[Moyse Charas, a typical master apothecary and physician for his time (1619-1698)].
The life of Moyse Charas has been very stormy, especially after 1680. One can consider three main periods in his carrier : a first one from his birth in Uzès (France), in 1619, to 1680 ; his exile from 1680 to 1689 in various European countries ; and finally, his return to Paris in 1690 until his death in 1698. He decided his return to Paris and confirmed his conversion to Catholicism the 1st of July 1691, being received by Louis XIV and elected as a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 1692. Charas dictated his one’s will the 12th of January 1698, a few days before his death. All along his very active life, Charas was noteworthy by two major achievements : his interest and works on viper and, as a consequence, on theriac ; and his book that became a reference for all apothecaries and physicians at the time, the Pharmacopée Royale galénique et chimique (the Galenic and Chemical Royal Pharmacopoeia). The present study examines specifically the influence of Charas’ pharmacopoeia to the Universal Pharmacopeia of Lémery, and the conceptual visible differences between the two authors. He decided his return to Paris and confirmed his conversion to Catholicism the 1st of July 1691, being received by Louis XIV and elected as a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 1692. Charas dictated his one’s will the 12th of January 1698, a few days before his death. All along his very active life, Charas was noteworthy by two major achievements : his interest and works on viper and, as a consequence, on theriac ; and his book that became a reference for all apothecaries and physicians at the time, the Pharmacopée Royale galénique et chimique (the Galenic and Chemical Royal Pharmacopoeia). The present study examines specifically the influence of Charas’ pharmacopoeia to the Universal Pharmacopeia of Lémery, and the conceptual visible differences between the two authors.