ANNALS 



OF 



PHILOSOPHY. 



MARCH, 1818. 



Article I. 



Biographical Notice of M. Duhamel. 



IN the journals and other records of French science, during the 

 last half century, the name of Duhamel very frequently occurs ; 

 and those who have not particularly inquired into the subject 

 would naturally attribute the various memoirs and observations, 

 to which this name is attached, to one and the same person. 

 The celebrity, however, of the name of Duhamel, has been 

 acquired by the meritorious labours of three individuals ; namely, 

 M. Duhamel de Mongeau, who particularly devoted himself to 

 the study of botany and vegetable physiology, and to the im- 

 provement of French agriculture ; the subject of the present 

 article ; and his son, the only one of the three who now survives, 

 and who occupies the post of Inspector General of Mines in his 

 native country. 



Jean-Pierre-Franc,ois Guillot Duhamel was born at Nicorps, 

 near Coutances, in the year 1730. After acquiring the usual 

 elements of literature and of science, he was admitted, in his 

 22d year, eltvc des ponts et chausstes, or, in other words, com- 

 menced his studies as a civil engineer. 



About this time the French government, sensible of the igno- 

 rant and unthrifty manner in which the mines of that country 

 Svere wrought, and the metallurgical establishments immediately 

 d< pendant on them were carried on, resolved to make great 

 efforts to reform and improve these very important branches of 

 public industry. 



In order to obtain the information required for the due execu- 

 tion of this very important measure, it was resolved to send a 



Vol. XI. N°II1. L 



