Part 1 of Essay
was born in 1743 on August 26th in Paris. He studied at the College Mazarin. In 1768 he was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences. Through out his life he has held many public offices, some of which are director of the state gunpowder works, member of a commission to establish a uniform system of weights and measure ....

Part 2 of Essay
.... that now serves as the basis of the modern system of elements. He clarified the concept of an element as a “simple substance that could not be broken down by any formation of chemical compounds.” He once said, “ If, by the term elements, we mean to express the simple and indivisible molecules that compose bodies, it is probable that we know nothing about them; but if, on the contrary, we express by the term elements or principles of bodies the idea of the last point reached by analysis, all substances that we h ....