▁industrial ization ▁on ▁the ▁general ▁health ▁and ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁of ▁working - class ▁people . ▁His ▁best - known ▁work ▁was ▁concerned ▁with ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁cot ton , ▁w ool , ▁and ▁sil k ▁indust ries , ▁including ▁the ▁children ▁that ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁mill s . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Paris ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁March ▁ 1 7 8 2 , ▁Vill erm é ▁was ▁a ▁man ▁of ▁many ▁occup ations ; ▁he ▁covered ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁prof essions ▁in ▁his ▁lifetime ▁including : ▁medical ▁student , ▁army ▁sur geon , ▁author , ▁social ▁econom ist , ▁and ▁member ▁of ▁several ▁medical ▁bo ards . ▁He ▁studied ▁with ▁the ▁an atom ist ▁Guillaume ▁Dup uy tr en ▁during ▁ 1 8 0 1 – 1 8 0 4 . ▁Vill erm é ▁then ▁spent ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁army ▁room ▁during ▁ 1 8 0 4 – 1 8 1 4 ▁under ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Napoleon . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 9 , ▁Vill erm é ▁married . ▁After ▁his ▁military ▁service , ▁he ▁began ▁work ▁as ▁Secretary - General ▁of ▁the ▁Société ▁Méd icale ▁d ' Em ulation ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 8 . ▁Vill erm é ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Ac adémie ▁royale ▁de ▁médec ine ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 3 . ▁ ▁Later ▁in ▁life , ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁econom ist ▁who ▁wrote ▁about ▁social ▁issues . ▁Vill erm é ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pione ering ▁advoc ates