Gabriel François Venel (23 August 1723, Tourbes – 29 October 1775,

Pézenas Pézenas (; Languedocien: ''Pesenàs'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Name The name "Pézenas" is derived from the older name ''Piscenae'', probably from the Latin word ''piscenis'', meanin ...

) was a French

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

, physician and a contributor to the ''

Encyclopédie , better known as ''Encyclopédie'' (), was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis ...

'', (673 items;Sociétés savantes de France
Louis Dulieu, Gabriel-François Venel. : Bulletin de l'Académie des Sciences et Lettres de Montpellier, nouvelle série, III, 1972, p. 123-135. articles on

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

and medicine).

Biography and Works

He is the son of Étienne Venel, physician and Anne Hiché, and was born in Tourbes in 1723.Smeaton, W. A., Venel, Gabriel François, 'Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography',Encyclopedia.com. 29 Dec. 201

/ref> In 1742 he obtained his doctorate in medicine from the

University of Montpellier The University of Montpellier () is a public university, public research university located in Montpellier, in south-east of France. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous opera ...

. He also attended the public courses in chemistry given by Rouelle in Paris, which confirmed his main interest in chemistry. Venel later on talked very highly of his professor, including in his famous article Chymie written for the

. As ''inspecteur général des eaux minérales'', with Pierre Bayen (1725–1798), he was tasked in 1753 to provide analysis of French

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

s. In 1768 he became a member of the ''Société royale des sciences de Montpellier''. In 1759 he obtained the chair of

materia medica ''Materia medica'' ( lit.: 'medical material/substance') is a Latin term from the history of pharmacy for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing (i.e., medications). The term derives f ...

at the University of Montpellier.Dictionnaire historique de la médecine ancienne et moderne, Volume 4
by Jean Eugene Dezeimeris In parallel, he also gave a course in chemistry outside of the University, in which he taught about the vegetal, mineral and animal chemistry. The practical demonstrations were performed by Jacques Montet. While often interpreted as an early chemist and Enlightenment thinker, Venel may have been influenced by

Alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

and Iatrochemistry. In his entry on chemistry in the ''Encyclopédie'', he explicitly calls for a "New

Paracelsus Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance. H ...

" to further develop the field. His work on mineral waters was interrupted in 1756 due to the cost of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, but funds were gathered again in 1773, and Venel thus resumed his work and travels to analyse waters. His manuscript remained however unfinished. He died due to illness in 1775.

Selected works

* ''Mémoire sur l'analyse des eaux de selters ou de seltz'', 1755. * ''Essai sur l'analyse des végétaux'', 1755. * ''Analyses chimiques des nouvelles eaux nimérales, vitrioliques, ferrugineuses, decouvertes à Passy dans la maison de Madame de Calsabigi'', 1757. * "Quaestiones chemicae duodecim ab illustrissimis viris ... propositae ... : pro Regiâ Cathedrâ vacante in Universitate Medicinae Monspeliensi", 1759. * ''Instructions sur l'usage de la houille'', 1775. * ''Précis de matiere médicale'', 1787. * Books about Gabriel François Venel: * ''Gabriel-François Venel (1723-1775): sa place dans la chimie française du XVIIIe siècle'', by Christine Lecornu Lehman, Université de Paris X: Nanterre, 2000 (1404 pages).Google Books
Gabriel-François Venel (1723-1775): sa place dans la chimie française du XVIIIe siècle

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Venel, Gabriel Francois 1723 births 1775 deaths 18th-century French chemists 18th-century French physicians People from Hérault Contributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772) University of Montpellier alumni Academic staff of the University of Montpellier French male non-fiction writers 18th-century French male writers