Abstract
COUNT THEODORE DU MONCEL, whose death we briefly announced last week, was born at Paris on March 6, 1821. His father had been a General of Engineers under Louis Philippe, and the son was at one time destined also for the army. When but eighteen years of age he showed a predilection for scientific pursuits, and published two treatises on perspective, treated mathematically and artistically. He was also at this time an enthusiastic archaeologist and traveller. In 1847 he published a volume entitled: “De Venise a Constantinople à travers la Grèce,” illustrated with lithographic plates drawn by himself. His family objected to his democratic pursuits, and became estranged from him. In consequence he determined to adopt science as a profession. But not having studied at the Ecole Polytechnique, nor at the Ecole Centrale, he lacked those scholastic recommendations without which, in France, promotion is so difficult. A professorship being absolutely closed to him, he became a scientific writer, and devoted his attention chiefly to electricity. In the years which followed he zealously sought to acquaint himself with every new discovery and invention which was made; and his industry in collecting and dissemi nating information on electric science was immense. During the years 1854-1878 he published at intervals in five volumes, his well-known “Exposé des Applications de l'Electricité,” a work which, though it relates chiefly to inventions and instruments now superseded by newer forms so abundantly poured forth during the past few years, nevertheless maintains its place as a standard work of reference in electric technology. Since 1878 Count du Moncel published several volumes containing popular expositions of various branches of the science. His work on the Telephone and Microphone has been translated into English; so also has his work on Electric Lighting, and that on Electricity as a Motive Power. Thoroughly in his element as a writer for the scientific press, and more of a journalist than a man of science, Count du Moncel nevertheless distinguished himself by a series of valuable contributions to science, chiefly in the form of papers read before the Académie des Sciences. His researches on the properties of electromagnets and on the conductivity of badly-conducting bodies are worthy of mention. To du Moncel we owe the observation that the variation produced by pressure in resistance offered at the point of contact between two conducting bodies—a phenomenon well known before his time—is more marked in certain bodies than in others, wood-charcoal being one. In this observation he laid the foundation for the subsequent applications of this principle made by Clérac and by Edison. Du Moncel was also an inventor, and obtained a gold medal at the Exposition of 185 5 for the collection of instruments exhibited by him, including an electric water-indicator, an electric anemograph, an electric recorder of improvised music, a recording galvanometer, and sundry telegraphic instruments. From 1860 to 1873 du Moncel was occupied as electrician to the administration of telegraphs; but he quitted the post somewhat abruptly in 1873 in consequence of disputes in the ad ministration. In 1874 he was elected a member of the Académie des Sciences, in which body he was very active in bringing forward accounts of all discoveries in his favourite science. It was he who thus successively introduced to the Academy the Bell telephone, the Hughe microphone, and the Edison phonograph. He was very prominently connected with the Electrical Exhibition at Paris in 1881. From 1881 until his death he held tb editorship of the journal entitled La Lumière Électrique. which was founded by him, and to which he was an un ceasing contributor. Whether he was a great scientific genius may be doubted, and whether in some matters he did not assume the attitude of partisan rather than thai of historian is also perhaps open to debate; but none can deny that he had by his diligence and talents won himself a very important place in the ranks of science. The rôle of scientific journalist may be said to have almost been created by him, and he was always anxious to maintain the dignity of science and to advance the interests of scientific workers. It would be difficult to fill up the void left by his sudden decease.
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Count Du Moncel . Nature 29, 412–413 (1884). https://doi.org/10.1038/029412a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/029412a0