4 Memoirs of DeCandolle. 
in ascertaining the capital fact that plants decompose carboniec 
acid, may be said to have laid the foundation of modern vegeta- 
ble physiology. The first genus which DeCandolle established 
(in 1799) was Senebiera. 
From his narrative it would appear that, during this summer 
of 1797, the ambitious young botanist of two years’ standing, and 
only 18 years old, had not only conceived the idea of writing an 
elementary work, but actually traced the plan and wrote some 
chapters of it! He even states that from this period date the first 
observations and the conceptions—con fused indeed, but correct— 
of the part which the abortion and the union of organs play in 
floral structure,—namely, the ideas which principally distinguish 
the Théorie Elémentaire, published fifteen years later. How far 
these ideas were developed, however, we have no means of as- 
certaining. One would like to see an extract from this early — 
manuscript, in confirmation. 
The following winter he began to study law at Geneva. But 
with the little State now annexed to the great French Republic, 
the prospects were not encouraging. A career must be sought 
elsewhere. DeCandolle determined to study medicine, at the 
same time prosecuting his botanical studies, so as to have a 
ouble chance, by falling back upon the former in case the latter 
failed to support him. 
In this view, he returned to Paris in the spring of 1798, just : 
in time to see his patron Dolomieu set out for Egypt, as one of 
the savans of that famous expedition, and to decline a pressing 
invitation to accompany him. Taking a lodging in the Rue Co- 
peau, to be near the Jardin des planies, he attended the hospitals 
and medieal lectures, which he disliked, but recompensed him- 
self at the Garden of Plants with the courses of Lacépéde, La- 
marck, Cuvier, and Hauy, omitting the botanical lectures, as not 
to his mind, but sedulously examining the plants of the Garden. 
He renewed his acquaintance with Lamarck, at whose request 
he wrote a few articles (under the letter P) for the Dictionaire 
Encyclopedique. Lamarck himself by this time had quite aban- 
doned Botany. 
_ It was to Desfontaines that DeCandolle was indebted for an 
immediate opportunity of beginning his botanical career. It 
came about thus: L’Heritier, who appears to have been wealthy, 
had engaged Redouté, the celebrated flower-painter, to prepare 
drawings of all the fleshy plants in cultivation, it being impossi- 
ble well to preserve them in the herbarium. The artist under- 
taking to publish these drawings, applied to Desfontaines for a 
botanist to furnish the descriptive letter-press. The kind Des- 
mtaines recommended DeCandolle, and moreover offered to : 
direct him in the work. He freely opened to the young botan- 
ist his herbarium and library, and allowed him to study by his 
oan 
