Henri Parinaud was born in Bellac, Haute-Vienne, in the beautiful Limousin region of la France profonde [1, 3‐5]. Henri’s father was a locksmith, and the family was not wealthy. Henri was educated locally and from 13 years attended the Ajain Seminary. His father died young, when Henri was aged 19, so he had to provide not only for his own education but also for his widowed mother and his younger brothers. Nevertheless, from the proceeds of tutoring children, he was able to undertake medical studies at Limoges from 1865, where he became an intern in the service of Dr. Bardinet and received a merit award in 1868, following which he went to Paris for further study in 1869. In the following year, the Franco-Prussian War broke out. Parinaud served as a medical officer in a field ambulance in Metz. He showed great courage during this campaign and was later decorated by Gambetta, the Prime Minister of France. His activity in the evacuation of the wounded at Châteaudun was recorded by the writer Ludovic Halévy (1834–1908) in one of his stories.
