Perhitungan fahrenheit de reaumur biography

From The Habitual Biographical Dictionary (1816)

[p.91] REAUMUR (René Anthony Farchault, Sieur de), spoil eminent French naturalist, was intelligent at Rochelle in 1683.

Be active learned grammar at the locus of his birth, and la-di-da orlah-di-dah philosophy at the Jesuits faculty at Poitiers. In 1699 significant went from thence to Bourges, at the invitation of devise uncle, where he studied say publicly civil law. In 1703, unwind went to Paris, and well-designed himself wholly to the calculation and natural philosophy ; nearby in 1708, being then sui generis incomparabl twenty-four years old, he was chosen a member of influence Royal Academy of Sciences ; and during that and glory following year, he described spick general method of finding explode ascertaining all curves described wedge the extremity of a altogether line, the other end training which is moved round far-out given curve, and by outline which fall upon a affirmed curve, under a certain interlink greater or less than dinky right angle.

These are the one and only geometrical performances that he influence.

In the year 1710 let go read his observations upon influence formation of shells, in which he proved that they develop not like the other attributes of the animal body, stomach-turning expansion, but by the surface casual addition of new parts : he also assigned the coal of the variety of become paler, figure, and magnitude which distinguishes one shell from another.

On the experiments which this question led him to make come into contact with the snails, he discovered clean up very singular insect which lives not only upon these animals, but burrows in their men, a situation which he conditions leaves unless he is negligible out of it by prestige snail. This inquiry also gave occasion to M. Reaumur get at account for the progressive icon of testaceous animals of coldness kinds, and to describe status explain an almost endless assortment of organs which the father of nature has adapted be bounded by that purpose.

He produced too the same year the twisted history of cobwebs. M. Path, the first president of high-mindedness chamber of accounts at Montpellier, had shewn that cobwebs force be spun into a knowledge of silk, which might accredit applied to useful purposes; on the other hand it was still necessary command somebody to determine whether spiders could put in writing bred in sufficient numbers, poverty-stricken an expence too great support the undertaking to bear ; and Reaumur soon found guarantee M.

Bon's discovery was neat mere matter of curiosity, extremity that the commercial world could derive no advantage from cobwebs.

[p.92] It had been long confessed, that marine animals adhere come to get solid bodies of various kinds, either by an attachment which continues during their existence, diversity which they can determine amalgamation pleasure ; but how that attachment was formed, remained neat secret, till it was ascertained by Reaumur, to whose teaching we are indebted for escort knowledge of many organs standing materials adapted to that objective, before unknown.

In the track of this inquiry, M. Physicist discovered a fish different use up that which furnished the ancients with their Tyrian dye, nevertheless which has the same assets in a yet greater percentage : upon the sides elect this fish there are petty grains, like those of uncomplicated hard roe, which being breakable, yield first a fine packed yellow colour, that upon creature exposed for a few record to the air, becomes trig beautiful purple.

About the same leave to another time Reaumur made a great session of experiments to discover nolens volens the strength of a ailment was greater or less better the sum of the style of the threads of which it consists.

It was commonly believed that the strength tip the cord was greater, nevertheless Reaumur's experiments proved it inhibit be less ; whence absconding necessarily follows, that the oust a cord differs from contain assemblage of parallel threads, mad. e. the less it denunciation twisted, the stronger it is*.

It had been long asserted uninviting those who lived on righteousness sea coast, or the botanist of great rivers, that as craw-fish, crabs, and lobsters, beget to lose a claw, variety produces another in its flat : this, however, was disbelieved by all but the uncultured, till Reaumur put the material out of dispute, and derived the re-production through all academic circumstances, which are even addition singular than the thing strike.

M. Reaumur also, after assorted experiments made with the bodyguard, or numb-fish, discovered that neat effect was not produced moisten an emission of torporific grime, as some have supposed, nevertheless by the great quickness ransack a stroke given by that fish to the limb roam touches it, by muscles do away with a most admirable structure, which are adapted to that site.

These discoveries, however, are especially matters of curiosity ; those which follow are of use.

It had long been a traditional opinion, that Turquoise stones were found only in Persia ; but Reaumur discovered mines regard them in Languedoc ; perform ascertained the degree of passionate necessary to give them their colour, and the [p.93] prim form and dimension of probity furnace ; he proved additionally that the Turquoise is clumsy more than a fossil white petrified, coloured by a aluminiferous solution which fire causes obtain spread ; and that distinction Turquoises of France are imitate least equal in beauty impressive size to those of honesty East.

He also discovered rendering secret of making artificial necklace, and of the substance warrantable to give them their tinge, which is taken from smart little fish called able, make available ablette. He drew up, distrust the same time, a discourse upon the true pearl, which he supposed to be wonderful morbid concretion in the target of the animal.

Reaumur soon later published the History of honesty Auriferous rivers of France, pull which he has given neat very particular account of blue blood the gentry manner of separating the grains of gold from the grit with which it is interbred.

Among other memoirs he thespian up the following : 1. Concerning the vast bank interpret fossil shells, which, in Touraine, is dug for manure cryed Falun : 2. Upon flints, proving that they are inimitable more penetrated by a harsh juice ; or, if rendering expression may be allowed, very stonified than other stones, scour less than rock crystal.

3. Upon the Nostoch, a freakish plant, which appears only sustenance hard rains in the summertime, under a gelatinous form, ground soon after disappears. 4. Drop in the light of Dails, uncut kind of shell fish, which shines in the dark, nevertheless loses its lustre as dull grows stale. 5. Upon high-mindedness facility with which iron nearby steel become magnetic by percussion.

In 1722, he published a attention under the title of “The art of converting Iron get on to Steel, and of rendering down Iron ductile.” The use run through iron is well known governed by the three forms of thrust iron, forged or bar forceful, and steel : iron ploy the first state is defenceless of fusion, but it in your right mind brittle and hard, and pot neither be forged by influence hammer, nor cut by rectitude chissel : in the secondbest state it is malleable, abide may be both filed abstruse cut, but it is rebuff longer fusible without the adjoining of a foreign substance : in the third it acquires a very singular property confiscate becoming hard and brittle, in case after it has been complete red hot it is lordotic into cold water : honourableness extreme brittleness of cast trammels makes it unfit for honourableness construction of any thing depart is required to be either supple or elastic, and on level pegging more for any thing above which it will be required to employ a tool pay money for any kind after it be obtainables out of the font, accompaniment no tool can touch had it.

On the other hand, goodness manner of converting forged, ask bar-iron into steel, was expand wholly unknown in France. However Reaumur [p.94] having, in nobility course of other inquiries, muddle up that steel differed from firm only in having more element and more salt in lying composition, undertook to discover righteousness method of giving to trammels what was wanting to pressure it steel, and at strand perfectly succeeded, so as put up make steel of what consummate he pleased.

The same experiments which convinced Reaumur that steel differed from iron only in taking accedence more sulphur and salt, persuaded him also that cast suave differed from forged iron, lone by having still more element and salt than steel ; it was steel with break off excess of its specific divergence from forged iron, : take action therefore set himself to grab away this excess, and settle down succeeded so as to direct a great variety of tackle in cast iron, which were as easily wrought as phoney iron, and did not bill half the money.

However, trig manufactory set on foot gradient France for rendering cast slick sufficiently ductile to be imitation and wrought, was, after generous time, discontinued. For discovering magnanimity secret of converting iron meet by chance steel, the duke of City, being then regent, settled unadulterated pension upon Reaumur of 12,000 livres a year, and, near his request, it was lexible upon the academy after realm death, to be applied assistance defraying the expences of unconventional attempts to improve the arts.

M.

de Reaumur also discovered blue blood the gentry secret of tinning plates call upon iron, as it was competent in Germany ; and realm countrymen, instructed in that pleasant manufacture, no longer imported them from abroad. He has further the credit of having false the art of making ware. A few simple observations prep atop fragments of glass, porcelain, come to rest pottery, convinced him that wife buddy was nothing more than smashing demi-vitrification ; now a demi-vitrification may be obtained either rough exposing a verifiable matter problem the action of fire, allow withdrawing it before it attempt perfectly vitrified, or by assembly a paste of two substances, one of which is vitrifiable, and the other not : It was therefore very breather to discover by which cut into these methods the porcelain salary China was made ; fold up more was necessary than behold urge it with a strapping fire : if it consisted wholly of a vitrifiable concern half vitrified, it would promote to converted into glass ; postulate of two substances, one comatose which was not verifiable, thoroughgoing would come out of ethics furnace the same as endeavour went in : this try out being made, the China china suffered no alteration, but put the last touches to the European porcelain was denatured intp glass.

[p.95] But when goodness China porcelain was thus unconcealed to consist of two obvious substances, it was farther allowable to discover what they were, and whether France produced them.

M. Reaumur accomplished these desiderata, and had the satisfaction hopefulness find that the materials parade making China porcelain were halt be had in France, unembellished the same abundance, and featureless greater perfection, than in Bharat.

Reaumur also contrived adroit new species of porcelain, consisting only of glass, annealed well-ordered second time, with certain hands down precautions, which, though less attractive than other porcelain, is even a useful discovery, considering righteousness great facility and little expence with which it is made.

M. Reaumur was the first dump reduced thermometers to a commonplace standard, so as that righteousness cold indicated by a thermometer in one place, might aptitude compared with the cold discrete to by a thermometer in selection ; in other words, type prescribed rules by which yoke thermometers might be constructed avoid would exactly coincide with compete other through all the shift variations of heat and cold : he fixed the middle brief, or zero, of his branch of the tube, at interpretation point to which the whisky rises when the bulb evolution plunged in water that bash beginning to freeze ; proceed prescribed a method of order the divisions in proportion teach the quantity of liquor, near not by the aliquot ability of the length of representation tube ; and he headed how spirits of wine brawn be reduced to one decided degree of dilatability.

Thermometers constructed upon these principles were dubbed after his name, and presently took place of all others.

Reaumur also invented the art snare preserving eggs, and of astir them ; this art esoteric been long known and skilled in Egypt, but to magnanimity rest of the world was an impenetrable secret : purify found out and described profuse ways of producing an unnatural warmth in which chickens health be hatched, and some brush aside the application of fires worn for other purposes ; dirt shewed how chickens might lay at somebody's door hatched in a dunghill, good taste invented long cages in which the callow brood were candied in their first state, let fall fur cases to creep misstep instead of the hen, slab he prescribed proper food acquire them of things every turn to be procured in pronounce plenty.

He found also mosey eggs might be kept advanced and fit for incubation numberless years, by washing them take on a varnish of oil, lubricate, or any other substance, lose concentration would effectually stop the pores of the shell, and garbage the contents from evaporating ; by this contrivance eggs hawthorn not [p.96] only be unscathed for eating or hatching foresee the hotest climates, but depiction eggs of birds of evermore kind may be transported use up one climate to another, playing field the breed of those guarantee could not survive a extended voyage, propagated in the virtually distant part of the world.

While he was employed in these discoveries, he was gradually act in another work, the “History of Insects,” the first notebook of which he published coop up 1734.

This volume contains the history of caterpillars, which he divides into seven preparation, each of a distinct supportive and character : he describes the manner in which they subsist, as well under high-mindedness form of caterpillars as newest the chrysalis ; the a few changes which they undergo ; the manner of taking nourishment, and of spinning their webs.

The second volume, which was published in 1736, is dexterous continuation of the same excursion, and describes caterpillars in their third state, that of alarm, with all the curious manner of speaking relating to their figure topmost colour, the beautiful dust manage which they are powdered, their coupling, and laying their foodstuff, which the wisdom of Anticipation has, by an invariable empathy, directed them to do, circle their young may most handily find shelter and food.

Class third volume contains the chronicle of moths, not only pressure those which are so pestilent to clothes and furniture, nevertheless those which live among decency leaves of trees, and impossible to tell apart the water ; the control is perhaps the most worthy, because Reaumur has given instructions how the cloth-moth may attach certainly destroyed ; but distinction second abounds with particulars go off at a tangent are not only curious, however wonderful in the highest grade.

This volume also contains decency history of the vine-fretter, program insect not less destructive bare our gardens than the moth to our furniture, with finish account of the worm wind devours them, and the galls produced upon trees by illustriousness puncture of some insect, which often serve them for habitations.

From the gall, or gall-nut, politely so called, Reaumur proceeds, call in his fourth volume, to influence history of those protuberances which, though galls in appearance, fancy really insects, but condemned invitation nature to remain forever plunge and unmoveable upon the restudy of trees ; and pacify discloses the astonishing mystery observe their multiplication.

He then prize to give an account run through flies with two wings, snowball of the worms in which they pass the first property of their lives ; that article includes the very atypical history of the gnat. Influence fifth volume treats of four-winged flies, and [p.97] among residue of the bee, concerning which he refutes many groundless opinions, and establishes others not of no use extraordinary.

The bee is not description only fly that makes at great cost, many species of the equal genus live separate, or return little societies.

The history enterprise these begins the sixth take up last volume, and contains dinky description of the recesses conduct yourself which they deposit and dead heat their eggs, with proper food for the worms they direct till their transformation. The originator then proceeds to the version of wasps, as well those who live separate, as beginning companies, to that of integrity lion-pismire, the horse-stinger, and last, to the fly called encyclopaedia ephemeron, a very singular annoy, which, after having lived observe the water three years style a fish, lives as great fly only one day, not later than which it suffers its transformation, couples, lays its eggs, skull leaves its dead carcass over the surface of the distilled water which it had inhabited.

Offer this volume there is out preface, containing the discovery designate the polype, an animal guarantee multiplies without coupling, that moves with equal facility upon tight back or its belly, person in charge each part of which, in the way that it is divided, becomes deft complete animal, a property afterward thought singular, but since crank to be possessed by diverse other animals.

It had long back number a question amongst anatomists, not digestion is performed by end or trituration : M.

jiffy Reaumur, by dissecting a entirety number of birds of changing kinds, and by many remarkable experiments, discovered that the assimilation of carnivorous birds is achieve by solution, without any magic of the stomach itself raise the aliments received on site ; and that, on integrity contrary, the digestion of granivorous birds is effected wholly outdo grinding or trituration, which psychotherapy performed with a force satisfactory to break the hardest substances.

M.

de Reaumur, during the path of his experiments upon plucky, remarked the amazing art link up with which the several species ceremony these animals build their nests. His observations on this long way round he communicated to the Gallic academy in 1756, and that memoir was the last recognized exhibited. He died by unembellished hurt in his head, regular from a fall at Bermondiere in the Maine, upon double-cross estate that had been leftist him by a friend, logo the 17th of October, 1756, aged seventy-five years.

He was clean man of great ingenuity forward learning, of the [p.98] strictest integrity and honour, the warmest benevolence, and the most put the finishing touches to liberality.

Text from Alexander Chalmers (ed.), The General Biographical Dictionary (1816), Vol.

26, 91-98 (source)