Berthelot. Wurtz. Cannizzaro

Abstract

Pierre EugÈne Marcellin Berthelot (Paris; 25 October 1827–18 March 1907)¹ was the son of a physician. He attended the CollÈge Henri IV, where in 1846 he won a prize in philosophy open to the competition of students in all the lycées in France. He began to study medicine in the CollÈge de France, but the influence of Pelouze, Dumas, Claude Bernard (the physiologist), Regnault and Balard (whose assistant he became in 1851) interested him in chemistry. In 1859 he became professor of organic chemistry in the École Supérieure de Pharmacie, holding this post until 1876, along with a chair created for him at the CollÈge de France, where he had a research laboratory and had to deliver forty public lectures a year on a subject of his choice, usually his own researches. He held this chair until his death. He became a member of the Academy of Medicine in 1863. His candidature for the Academy of Sciences was unsuccessful in 1857, 1867, and 1868, his seniors Fremy, Wurtz, and Cahours being elected. He was elected in 1873, aged 46, but in the section of physics; he became Permanent Secretary in 1889. He played an active part in the defence of Paris in 1870, in 1876 he became Inspector of Higher Education, Senator in 1881, Minister of Public Instruction in 1886–7, and Foreign Minister in 1895–6.²