Mathurin Jacques Brisson (; 30 April 1723 – 23 June 1806) was a French
zoologist and
natural philosopher.
Brisson was born at
Fontenay-le-Comte. The earlier part of his life was spent in the pursuit of
natural history; his published works in this field included ''Le Règne animal'' (1756) and the highly regarded ''Ornithologie'' (1760).
As a young man, he was a disciple and assistant of
René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur. For a period of time he was an instructor of physical sciences and natural history to the family of the monarch. He held the chair of
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which rel ...
at the
College of Navarre, and from 1759 was a member of the
Academy of Sciences.
A significant work involving the "
specific weight of bodies" was his ''Pesanteur Spécifique des Corps'' (1787). In his investigations of
electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...
, Brisson was opposed to the theories of
Priestley and
Franklin.
The English Cyclopædia: A New Dictionary of Universal Knowledge ..., Volume 6 edited
by Charles Knight
He died at Croissy-sur-Seine near Paris.
Publications
*
* ''Ornithologia, sive Synopsis methodica sistens avium divisionem in ordines, sectiones, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates.'' Bauche, Paris, Leiden 1760–63, with engraved illustrations by François-Nicolas Martinet.
* ''Supplementum Ornithologiæ sive Citationes, descriptionesque antea omissæ & species de novo adjectæ, ad suaquaque genera redactæ.'' Paris 1760.
* ''Lettres de deux Espagnols sur les manufactures.'' Vergera 1769.
* ''Dictionnaire raisonné de physique.'' Thou, Paris 1781–1800.
* ''Observations sur les nouvelles découvertes aërostatiques.'' Lamy, Paris 1784.
* ''Pesanteur spécifique des corps.'' Paris 1787.
* ''Traité élémentaire ou Principes de physique.'' Moutard & Bossange, Paris 1789–1803.
* ''Trattato elementare ovvero Principi di fisica.'' Grazioli, Florenz 1791.
* ''Die spezifischen Gewichte der Körper.'' Leipzig 1795.
* ''Suplemento al Diccionario universal de física.'' Cano, Madrid 1796–1802.
* ''Principes élémentaires de l'histoire naturelle et chymique des substances minérales.'' Paris 1797.
* ''Anfangsgründe der Naturgeschichte und Chemie der Mineralien.'' Mainz 1799.
* ''Instruction sur les nouveaux poids et mesures.'' Paris 1799.
* ''Elémens ou Principes physico-chymiques.'' Bossange, Paris 1800.
* ''Elements of the natural history and chymical analysis of mineral substances.'' Ritchie, Walker, Vernor & Hood, London 1800.
* ''Tratado elemental ó principios de física.'' Madrid 1803/04.
Sources
*
External links
*
Gallica
has a free digital download of Brisson, Mathurin-Jacques ''Ornithologia sive Synopsis methodica sistens avium divisionem in ordines, sectiones, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates'' Leiden (1760–1763) in Microforme The French word for Search is Recherche.
''Dictionnaire raisonné de physique, 2nd éd, Planches''
– Linda Hall Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brisson, Mathurin Jacques
1723 births
1806 deaths
Natural philosophers
French ornithologists
French entomologists
French zoologists
Members of the French Academy of Sciences
People from Fontenay-le-Comte
18th-century French writers
18th-century French male writers
19th-century French writers
18th-century philosophers
19th-century philosophers
French male non-fiction writers
19th-century French male writers