670 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1907. 
earned the degree of doctor of sciences with a masterly thesis on the 
“ Reproduction des corps gras naturels.” 
On December 20, 1859, he left the Collége de France for l’Kcole de 
Pharmacie, where he had been chosen professor of organic chemistry. 
The following year he brought together his researches on synthetic 
chemistry in two important volumes entitled “ Chimie organique 
fondée sur la synthése.” The Academy of Sciences, for his assembled 
works, awarded him the Jecker prize. Berthelot, at 33 years of age, 
was known by name to chemists throughout the world, and his repu- 
tation had penetrated even into the Parisian salons, as is evident from 
letters written in 1860 and 1861 by Madame Didier to Madame Edgar 
Quinet: “ I must not forget to have you meet a very learned scholar 
named M. Berthelot. They swear by him alone in the rue de l’Ouest 
[at Michelet’s]. Madame Michelet told me ‘that he would go down 
to posterity,’ and that he would not rest satisfied with mere genius. 
He is, besides, full of life and a charming fellow to be with. She 
drew me the picture of an accomplished man; I am curious about this 
wonder. I must make his acquaintance and tell you my impressions 
of him.” (October 26, 1860.) After having received him she wrote 
(January 19, 1861): ‘“‘ He seemed shy; he has a very sweet and inter- 
esting countenance. I greatly enjoyed the conversation of M. Berthe- 
lot. If I have one regret it is in not being able to follow him in the 
field of science; he has made great discoveries in chemistry and has 
published two volumes that are beyond me; I should not be able even 
to understand their language. But they say that the synopsis of the 
book is obtainable and it gives the conclusions of all of his works. I 
shall do my best to get an idea of it. Finally, there is nothing he 
does not know something about; he has had a thorough literary edu- 
cation.” 
At the initiative of Balard, a certain number of professors of the 
College de France and chemists of the Institut requested of the public 
officials the establishment of a chair of organic chemistry in the Col- 
lege de France, in order to allow Berthelot to develop his ideas. The 
request was favorably received by M. Duruy, minister of public in- 
struction, and the chair was created August 8, 1865. Berthelot then 
gave up the Ecole de Pharmacie for the Collége de France, which he 
was destined never to leave. 
A member of the Academy of Medicine in February, 1863, he did 
not enter the Academy of Sciences until March 3, 1873, at the age of 
46 years, in the section of physics, taking the place of Duhamel. He 
developed at this time a whole system of calorimetric methods. He 
was not only a chemist of the first class, but lkewise an eminent 
physicist, as was recognized by the Institut in giving him the first 
vacant place in the section of physics. Most of the foreign scientific 
societies and academies sanctioned Berthelot’s fame by admitting him 
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