92 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Anatomy and physiology were revolutionized by the discovery of the 

 circulation of the blood, of the chyliferous and lymphatic systems, by 

 the beginning of histology and microscopic research. Medicine made 

 progress in all its branches and was enriched by new medicaments." 

 Much of this was accomplished outside France. " In mathematics the 

 French may place the names of Descartes, Pascal and Fermat, alongside 

 of Kepler, Newton and Leibnitz, but the great Keplerian and Newtonian 

 laws of universal gravitation; the great Leibnitzian theories on the 

 formation of our globe; the astronomical discoveries of Galileo, 

 Huyghens and Helvetius surpassed the work of Gassendi, Picard, Cas- 

 sini, Bouillaud and Cassegrain. In physics Pascal, Descartes, Mariotte 

 and Denis Papin upheld the French name, but the French have but one 

 zoologist, Claude Perrault, physician and architect, to place alongside 

 with those of Italy, England and especially Holland; in botany, 

 Tournefort let himself be outdistanced by the English; in zoology the 

 French had but Descartes and Maillet; in medical science they had 

 only Pacquet, Duvemey and a few skilful practitioners." It is little 

 wonder that Colbert, the prime minister, who was not slow in recog- 

 nizing this state of things, should seek to change it by bringing the 

 scientific reputation of France up to the level of that of other coun- 

 tries, or that he should take advantage of the treaty of Pyrenees to 

 persuade the king to organize an academy of sciences. In no other 

 way, he believed, could he increase the fame of the king more perma- 

 nently than by establishing on a firm basis an academy to do for science 

 what the academy of Kichelieu had begun to do for literature. 



Colbert's first thought was to form an academy which would 

 embrace the most distinguished men in all branches of learning. This 

 was soon found to be impracticable. It might be dangerous, politicians 

 suggested, to discuss historical matters too carefully and earnestly, and 

 as lovers of literature were satisfied to remain in Richelieu's academy 

 only science and art were left for the new academy. There were many 

 reasons why lovers of art and architecture were not represented in the 

 new organization. 



Although scientific men had for many years been in the habit of 

 meeting in private houses to discuss questions of interest in science, 

 at first only mathematicians were admitted to the new institution. 

 These were Carcavi, Huyghens (of Holland), Eoberval, Torricelli (of 

 Italy), Auzout, Picard and Budt. To this number de la Chambre, 

 physician in ordinary to the king, a physicist and famous as an author, 

 was added. In a short time chemistry and anatomy were represented 

 by du Clos, M. Perrault, Pacquet, Gavant and Marchaut. A few 

 young men were brought into the academy to be trained in the studies 

 it was seeking to advance, that they might be ready to fill vacancies as 

 they occurred. These young men were Miquet, Couplet, Richer, Pivert 



