while in France. His skills were valued in the colony, and as the leading medical professional, he was held in high esteem. Sarrazin grew ginseng in his garden for future study, and sent the first sample of the specimen back to the Jardin du Roi in 1701. The most interesting specimen discovered by Sarrazin is likely
Sarracenia purpurea, the pitcher plant, a plant which was previously unknown in France.
Linnaeus would name the genus
Sarracenia in his honor. He maintained that this plant caught insects and ate them, a theory which was dismissed by the academic community. It was only later, when
Charles Darwin published his dissertation in 1875,
Insectivorous Plants, that this was validated. This plant, found mainly in bogs and marshes around Québec, proved to be an effective treatment for
smallpox, a disease which plagued Europe and America at the time. Other discoveries included l'Arum Canadense, which could treat tumours, l'Aralia canadensis, which treats ulcers, , for epileptic seizures, and l'Angelica Canadensis tenufolia asphodeli radice which can be used as a sedative. Moreover, the native people of New France taught Sarrazin that the sap from Arbor acadiensis could be used to treat sores. As a
correspondent of the Académie Royale des Sciences, Sarrazin consistently sent samples back to Paris, with no expectation of recognition. New France's uncharted lands proved challenging to botanists, as Sarrazin stated in his correspondence, "I could cross all of Europe more easily, and with less danger, than I could cross 100 leagues in
Canada". One of Sarrazin's Paris correspondents,
Sebastien Vaillant, compiled the documents and specimens sent to New France from Sarrazin into a book published in 1708 titled "Histoires des plantes de Canada". This was the first French botanical text of this nature studying North American flora and fauna. However, Sarrazin's work remained largely unpublished. His only publication by the Académie Royale des Sciences discussed the
syrup extraction process of Canadian
maple trees, which can be found in "Observations botaniques". Moreover, Sarrazin printed his observations on the fauna of New France as well, notably describing the
beaver, the
muskrat, the
porcupine, the
harbour seal, and the
wolverine. Therefore, Sarrazin allowed the people of France to acquire more extensive and diverse knowledge on the flora and fauna of New France. Sarrazin was also a surgeon, and although he was not permitted to diagnose illnesses or prescribe medication, he was adept at healing fractures, bandaging wounds, draining abscesses and bleeding patients. Sarrazin was the only certified surgeon present during a smallpox epidemic aboard a ship anchored in Québec, the Diligente, and thus was in charge of medical procedure surrounding the ordeal. While there was no treatment for smallpox, Sarrazin was successful in preventing the spread of disease and in alleviating the pain of his patients by administering cold baths for the fever and powder for the sores. == Achievements ==