Nicolas J. B. Guibourt (1790–1867), Professor of Materia Medica at the School of Pharmacy, was author of a well-known “History of Simple Drugs,” and other works. He is often quoted in “Pharmacographia.”
Achille Valenciennes (1794–1865) was noted as a naturalist, and especially as a zoologist. He was Cuvier’s most trusted assistant in the preparation of certain of his works. For many years Valenciennes was Professor of Zoology at the School of Pharmacy, Paris.
Baron Liebig (1803–1873), was placed in a pharmacy at Heppenheim as a youth, but remained there only ten months. His chemical works are well known.
Baron Liebig.
Charles Frederick Gerhardt (1816–1856), born at Strasburg (then a French city), one of Liebig’s most brilliant pupils, was for some years Professor of Chemistry at Montpellier in succession to Balard. Later, he founded a laboratory at Paris, and finally accepted the Chair of Chemistry at Strasburg. He was one of the founders of modern organic chemistry, and the originator of the type theory.
Theophile Jules Pelouze (1807–1867) held a position in the pharmaceutical service of the Salpêtrière Hospital at Paris, when, one day in the country, he was overtaken by a torrential storm. A carriage passing, the pedestrian appealed to the driver to take him inside. No notice was taken of his request, so the indignant young pharmacist ran after the vehicle and seized the reins. Having stopped the horse, he delivered a severe lecture to the driver on his lack of courtesy and humanity. The passenger in the carriage invited him to enter and share the shelter. This gentleman was M. Gay-Lussac, the most eminent chemist in Paris at the time. The acquaintance thus curiously commenced resulted in Pelouze becoming Gay-Lussac’s laboratory assistant. He ultimately succeeded his employer at the Polytechnic School and, later still, was promoted to the Chair which Thénard had occupied at the College of France. Pelouze was a voluminous writer, and did useful work on the production of native sugar. In conjunction with Liebig he discovered œnanthic ether.
Sir Humphry Davy served an apprenticeship with a Mr. Borlase, an apothecary of Penzance, but afterwards exchanged physic for science. He died at Geneva in 1829 at the age of 51, after a life crowded with scientific triumphs.
Sir Humphry Davy.