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Research schools of chemistry from Lavoisier to Wurtz

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2003

MAURICE CROSLAND
MAURICE CROSLAND
Affiliation:
Centre for History & Cultural Studies of Science, School of History, Rutherford College, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NX, UK.
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Abstract

The group which worked with Lavoisier in his laboratory also collaborated with him in publication and jointly edited the journal Annales de chimie. It has a good claim to be considered as a research school. Most historians of chemistry, who have studied the ‘chemical revolution’ in France, have focused uniquely on Lavoisier, giving scant attention to his co-workers and ignoring his assistants, thus overlooking their collective research, which created something of a precedent for nineteenth-century science. It has also been too easily assumed that the Lavoisier story ends with his death in 1794. After his demise, continuity with his ideas and method of working was provided by his former associates, particularly Berthollet in the Society of Arcueil. Further continuity was provided by the successive careers of Gay-Lussac, Dumas and Wurtz. In an increasing spirit of nationalism in the nineteenth century there developed a strong French tradition which looked back to Lavoisier as the founder of modern chemistry and a source of inspiration for collaboration in chemical research.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal for the History of Science , Volume 36 , Issue 3 , September 2003 , pp. 333 - 361
Copyright
© 2003 British Society for the History of Science

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Footnotes

I should like to thank former research students at the University of Kent who have discussed with me the subject of research schools in the nineteenth century in relation to their Ph.D. theses, especially Leo Klosterman and Ana Carneiro. I also wish to thank two referees who provided useful advice.