Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 1 (of 2)Wootton, A. C.
History
Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Wootton, A. C.
Pharmacy -- History
Nicolas Lemery (born at Rouen, 1645, died 1715), a self-taught chemist
and pharmacist, exercised an enormous influence in science and
medicine. He opened a pharmacy in the Rue Galande, Paris, and there
taught chemistry orally and practically. His course was an immense
success. Fashionable people thronged to his lectures, and students came
from all countries to get the advantage of his teaching. He, too, was a
Protestant, and was struck by the storm of religious animosity. Charles
II had the opportunity of showing him hospitality in London, and seems
to have manifested towards him much friendliness. The University of
Berlin likewise made him tempting proposals, but Lemery could only feel
at home in France. Things seemed quieter and he returned, only to find
in a short time that the condition was worse for Protestants than ever.
The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes prevented him from following
either of his professions, pharmacy or medicine; and for their sake
he adopted the Catholic faith. His “Universal Pharmacopœia” and his
“Dictionary of Simple Drugs” were published after these troubles, and
they are the works by which he won his lasting reputation.
Gilles François Boulduc (1675-1742) was for many years first apothecary
to Louis XIV, and an authority on pharmaceutical matters in his time.
By his essays he helped to popularise Epsom, Glauber’s, and Seignette’s
salts in France.
Antoine Baumé (born at Senlis, 1728, died 1804), the son of an
innkeeper, after an imperfect education in the provinces, got into the
famous establishment of Geoffrey at Paris and made such good use of
his opportunities that he became Professor of Chemistry at the College
of France when he was 25. A practical and extraordinarily industrious
chemist, he wrote much, invented the areometer which bears his name,
founded a factory of sal ammoniac, and bleaching works for silk by a
process which he devised. Baumé did good service, too, in dispelling
many of the traditional superstitions of pharmacy, such as the
complicated formulas and disgusting ingredients which were so common in
his time. He was never content to accept any views on trust.
The three medallions which follow are those of Lavoisier, Berthollet,
and Chaptal; great chemists whose right to be represented cannot
be challenged, but whose works were not specially associated with
pharmacy. These three all lived at the time of the Revolution.
Lavoisier was one of its most distinguished victims, Berthollet became
the companion and adviser of Napoleon in Egypt, and Chaptal was the
chemist commissioned by the Convention to provide gunpowder for
its ragged troops. He became one of Napoleon’s Ministers under the
Consulate.
André Laugier (1770-1832), who comes next, was a relative and pupil of
Fourcroy, and became an Army pharmacist, serving through Bonaparte’s
Egyptian campaign. His works were mostly on mineralogical subjects.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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