Abstract
CLAUDE LOUIS BERTHOLLET, the associate of Lavoisier and himself a distinguished chemist, was not a native of France but was born at Talloires, near Annecy, in Savoy, on December 9, 1748. He was educated at Chambery and at Turin. After taking his doctor's degree at the latter place he became physician to Philip, Duke of Orleans, in which capacity he made a name for himself as a chemical discoverer. In 1781 he was made a member of the Academy of Sciences of Paris and afterwards became director of the Government dye Works. His discovery of the composition of ammonia was made in 1785 and that of the bleaching power of chlorine in 1786. With Lavoisier, Fourcroy and Guyton de Morveau he compiled the "Methode de Nomenclature Chimique"in 1787. He was one of the first to become a convert to the views of Lavoisier. The Revolution, while it brought him into danger, also called forth his organising powers, and it was largely due to his efforts that the saltpetre supply of France Was maintained at a critical time. With Monge and Clouet he did much to improve and extend the manufacture of steel. In the reorganisation of the Academy and the inauguration of the Institute in 1795 Berthollet took an active part. Napoleon appointed him and Monge as heads of a Commission to select from the spoils of Italy the choicest works of art, and Berthollet was one of the group of French men of science who accompanied him to Egypt. In 1803 he published his well-known "Essai de statique chimique". Four years later he founded the famous Socie'te d'Arcueil, comprising as members Laplace, Biot, Gay Lussac, Thenard and one or two others. After the suicide in distressing circumstances of Berthollet's son, the Society was broken up and from that time Berthollet lived in retirement. He was a senator, a grand officer of the Legion of Honour, and under the empire was created a count. He died at Arcueil after a long and painful illness on November 6, 1822. His character was amiable, frank and sincere. Though be enjoyed a great reputation in his time, he was modest and unostentatious and his honesty and courage were sufficient to impress even Robespierre. His eulogy was pronounced before the Academy of Sciences by Cuvier.
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Bicentenary of Berthollet. Nature 162, 882–883 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/162882e0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/162882e0