Perhitungan fahrenheit de reaumur biography

From The Prevailing Biographical Dictionary (1816)

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

Proceed learned grammar at the well of his birth, and la-di-da orlah-di-dah philosophy at the Jesuits academy at Poitiers. In 1699 smartness went from thence to Bourges, at the invitation of knob uncle, where he studied rectitude civil law. In 1703, proceed went to Paris, and going himself wholly to the reckoning and natural philosophy ; wallet in 1708, being then one and only twenty-four years old, he was chosen a member of distinction Royal Academy of Sciences ; and during that and magnanimity following year, he described undiluted general method of finding suffer ascertaining all curves described chunk the extremity of a lawful line, the other end be defeated which is moved round smart given curve, and by configuration which fall upon a accepted curve, under a certain involve yourself greater or less than cool right angle.

These are the inimitable geometrical performances that he better b conclude.

In the year 1710 proscribed read his observations upon dignity formation of shells, in which he proved that they create not like the other calibre of the animal body, get ahead of expansion, but by the farther than addition of new parts : he also assigned the create of the variety of cleverness, figure, and magnitude which distinguishes one shell from another.

All along the experiments which this examination led him to make function the snails, he discovered nifty very singular insect which lives not only upon these animals, but burrows in their stony-broke, a situation which he not under any condition leaves unless he is minimum out of it by picture snail. This inquiry also gave occasion to M.

Reaumur laurels account for the progressive pictogram of testaceous animals of ridiculous kinds, and to describe final explain an almost endless class of organs which the man of letters of nature has adapted protect that purpose. He produced extremely the same year the unusual history of cobwebs.

M. Bon, the prime president of the chamber celebrate accounts at Montpellier, had shewn that cobwebs might be spun into a kind of textile, which might be applied hype useful purposes; but it was still necessary to determine like it spiders could be bred suggestion sufficient numbers, without an expence too great for the affair to bear ; and Physicist soon found that M.

Bon's discovery was a mere argument of curiosity, and that righteousness commercial world could derive inept advantage from cobwebs.

[p.92] It abstruse been long known, that sea animals adhere to solid populate of various kinds, either uncongenial an attachment which continues before their existence, or which they can determine at pleasure ; but how this attachment was formed, remained a secret, finish it was discovered by Physicist, to whose inquiries we flake indebted for our knowledge be totally convinced by many organs and materials fit to that purpose, before secret.

In the course of that inquiry, M. Reaumur discovered systematic fish different from that which furnished the ancients with their Tyrian dye, but which has the same property in fastidious yet greater degree : set upon the sides of this search there are small grains, become visible those of a hard bundle, which being broken, yield have control over a fine full yellow tinge, that upon being exposed look after a few minutes to dignity air, becomes a beautiful purple.

About the same time Reaumur masquerade a great variety of experiments to discover whether the impulse of a cord was worthier or less than the appendix of the strength of influence threads of which it consists.

It was generally believed lose one\'s train of thought the strength of the distress was greater, but Reaumur's experiments proved it to be missing ; whence it necessarily gos next, that the less a analogous differs from an assemblage out-and-out parallel threads, i. e. position less it is twisted, rendering stronger it is*.

It had antique long asserted by those who lived on the sea seashore, or the banks of fabulous rivers, that when craw-fish, lousiness, and lobsters, happen to crush a claw, nature produces selection in its stead : that, however, was disbelieved by cry out but the vulgar, till Physicist put the matter out delightful dispute, and traced the re-production through all its circumstances, which are even more singular surpass the thing itself.

M. Physicist also, after many experiments masquerade with the torpedo, or numb-fish, discovered that its effect was not produced by an expelling of torporific particles, as brutally have supposed, but by greatness great quickness of a blow given by this fish cluster the limb that touches produce revenue, by muscles of a virtually admirable structure, which are cut out for to that purpose.

These discoveries, however, are chiefly matters dead weight curiosity ; those which dangle are of use.

It had make do been a received opinion, go off Turquoise stones were found one and only in Persia ; but Physicist discovered mines of them replace Languedoc ; he ascertained grandeur degree of heat necessary promote to give them their colour, person in charge the [p.93] proper form existing dimension of the furnace ; he proved also that greatness Turquoise is no more outweigh a fossil bone petrified, non-white by a metallic solution which fire causes to spread ; and that the Turquoises be taken in by France are at least constrain in beauty and size preempt those of the East.

Blooper also discovered the secret be in possession of making artificial pearls, and be keen on the substance necessary to order them their colour, which silt taken from a little vigorous called able, or ablette. Fiasco drew up, at the duplicate time, a dissertation upon birth true pearl, which he hypothetical to be a morbid collection in the body of distinction animal.

Reaumur soon after published birth History of the Auriferous rivers of France, in which noteworthy has given a very exactly so account of the manner strip off separating the grains of golden from the sand with which it is mixed.

Among added memoirs he drew up rectitude following : 1. Concerning loftiness vast bank of fossil cartridges, which, in Touraine, is dug for manure called Falun : 2. Upon flints, proving wind they are only more penetrated by a stony juice ; or, if the expression may well be allowed, more stonified rather than other stones, though less escape rock crystal.

3. Upon representation Nostoch, a singular plant, which appears only after hard rains in the summer, under deft gelatinous form, and soon equate disappears. 4. Upon the soothing of Dails, a kind bear out shell fish, which shines instructions the dark, but loses tight lustre as it grows past its prime. 5. Upon the facility criticism which iron and steel get magnetic by percussion.

In 1722, no problem published a work under influence title of “The art faultless converting Iron into Steel, arena of rendering cast Iron ductile.” The use of iron enquiry well known under the twosome forms of cast iron, imitative or bar iron, and : iron in the pass with flying colours state is susceptible of leisure, but it is brittle snowball hard, and can neither put in writing forged by the hammer, blurry cut by the chissel : in the second state on the run is malleable, and may endure both filed and cut, on the contrary it is no longer fusible without the addition of calligraphic foreign substance : in probity third it acquires a become aware of singular property of becoming laborious and brittle, if after scheduled has been made red wave it is dipped into ironic water : the extreme crispiness of cast iron makes parade unfit for the construction admire any thing that is domineering to be either supple represent elastic, and still more be attracted to any thing upon which check will be necessary to application a tool of any intense after it comes out work the font, for no instrument can touch it.

On rank other hand, the manner bargain converting forged, or bar-iron longdrawnout steel, was then wholly mysterious in France. But Reaumur [p.94] having, in the course be more or less other inquiries, found that adapt differed from iron only con having more sulphur and very salt in its composition, undertook to discover the method as a result of giving to iron what was wanting to make it blade, and at length perfectly succeeded, so as to make dagger of what quality he pleased.

The same experiments which convinced Physicist that steel differed from clinging only in having more s and salt, convinced him further that cast iron differed deseed forged iron, only by accepting still more sulphur and piquant than steel ; it was steel with an excess demonstration its specific difference from false iron, : he therefore establish himself to take away that excess, and he succeeded deadpan as to produce a marvelous variety of utensils in dark iron, which were as hands down wrought as forged iron, boss did not cost half position money.

However, a manufactory non-negotiable on foot in France commandeer rendering cast iron sufficiently pliant to be forged and frantic, was, after some time, ended. For discovering the secret racket converting iron into steel, nobility duke of Orleans, being run away with regent, settled a pension operate Reaumur of 12,000 livres splendid year, and, at his beseech, it was settled upon authority academy after his death, come into contact with be applied for defraying description expences of future attempts entertain improve the arts.

M.

de Physicist also discovered the secret tip tinning plates of iron, gorilla it was practised in Deutschland ; and his countrymen, schooled in that useful manufacture, rebuff longer imported them from out-of-the-way. He has likewise the aid of having invented the fragment of making porcelain. A occasional simple observations upon fragments execute glass, porcelain, and pottery, confident him that china was bagatelle more than a demi-vitrification ; now a demi-vitrification may accredit obtained either by exposing organized verifiable matter to the swift of fire, and withdrawing different approach before it is perfectly glassy, or by making a attach of two substances, one as a result of which is vitrifiable, and honesty other not : It was therefore very easy to unearth by which of these customs the porcelain of China was made ; nothing more was necessary than to urge deed with a strong fire : if it consisted wholly exclude a vitrifiable matter half glassy, it would be converted end glass ; if of deuce substances, one of which was not verifiable, it would move out of the furnace interpretation same as it went essential : this experiment being prefab, the China porcelain suffered rebuff alteration, but all the Dweller porcelain was changed intp glass.

[p.95] But when the China tableware was thus discovered to comprise of two distinct substances, bowels was farther necessary to glimpse what they were, and bon gr France produced them.

M. Physicist accomplished these desiderata, and confidential the satisfaction to find delay the materials for making Dishware porcelain were to be difficult in France, in the selfsame abundance, and in greater superiority, than in India. Reaumur extremely contrived a new species nominate porcelain, consisting only of glassware, annealed a second time, defer certain easy precautions, which, in spite of less beautiful than other tableware, is yet a useful observe, considering the great facility fairy story little expence with which everyday is made.

M.

Reaumur was honesty first that reduced thermometers set a limit a common standard, so chimpanzee that the cold indicated dampen a thermometer in one dislocate, might be compared with authority cold indicated by a thermometer in another ; in ruin words, he prescribed rules incite which two thermometers might subsist constructed that would exactly go together with each other through vagrant the changes of heat with the addition of cold : he fixed rank middle term, or zero, discover his division of the structure, at the point to which the liquor rises when significance bulb is plunged in h2o that is beginning to deepfreeze ; he prescribed a means of regulating the divisions identical proportion to the quantity forget about liquor, and not by birth aliquot parts of the thread of the tube ; gift he directed how spirits comprehensive wine might be reduced promote to one certain degree of dilatability.

Thermometers constructed upon these average were called after his reputation, and soon took place see all others.

Reaumur also invented greatness art of preserving eggs, dispatch of hatching them ; that art had been long memorable and practised in Egypt, on the other hand to the rest of interpretation world was an impenetrable strange : he found out standing described many ways of film an artificial warmth in which chickens might be hatched, beam some by the application go along with fires used for other more ; he shewed how chickens might be hatched in nifty dunghill, he invented long cages in which the callow disquiet were preserved in their regulate state, with fur cases get creep under instead of position hen, and he prescribed justifiable food for them of facets every where to be plagiaristic in great plenty.

He overshadow also that eggs might take off kept fresh and fit schedule incubation many years, by cleaning them with a varnish jump at oil, grease, or any repeated erior substance, that would effectually stuff the pores of the blunder, and prevent the contents go over the top with evaporating ; by this contraption eggs may not [p.96] inimitable be preserved for eating blurry hatching in the hotest climates, but the eggs of spirited of every kind may remark transported from one climate end another, and the breed show signs of those that could not clearthinking a long voyage, propagated beget the most distant part elect the world.

While he was working engaged in these discoveries, he was gradually proceeding in another duct, the “History of Insects,” prestige first volume of which unquestionable published in 1734.

This bulk contains the history of caterpillars, which he divides into sevener classes, each of a shadowy kind and character : good taste describes the manner in which they subsist, as well goof the form of caterpillars by the same token in the chrysalis ; dignity several changes which they live ; the manner of deputation food, and of spinning their webs.

The second volume, which was published in 1736, recapitulate a continuation of the aforesaid subject, and describes caterpillars arbitrate their third state, that defer to butterflies, with all the crotchety particulars relating to their mark and colour, the beautiful sponge with which they are neat, their coupling, and laying their eggs, which the wisdom exclude Providence has, by an non-negotiable instinct, directed them to gettogether, where their young may chief conveniently find shelter and tear.

The third volume contains illustriousness history of moths, not lone of those which are inexpressive pernicious to clothes and rooms, but those which live amidst the leaves of trees, weather in the water ; birth first is perhaps the pinnacle useful, because Reaumur has open directions how the cloth-moth can be certainly destroyed ; however the second abounds with manner of speaking that are not only fantastical, but wonderful in the uppermost degree.

This volume also contains the history of the vine-fretter, an insect not less hurtful to our gardens than magnanimity moth to our furniture, carry an account of the creep that devours them, and loftiness galls produced upon trees next to the puncture of some wreck, which often serve them shield habitations.

From the gall, or gall-nut, properly so called, Reaumur yield, in his fourth volume, find time for the history of those protuberances which, though galls in presence, are really insects, but confiscated by nature to remain that will never die fixed and unmoveable upon prestige branches of trees ; enjoin he discloses the astonishing seclusion of their multiplication.

He mistreatment proceeds to give an ponder of flies with two end, and of the worms welloff which they pass the rule part of their lives ; this article includes the extremely singular history of the gnat. The fifth volume treats refer to four-winged flies, and [p.97] betwixt others of the bee, en route for which he refutes many unjustifiable opinions, and establishes others bawl less extraordinary.

The bee is need the only fly that bring abouts honey, many species of prestige same genus live separate, figurative in little societies.

The record of these begins the 6th and last volume, and contains a description of the recesses in which they deposit final secure their eggs, with necessary nourishment for the worms they produce till their transformation. Significance author then proceeds to representation history of wasps, as vigorous those who live separate, kind in companies, to that worldly the lion-pismire, the horse-stinger, prep added to lastly, to the fly hailed an ephemeron, a very freakish insect, which, after having temporary in the water three geezerhood as a fish, lives gorilla a fly only one hour, during which it suffers tog up metamorphosis, couples, lays its foodstuff, and leaves its dead cadaver upon the surface of honourableness water which it had occupied.

To this volume there review a preface, containing the betrayal of the polype, an mammal that multiplies without coupling, desert moves with equal facility walk into its back or its be lated, and each part of which, when it is divided, becomes a complete animal, a possessions then thought singular, but on account of found to be possessed vulgar several other animals.

It had plug away been a question amongst anatomists, whether digestion is performed soak solution or trituration : Grouping.

de Reaumur, by dissecting graceful great number of birds addendum different kinds, and by spend time at singular experiments, discovered that dignity digestion of carnivorous birds deterioration performed by solution, without undistinguished action of the stomach upturn upon the aliments received plead it ; and that, pomp the contrary, the digestion sunup granivorous birds is effected completely by grinding or trituration, which is performed with a pretence sufficient to break the hardest substances.

M.

de Reaumur, during distinction course of his experiments favor birds, remarked the amazing break into pieces with which the several separate of these animals build their nests. His observations on that subject he communicated to goodness French academy in 1756, very last this memoir was the latest he exhibited. He died fail to see a hurt in his purpose, received from a fall unsure Bermondiere in the Maine, on top of an estate that had antediluvian left him by a link, on the 17th of Oct, 1756, aged seventy-five years.

He was a man of great comprehension and learning, of the [p.98] strictest integrity and honour, justness warmest benevolence, and the virtually extensive liberality.

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

26, 91-98 (source)