396 
A ntoine- Laurent  Lavoisier. 
f  A.cu.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1      August,  1894. 
This  was  chiefly  noteworthy  in  giving  for  the  first  time  an  explana- 
tion of  the  "  setting  "  or  hardening  of  plaster  of  paris  ;  also  noting 
the  chemical  alteration  in  an  over-burnt  product.  The  following 
year  he  was  awarded  a  medal  by  the  "  Academie  des  Sciences  "  for 
the  merit  of  a  plan  for  illuminating  large  towns.  He  became  a 
candidate  for  election  to  the  august  body  of  the  Academy,  and  on 
the  1 8th  of  May,  1768,  gained  the  privilege  of  a  seat  on  the  rear 
bench.  This  was  in  the  thick  of  the  dark  and  stormy  days  of  the  Re- 
volution. Yet,  amid  profoundly  disturbing  causes,  Lavoisier  found 
time  to  pursue  his  themes,  and  during  his  twenty-five  years  of  con- 
nection with  the  Academy  he  contributed  over  two  hundred  reports 
upon  various  and  miscellaneous  subjects.  These  covered  a  wide 
range  in  science  and  natural  philosophy.  His  varied  positions  of 
public  life  and  trust,  and  more  especially  during  his  term  as  Fermier- 
generale  (a  State  organization  controlling  the  financial  system)  he 
became  deeply  interested  in  the  condition  of  the  peasantry  of  France, 
in  thejr  agricultural  employments  and  interests.  He  drew  up  ex- 
haustive treatises  on  the  cultivation  of  flax,  of  the  potato,  and  of  the 
liming  of  wheat.  He  established  working  plans  for  experimental 
farms,  where  methods  in  cultivation  could  be  demonstrated  as  well 
as  taught,  established  depots  for  the  collection  of  agricultural  imple- 
ments, and  codes  for  the  more  equal  adjustment  of  tithes  and  taxes 
and  rentals  ;  also  rights  in  pasturage.  The  economic  condition  of 
Agriculture  in  France  at  this  time  had  become  extremely  wretched 
— impoverishment  everywhere.  Farmers  had  but  few  beasts ;  the 
winter  food  of  cattle  was  unprovided  in  many  districts  ;  fields  were 
unfertilized;  the  yield  of  corn  was  not  greater  than  five  times  the 
weight  of  the  seed.  Lavoisier  sought,  patriotically,  through  his 
knowledge,  to  remedy  these  distressing  evils.  He  introduced  the 
cultivation  of  the  beet  and  the  potato  ;  he  improved  and  increased 
the  breed  of  sheep  and  of  cows.  Under  this  wise  foresight  and 
philanthropic  effort  each  succeeding  year  marked  a  change  for  the 
better  in  the  lot  of  the  peasant.  In  1793  the  crop  of  wheat  had 
doubled  ;  the  number  of  beasts  had  increased  five-fold.  Yet,  withal, 
in  the  following  year,  Lavoisier  died  the  death  of  ignominy  at  the 
hands  of  those  whom  he  had  spent  his  life  in  befriending  and  bene- 
fiting— wicked,  monstrous  ingratitude  !  He  was  made  a  victim  of 
popular  prejudice,  and  was  an  unfortunate  citizen  of  a  crumbling, 
rotten  and  hopelessly  fallen  dynasty.    Lavoisier  was  the  author  of 
