Physicist, botanist.

Studied at Angers, where he befriended the naturalist Buffon. Published Florae parisiensis prodromus (1749), a treatise on the flora of the region around Paris, and later sent a copy to Franklin.

Translated and published Franklin’s first pamphlet on electricity, Experiments and Observations (1752), in which Franklin made the first public suggestion that the electrical nature of lightning could be proved experimentally. Successfully carried out the experiment Franklin had proposed (1752). Reported his findings to the Académie Royale des Sciences. Printed this report in the second edition of his translation of Experiments and Observations (1756).

First met Franklin in 1767 during Franklin’s trip to Paris.

Born in Crannes.