A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



"The revolution brought about by Lavoisier in 

 science," says Hoefer, " coincides by a singular act of 

 destiny with another revolution, much greater indeed, 

 going on then in the political and social world. Both 

 happened on the same soil, at the same epoch, among 

 the same people; and both marked the commencement 

 of a new era in their respective spheres." 8 



Lavoisier was born in Paris, and being the son of an 

 opulent family, was educated under the instruction of 

 the best teachers of the day. With Lacaille he studied 

 mathematics and astronomy; with Jussieu, botany; 

 and, finally, chemistry under Rouelle. His first work 

 of importance was a paper on the practical illumina- 

 tion of the streets of Paris, for which a prize had been 

 offered by M. de Sartine, the chief of police. This 

 prize was not awarded to Lavoisier, but his suggestions 

 were of such importance that the king directed that a 

 gold medal be bestowed upon the young author at the 

 public sitting of the Academy in April, 1776. Two 

 years later, at the age of thirty-five, Lavoisier was ad- 

 mitted a member of the Academy. 



In this same year he began to devote himself almost 

 exclusively to chemical inquiries, and established a 

 laboratory in his home, fitted with all manner of costly 

 apparatus and chemicals. Here he was in constant 

 communication with the great men of science of Paris, 

 to all of whom his doors were thrown open. One of his 

 first undertakings in this laboratory was to demon- 

 strate that water could not be converted into earth by 

 repeated distillations, as was generally advocated ; and 

 to show also that there was no foundation to the exist- 

 ing belief that it was possible to convert water into a 



30 



