New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-10
DEATH OF NJ. oHEvREUL.
his CAREER AND ACHIEVEMENTS.
CONTRASTING THE HISTORY OF CHEMICAL
SCIENCE.
Paris, April 9.--Michel Eugene ChevrSui, the dis.
hnguished French chemist, Is dead

SCIENCE.
Paris, April 9.-Miehel Eugene CheyrSul. fbe die.
singuished French chemist Is dead.
Despite the proverbial length of art and orIetuess
Oh lie, the carcer whose end s above recorded was
practically coextensve with the history OF the great
SCIENCE with which It is inseparably connected It
was on August 81, 1880, that Michel Eugene Chevrcul
was porn &C Anglers, France. At that time chemistry
m It's present sense, was practically an unknown
science The system Of Lavosier was Just beginning
70 make Roadway against the phlogiston theories OF
stahi ana the lingering remnants OF alchemy OF all
the splendid and surprising scientific achievements of
the century since then he has been an intelligent and
Interested witness; In many Of them, an important
and vital factor When he into the world Corn
wallis had Just been appointed Governor-Ge nera Of
india He was year old at the opening Of the trial
OF warren Hastings He spared the sight of the
worst Partisan exceses Of the Revolution he lived
In his native Angers till his seventeenth ycar when
his father sent him UP to the capital to enter the
laboratory Of q we'll known manufacturing chemist
Reference 10 few dates WIN show graphically the
rudimentary state of chemical science wben In 1909
he entered NJ. Vsnqucln's laboratory in Paris Blacks
observations in 1862 with tho balance on lime which
led him 10 find what we now call carbonie acid. and
TO- first recognize that there different kinds of
afr, had remained almost as much unnotced as May
how's much earlier work In 1774 Priest
ley had discovered a separate air, which
he called "diphlogisticated air." air freed from
phogiston, the supposed agent Of combustion which
air or gas we now call oxygen, according tn the Lavo
serian system Thk recognition Of oxygep helped tho
study Of Cavendish the composition Of water These
and other discoveries had given impulse chemical
research, and the active mind Of Lavoiser, In
junction with the vigorous intellect Of Guyton de
Morveau, the mathematical power of Monge and La
Place. and the manipulative skill Of Berthoet and
Fourroy had correlated the facts and from them elab
grated the system and the nomenclature which have
been followed long. Chevreul was but eight years
old when Lavoisier was sent to the gu0ttne. The
school Of Lavoisier survived the death Of its leader
and the time of chevcups arrival IN Paris was that
Of the active spread OF tho spirit of experimental in
quiry
The young man did so well In the laboratory that
he soon rose be its manager then to be Lecturer
Chemistry at the Museum OF Natural History. In
1917 he became the chemical director Of tire famous
Gobellns dyeworhs, . position which he retained for
all the rest Of his life. To his researches and skin Is
largely due the conspicuous rank that establishment
has held in the face Of modern competition. The
year 1926 him member Of tho Institute and In
1884 Director Of the Museum He was decorated with
the ribbon of the Legion Of Honor He was made
member Of tho Royal Society OF London. Honors of al
kinds fell thick and fast upon him all through bis
Ife one Of the latest being tho degree of LID. from
Glasgow University the Tooth anniversary OF his
birth. At the age Of twenty he first published
scientific paper which bore a geological character,
being chemical examination OF the fossils found In
the department Of Eure and Loire. stratsgraphieai
geology had not then been thought Of, or to speak
perhaps more exactly. had not been elaborated into
a system. BY the year 1912 he had given 70 30
cetes twenty papers, and then began that series
OF Investigations which have been of such practical
Importance and have been so widely recognized rs IN
valuable The GRecherches Chemiques sur plusieurs
corps gras ct partieuerement eurs combinations
avre les alcalis' were given 10 the Academy In
49,
ward aud received continuous approval from the |
referees whose duty IL TO report them. The |
corps grass included oils buffers, solid fats and
wax The hope he expressed was that his work might
be found worthy TO stand along with that OF Guy |
Lussac, Thenard and Berzelius. Very few OF the |
younger chemists have any conception Of the tedious
and, It must be added, from our present point OF |
view, rather uncertain process by which he work-i |
In his examination Of the fats of animal Derivation
and this Included the dolphin and sperm whale, he |
wanted b determine the amounts OF carbon, hydrogen
and nitrogen present IN each. AS ne himself ex' |
pressed 1t, the analysis Of organic bodies was IN
sad state of confusion. Those who now follow some
Of the notifications of the precise and accurate
methods work subsequently devised by the ingenuity
OF IAebg cannot without attentively reading Chew
reus description of his procedure and attempting 10
work with it have any idea Of what his labor was.
Our present names-margarne, stearttes butyre acid
oeio acid and other words, which he had to coin for
his results-testty that his work Of epheneral
nature. even II the 6ociete encouragement pour |
pIndustrie Nationals had not Awarded to the book
prize Of $24O0.
NJ. Chevreul lived under many regimes. He was
born in the reign OF Louis XVI, whom he 10
nernbercd we'll He lived through the Revolution,
the Reign Of TerrOs the Directory, the R.st Con.
ton. the Hundred Days, The Restoration, The reign
OF Louis Philippe the Republic Of ls4s, tho Second
Empire and the Third Republic. He was French
man as well as q of science; and as Frenchman
Re had temper and q most sensitive patriotism. He
resigned one Of his appointments by way Of protest
against an administrative act Of nepotism. During
the Siege Of Paris when his age would have given him
every excuse for rePose, be was watching tho Hover
beds at The Jerdn des Plautes for stray shells; and
when the first one pumped down upon the precious
collection he issned energetic protest against the
bombardnlent In 1886 the centennia anniversary
of his birth was celebrated with widespread obsery
auces throughout France and the whole scientific
world. His oldest living pupil, DR.. Rcord. then
cghtysix years old. took conspieIous part IN the
exercises IN Paris, where statue Of ~ Chovreul was
nveiled on this occasion the venerable scientist
attributed his long life and vigorous health TO his
simple and regular habits and his moderation In ali
things From bOybOod mp he strict abstai1e
from all alcoholic liquors and from tobacco. Hs came
Of long-lved race, too, bis father dying ct ninety
two and his mother at ninety-fhree. His son died
q few weeks ago at good old ago.