The rumour that his death was caused by poisoning during this summons was disproved by the autopsy carried out by his pupil, Bichat. A pension was settled on his widow by the Republic. Together with François Chopart (1743-1795), he published "Traité des maladies chirurgicales" (1779), and Bichat published a digest of his surgical doctrines in "OEuvres chirurgicales de Desault" (1798-1799).