Revista CENIC. Ciencias Químicas ISSN: 1015-8553 [email protected] Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Cuba Wisniak, Jaime Jean Darcet Revista CENIC. Ciencias Químicas, vol. 35, núm. 2, mayo-agosto, 2004, pp. 105-110 Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas La Habana, Cuba Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=181625913008 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Revista CENIC Ciencias Químicas, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2004. RESEÑA BIOGRAFICA Jean Darcet Jaime Wisniak Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel 84105. [email protected] Recibido: 13 de noviembre de 2003. Aceptado: 30 de diciembre de 2003. Palabras clave: minerales, altas temperaturas, porcelana dura, cerámica, aleación Darcet Key words: minerals, high temperatures, true porcelain, ceramic, Darcets alloy. RESUMEN. Jean Darcet (1724-1801) es otro de los científicos Franceses famo- Medicine in Bordeaux, against the sos que dedicó su vida a la educación, la ciencia y al desarrollo de la industria wishes of his father who wanted him nacional en el período crítico de la Revolución. Su muy conocida memoria so- to study law and make a career in the bre el comportamiento de los minerales a altas temperaturas condujo a una judiciary system. As a result, his fa- mejor clasificación de estos y a descubrir el método de fabricar porcelana dura, ther disinherited him, with the ac- un evento que hizo a Francia independiente de fuentes externas y transformó a quiescence of his stepmother Sévres en un industria de cerámica mundialmente famosa. Darcet descubrió la Jeanne dArbins who seemed keen aleación que lleva su nombre, un material que encontró muchos usos industria- in seeing the fortune go to her chil- les, aun en nuestro tiempo. dren. In order to survive in Bor- deaux Jean started giving lessons of ABSTRACT. Jean Darcet (1724-1801) is another of the famous French scientists Latin and Greek to the children of that devoted his life to teaching, to science, and to the development of the na- tional industry at the critical time of the Revolution. His well-known memoir the middle-class. Eventually, one of on the behavior of minerals under high heat led to a better classification of his young friends, Augustin Roux them and to his discovery of the method for making true porcelain from native (1726-1776), a physician (who would raw materials, a finding that made France independent of external sources and afterwards become professor of transformed Sévres into a world-famous ceramic industry. He discovered the chemistry at Faculty of Medicine) in- alloy that carries his name, a material that found many industrial uses, even in troduced him to Charles de Secondat our time. Montesquieu (1689-1755), who took him to Paris in 1742, when he was just 18 years old, to tutor one of sons, Jean-Baptiste Secondat (1797-1871). LIFE AND CAREER1-4 While working in this position he Jean Darcet (Fig. 1) was born on helped Montesquieu gather the ma- September 7, 1724, at Audignon, terial for his masterpiece LEsprit des near Doazit, St. Sever, Landes, Lois (1748). France, the son of Marguerite In 1762 Darcet was awarded his dAudignon and François Darcet. His medical degree and although on No- father was a well-known judge in vember 18, 1762 he was appointed Doazit who later became lieutenant docteur-régent (Note 1) at the Fac- general at the Gascogne bailiwick. ulty of Medicine he never practiced His mother passed away in 1728 and medicine. His strong interest in sci- afterwards his father married ence led him to attend the courses Jeanne dArbins. At the age of 12 in chemistry given at the Jardin du Jean entered the religious school of Roi by Guillaume François Rouelle dAire and in 1740, after finishing his (1703-1770), the most famous phar- Fig.1. Jean Darcet (1724-1801). 5 studies and having shown a strong (By permission of Edgar Fahs Smith Col- macist of his time. Rouelle influ- interest for sciences, he decided to lection, University of Pennsylvania Li- enced him in such a manner that not study medicine at the Faculty of brary). only they started working together 1. In order to be admitted to the Faculty of Medicine it was necessary first to obtain the Maîtrise ès-Arts (Master of Arts) of the Université de Paris, then at the Faculty, to obtain successively the degrees of Bachelier (bachelor), Licencié, Docteur, and finally Docteur Régent that gave the right to teach at the Faculty. To become a Bachelier it was necessary to pass a qualifying exam; followed by two years of study and the approval of four theses to obtain the degree of Licencié. Approval of the four theses led to the award of the degree of Docteur. The total fees for obtaining all these degrees were about 6 000 livres. 105 Revista CENIC Ciencias Químicas, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2004. but also he spent the rest of his life daughter Françoise Amélie. The structure of the one given by Rouelle, studying chemistry. A major factor bride was then 18 years and died in in which the knowledge of chemis- to his appointment to the Collège de 1791 at the age of 38. They had four try was explained along the lines of France in 1774 was the fact that children, two boys (one of them died the mineral, animal, and vegetable among all the physicians being con- in infancy) and two girls. When Ma- kingdoms. His auditorium was al- sidered, he was the only who had dame Rouelle also died, her aunt, a ways full. In 1784 he took on an as- made chemistry his sole occupa- young sister of Madame Rouelle sistant, Jérôme Dizet (1764-1852), a tion.6 kept house for him and the three nineteen-year-old pharmacist ap- Darcet, little by little, specialized children.6 prentice from his native region in in the theoretical study of chemis- On December 1774 Darcet was Les Landes. Dizé prepared the dem- try, looking for the application of appointed to the first chair of experi- onstrations and experiments and theory to practice. His opportunity mental chemistry at the Collège de performed the same service for the came with the count Louis de France. His inaugural speech was course in experimental physics, Lauraguais (1733-1824), a nobleman symbolized by some drastic changes which Louis Lefêbre de Gineau interested in chemistry and indus- in the traditions of the Collège not (1751-1829) had begun teaching in trial entrepreneur. At that time all only because he was allowed to give 1786. Dizé was an extremely meticu- objects made of quality porcelain it in French instead of Latin but also lous worker that relieved Darcet of were imported from China and Ja- without wearing the traditional robe. most of the experimental duties re- pan; all French efforts to manufac- The authorization for lecturing in lated to the course. Darcet taught for ture true porcelain (porcelaine dure) French was more one of public rela- 27 year at the Collège de France; he with local materials had failed com- tions than factual, it was said that became known as a remarkable pletely. After the death of the duc Latin did not have enough techni- teacher, by the content of the courses dOrleans, Montamy, his maître cal terms to express appropriately he taught, the clarity of exposition, dhôtel, approached Lauraguais with Darcets scientific terms. In fact, and the logic of his reasoning. the claim that his laboratory had Darcets concepts were not that dif- Recognition by the Académie de found a method for making true por- ferent from previous scientific lec- Sciences came late to Darcet. On celain from raw materials found in tures given at the Collége; in addi- April 4, 1784, at the age of fifty-nine, France. Lauraguais became ex- tion, he was very well versed in Latin he was appointed associé chimiste tremely interested in this possibil- and Greek, as seen by his early oc- supernuméraire to the Académie de ity; he purchased the remaining cupation as a tutor in both lan- Sciences in replacement of Pierre- material from Montamy together guages. Joseph Macquer (1718-1784), and re- with several finished pieces and se- The creation of the chair of ex- mained a member until its suppres- cured the help of Leguay, the arti- perimental chemistry at the Collége sion in 1784. The supernumeraries san responsible. He then approach- was accompanied by promises from were scientists of prestige, nomi- ed Rouelle to assist him engage a the ministers Anne Robert Jacques nated by the King without previous chemist to help in this project. Turgot (1727-1781) and Chrétien presentation to the Académie and Rouelle recommended Darcet. Guillaume de Malesherbes (1721- destined to become titulaires (Note Darcet, together with his patron, 1794) to provide the space and equip- 2). In 1785 the government created Roux, and Leguay, studied more ment for a research laboratory. This the Institute de France and Darcet than 200 earths, minerals, and me- turned out not to be the case, space was among the first members of the tallic oxides, until eventually he dis- for a laboratory was provided but not institution. covered the procedure for manufac- funds for the equipment and ancil- After the occupation of Hanover turing true porcelain. The kaolin of laries. Darcet had to supply his own during the Seven Year war (1756- St.-Yrieix was discovered in 1768 and equipment, reagents, and fuel, 1763), Darcet had the opportunity of Limoges surged ahead in 1772.