PERRAULT AND HIS COLLEAGUES 229 



PEEEAULT AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE FEENCH 

 ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



The French Philosophical Transactions (Memoires de 

 I'Acaddmie des Sciences), from 1666 to the middle of 

 the eighteenth century, contain many curious disserta- 

 tions on natural history. The early volumes, which are 

 of most historical interest, are unfortunately rare, but 

 pretty full abstracts are to be found in Berryat, Recueil 

 des Memoires, partie Frangoise. 



The writers from whom the following notes are taken 

 will first be enumerated : — 



(1) Claude Perrault (1613-88), though educated as 

 a physician, turned architect, translated Vitruvius, and 

 designed the colonnade of the east fi^ont of the Louvre. 

 He was elder brother to Charles Perrault of the Contes 

 des Fees. French historians of science reckon Perrault 

 as the reviver of Comparative Anatomy, but this is to 

 ignore the anatomists of the school of Padua, besides 

 Eustachio, Coiter, Riolan and Swammerdam. 



(2) Jean de Mery (1645-1722) was educated as a 

 surgeon, but anatomy and natural history absorbed his 

 attention to such a point that he neglected practice and 

 society. His anatomy of the ear and his account of the 

 foetal circulation gave him a great professional reputation. 



(3) Franyois Poupart (1661-1709), though nominally 

 a surgeon, was devoted to natural history, geometry 

 and philosophy. He was an excellent anatomist and a 

 close observer, who long endured the neglect which 

 befalls those who fail to behave like other people. It 

 was a surprise to many when this retiring and ill-drest 

 man was brought into the Academy of Sciences at the 

 time of its reorganisation in 1699. 



