Joseph Louis Félix Garrigou (16 September 1835,

Tarascon-sur-Ariège Tarascon-sur-Ariège (, literally ''Tarascon on Ariège''; Languedocien: ''Tarascon d’Arièja'') is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. Tarascon-sur-Ariège station has rail connections to Toulouse, Foix and Lato ...

- 1920) was a French physician,

prehistorian Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...

and

hydrologist Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is called a hydro ...

. He is known for his investigations of prehistoric artifacts and remains (human and animal) found in caves of southern France (

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

). Also, he was the author of numerous writings on

mineral waters 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 their ...

from a chemical/medical perspective. A native of

, Garrigou received his medical doctorate in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. Subsequently he served as a physician in the town of

Ax-les-Thermes Ax-les-Thermes (; or ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Ariège (department), Ariège Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of southwestern France. The commune ha ...

, afterwards working in

Bagnères-de-Luchon Bagnères-de-Luchon (; ), also referred to as just Luchon, is a Communes of France, commune and spa town in the Haute-Garonne Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie region of south-western France. T ...

(from 1869). In 1891 he was appointed chair of medical hydrology at

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

. He was a founding member of the ''Association pyrénéenne'', and a member of the ''

Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques The Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques (CTHS) (''Committee for Historic and Scientific Works'') is a French research institution created by the Minister of Public Education François Guizot on 18 July 1834 for the purpose of 'leading ...

'' (1872-1912), the ''

Société géologique de France The Société géologique de France (SGF) is a French learned society founded on 17 March 1830. As of 2006, it counts 1,200 members. History At its creation, its statutes indicate is to "compete for the advancement of Earth Sciences and Planets, ...

'' and the ''

Société d'Anthropologie de Paris The Society of Anthropology of Paris () is a French learned society for anthropology founded by Paul Broca in 1859. Broca served as the Secrétaire-général of SAP, and in that capacity responded to a letter from James Hunt welcoming the news tha ...

''.

Selected writings

* ''Étude chimique et médicale des eaux sulfureuses d'Ax (Ariège)'', 1862 - Chemical and medical studies of the

sulfur Sulfur ( American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphur ( Commonwealth spelling) is a chemical element; it has symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms ...

ous water of Ax ( Ariège). * ''L'Age de la Pierre dans les cavernes de la vallée de Tarascon (Ariège)'' (with

Henri Filhol Henri Filhol Henri Filhol (13 May 1843 – 28 April 1902) was a French medical doctor, malacologist and naturalist born in Toulouse. He was the son of Édouard Filhol (1814-1883), curator of the Muséum de Toulouse. After receiving his early e ...

), 1863 - The

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

caves in the valley of Tarascon. * ''L'âge du renne dans les Basses-Pyrénées (caverne d'Espalungue)'', (with Louis Martin), 1864 - The era of the

reindeer The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, taiga, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only re ...

in the Basses-Pyrenees (caverns of Espalungue). * ''Age de la pierre polie dans les cavernes des Pyrénées ariégeoises'', 1866 - Era of polished stone in caves in the Ariègois Pyrenees. * ''Généralités sur les eaux minérales des Pyrénées'', 1873 - Overview on the mineral waters of the Pyrenees. * ''Passé, présent, avenir de Luchon'', 1874 - Past, present, future of Luchon. * ''Histoire de la découverte du mercure dans l'eau de la source du Rocher de Saint-Nectaire (Puy de Dôme)'', 1879 - History of the discovery of mercury in the water from the source rock of Saint-Nectaire (Puy-de-Dôme). * ''L'enseignement de l'hydrologie A Toulouse: La creation d'un Institut d'hydrologie'', 1911 - Assignment of hydrology at Toulouse: The creation of an institute of hydrology.IDREF.fr
(extensive bibliography)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garrigou, Felix Academic staff of the University of Toulouse 1835 births 1920 deaths French hydrologists 19th-century French physicians French prehistorians People from Ariège (department)