LERDAN, Nicolas Etienne (lair-don), West Indian physician, born in Fort Dauphin, Hayti, in 1761; died in Port au Prince in 1826. He played a conspicuous part in the revolution of Santo Domingo as secretary of the colonial assembly of Saint Marc in 1790, and participated in the uprising of dad in the same year, for which he was tried at Port au Prince, but acquitted for lack of evidence. He then emigrated to the United States and practised medicine in New Orleans till 1797, when he returned to his native country and soon became a political leader. He strongly supported Toussaint l'Ouverture, and was imprisoned by General Victor Leclerc; but after the defeat of the French he became the trusted adviser of Henry Christophe, and contributed greatly to the latter's elevation to the throne of Hayti. In 1815-'16 he was among the Haytians who opposed the annexation of their country to France, and published several pamphlets in opposition to the plan. These include "Haiti peuple libre" (Port au Prince, 1814); "Le regime Frangais g Itaiti" (1815); "Concitoyens, voulezvous redevenir esclaves?" (1815); and "De l'interst de la France a rentrer en possession de Haiti" (1815). Dr. Lerdan was also the author of several surgical works.