EN
The article is a reprint of an introduction to the book 'Les Machines a guerir. Aux origins de l'hopital modern; dossiers et documents' originally entitled 'La politique de la sante au XVIIIe siecle'. It was also published in Michel Foucault's 'Dits et ecrits' (vol. II, text no. 168, Gallimard, Paris 1994, 2001).