The daily gazette., 1876-05-05
ChaptaI.

About the close of the last century,
France possessed a number of men
who had obtained celebrity from their
of chemical science. Among
the number were Berthollet, Saviosier,
Fourcroy, Gay Sussac and Chaptal -
Some of these were distinguished as
theoretic or experimental chemists,
others as practical laboratuers. or
the latter classes, none obtained such
cminence, or was so well rewarded for
his services as Chaptal. Savoisier per-
ished in the revolutionary troubles,
when the reign Of terror was at its
height. An insane idea arose in the
public mind that all the tobacco which
was sold in Paris had been poisoned
by certain chemists, fer political pur-
poses, and, in the midst of the panic
poor Servoisier was seized and ac-
cused of the henieus offence of
poisoning the people, Notwithstand-
ing all representations to the contrary,
he was ordered for execution, ald
though he begged his judges to spare
him for only three days, in order that
he might complete certain chemical
experiments. in which he was engag-
cd, Lis petition was refused. 1.-The
French republic has no need for chem
lists" said Robespierre, and so Savio-
sier was hurried off to the guillotine.
Chaptal was more fortunate than
Saviosier. When Robespierre said
that the nation did not require chem
lists, he committed an egregious blum
der, for the nation was very soon put
to its last shifts for want of chemist.
The republic was carrying on des-
perate war, both internal and external
and the consumption. of gunpowder
was SO immense, that the supply could
not be kept up, France was almost at
its last cartridge. Hitherto the gun
powder manufactures had been kept
going by means of supplies of saltpe-
tire or nitre, brought from the East
Indies, and imported in some indirect
way through England. These supplies
were entirely cut off by the British
government.
No nitre was to be had. Money
could not procure it. In this critical
dilemma the republican authorities
locked about to see if any good chem
ist had escaped the guillotine, and by
g;eat good luck they discovered Chap
tai, who was at that very moment in
cluded in list of prescribed victims
of the ruling faction. He was imme-
,liately applied to, and his life was
promised to be spared, provided. he
could furnish the government with
saltpetre. An ignorant man must
have perished in the circumstances. =
Mark therefore the value of know
ledge of chemistry. The proposition
was most welcome to Chaptal-his life
was safe. He knew that nitro could
be formed from the nitrate of lime in
the limestone caverns and cellars of
Paris. and that il could also be pro-
duced from the earthly manner in
which animal Substances are decom-
posed. lie therefore ordered general
excavation of the numerous burying
grounds of Paris: the sepulchral repese
of remote generations was invaded
old monastic buildings which for ages
had been imbibing animal efiluvia, and
generating nitre, were erased, the ow-
ners of ancient buildings were corn.
PEELED to consent to their demolition,
in order that the ground beneath them
might be collected and analysed, the
walls of the subterraneous caves and
cellars were scraped. and the earth of
the floors dug up, all of which, to the
republic, was more precious than gold.
The graves of two millions of bodies
were opened, and after removing the
sculls and other bones which were in
a state Of preservation to the subter-
raneous 9uarries of the Barriere
d'Enfer, which gave existence to the
celebrated catacembs. Chaptal by
his chemical art, extracted from the
various matters he had thus obtained
an abundant supply of saltpetre, and
thus France and himself were saved.
BY the various governments that
have succeeded Chsptal was always
honored and regarded as one of the
greatest benefactors to his country
Bonaparte having, in accordance with
his famous Milan decree, prohibited
the Importation of colonial produce
through England. Chaptal was the
first to suggest and carry into opera
tion the extraction of sugar from the
beetroet. For this the emperor created
Chaptal count and peer of France,
auu III many years ho was ineHhoei
of the cabinet as minister of the inter.
ior. In 1916. after the accession of
the house of Bourbon, he was appoin-
ted member of the Academy of
Sciences by Louis XIII. His works
on practical chemistry stand IN the
foremost rank at the present day, and
are particular applicable to France,
watch by its tariff of trade voluntarily
cuts itself off from the importation of