ANNALS 



OF 



PHILOSOPHY. 



AUGUST, 1813- 



Article I. 



Biographical Account of M. Lavoisier. By Thomas Thomson., 



M.D. F.K.S. 



I HAVE drawn up the following account, not with any idea 

 that the life and unfortunate fate of Lavoisier are unknown to 

 my readers ; but because I conceived that a particular account of 

 the writings of that eminent philosopher must be acceptable to 

 every person who is interested in the progress of science, and 

 because I suspect that a much greater number of persons are 

 acquainted with the name of Lavoisier than with the different 

 dissertations which he published, or the particular improvements 

 which he introduced into the science of chemistry. My know- 

 ledge of the few facts stated below respecting the life of Lavoi- 

 sier is derived from an eloge of him published by Lalande about 

 the beginning of the present century. This eloge was translated 

 into English ; and, unless I am mistaken, was inserted in the 

 Philosophical Magazine. 



M. Lavoisier was born in Paris, in 1 7^3 ; and his father, who 

 was opulent, spared nj> expense in his education. He displayed 

 a decided taste for me sciences at a very early age ; and the 

 progress which he made in them was very rapid. When only 

 twenty-one years of age, he obtained the prize offered by 

 government for the best essay on the method of lighting the 

 streets of Paris. In the year 1768 he was admitted a member 

 of the Academy of Sciences. He was now become conscious 

 of the power which be possessed, and burnt with an ardent zeal 

 to distinguish himself in some department of science ; but he 



Vol. II. N° II. F 



