Louis Charles Emile Lortet

Louis Charles Emile Lortet , born with Oullins on August 22nd, 1836, deceased with Lyon on December 26th, 1909, is a Médecin, Botaniste, Zoologiste, Paléontologiste, Egyptologist and Anthropologue. He touched with all the fields of the natural science (zoology, entomology, malacology…) and human (archeology and anthropology). Thus, it twice climbs Mont Blanc in the same week to study certain aspects of physiology cardiac and respiratory in altitude, collected human craniums coming from various areas for anthropological studies, studied the momification of the animals in High-Egypt, appreciably improved knowledge of the Middle East, etc

Childhood

Born from a family of famous Lyons naturalists, it devoted his life to the natural siences. He was the grandson of Clémence Lortet (1772-1835) (born Richard), brilliant Lyons botanist and cofondatrice of the Société linnéenne of Lyon and the third wire of Pierre Lortet (1792-1868), doctor and naturalist geologist, member of the Academy of Science, the humanities and arts of Lyon, also known for philosophy, heir in that to Rousseau. To also note that his/her father was set on orientalism and translated of Arabic a calendar copte. Undoubtedly the attraction for the botany of his/her grandmother, for medicine, the geology and the Egyptology of his/her father, traced the way of the Lortet young person who carried out it at the same time in the natural science, archeology and Egyptology.

It passed its youth to the Lycée Amp. Graduate of the Medical school of Paris, it supported his thesis of medicine in 1861 on the labial cancroïde to obtain the rank of doctor of medicine. After having passed a science degree natural, it supported two new thesis, in 1867, one in physiology on the Speed of the course of blood in the arteries of the horse , another in botany on fecundation and the germination of Marchantia for which it obtained the natural rank of science doctor. It was named professor of natural history at the medical college of Lyon and was part-time lecturer of zoology to the Faculty of Science in 1869. Later, in 1877, he will be first senior of the mixed faculty of medicine and pharmacy of Lyon. He directed the Natural history museum of natural history of Lyon of 1870 to his death.

Louis Lortet, physiologist and doctor

Louis Lortet of interested in the physiology of blood. He began research on the leucocytes and showed that the movements amiboïdes these cells enabled them to cross fabrics, phenomenon which he discovered about at the same time as Julius Conheim (1839-1884) as Dr. Jules Guiart pointed out it (Strong, 1911). He worked then on blood circulation at great altitude and took readings sphygmographic to 4.810 m, whose results were taken again by many French and foreign reviews. He continued his research in medicine tirelessly and proposed his assistance with the patients in particular during the war of 1870-1871, while engaging in the first Lyons ambulance, which will be worth to him to be named Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. In 1874, with the assistance of his colleagues of the Medical school, it obtained to be able to transform the Medical school into mixed faculty of medicine and pharmacy. It is thanks to its activity of senior that it could obtain into 1894 new buildings for the medical college become too small. The president Sadi Carnot (1837-1894) gave to him the cross of Officer of the Legion of Honor in reward of his devotion.

Among many research which it carried out in medicine, it was interested in the parasites of the man and certain great diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis or syphilis. In particular, it tried out tuberculosis on the ground worm.

Louis Lortet, director of the Natural history museum of natural history of Lyon

After the departure of Claude Jourdan of the Natural history museum of natural history of Lyon, Louis Lortet obtained the position of director in an unfavorable context with the war free-Prussian which burst in 1870. These events contravened its projects to visit the other large European museums of which it wished to be inspired to direct the Natural history museum of Lyon. After having drawn a dramatic picture of the collections of zoology left in an appalling state, with his dires, by his predecessor, Louis Lortet had for first mission of giving in state the collections.

He surrounded by a very qualified team Lyons naturalists, among whom appeared Ange Paulin Terver, Arnould Locard, Falsan, Godard, Dumortier… which helped it for the classification, determination of the specimens. In same time, it founded the Lyons Association of the Friends of the natural science , intended to acquire spectacular parts like Mégacéros or to finance the assembly of the Mammoth of Choulans discovered in 1859, while it called upon generosity of the Lyons naturalists, the members of the learned societies, like the Company physiophile of Lyon or the Company linnéenne of Lyon, in order to obtain doubles of insects or shells. In a few years, the efforts of Louis Lortet were rewarded, the collections of the Natural history museum of Lyon grew rich considerably and soon the Natural history museum of Lyon exchanged with the majority of the European natural history musea. It carried out very many missions in the Middle East and had several naturalists posts some in Cochinchine, like Gilbert Drawing and Albert Morice which regularly dispatched cases of animals to him of which much was new for the Natural history museum and science. Ernest Chantre forwarded to him of its many missions in the Middle East and the Caucasus, all kinds of especially invertebrate animals which came to be added to the increasingly frequent gifts. It constituted with this last a very important collection of several thousands of human craniums. Louis Lortet also founded a review intended to receive the articles of research carried out by Lortet and his collaborators: the Files of the Natural history museum of natural history of Lyon , imposing booklets abundantly illustrated by lithographers of the Natural history museum. The research tasks of Louis Lortet are very numerous and cover many fields; one owes him, inter alia, of descriptions of new fish of the Lake Tibériade. In 1875, it made share with the Academy of Science of its discovery of astonishing manners of Chromis of the Lake Tibériade: it is in Louis Lortet that one owes the discovery of oral incubation at these species.

As from 1900, its research is directed towards Egyptology and will publish with Claude Gaillard, which will be its successor in 1909, an important work on the momifiée fauna of High-Egypt. The voyages which it carried out, in Syria and Egypt, aimed to bring back all kinds of objects of natural history (fossil, shells, insects…) but also to study local manners.

It is without question, the character who the most marked the history of the Natural history museum of Lyon which at its time radiated with the international level, while the public collections and the new windows attracted more than 500.000 visitors per annum.

Missions and voyages of Louis Lortet

Louis Lortet dedicated to the area of the Middle East, Syria and Egypt in particular, a true fascination. It is with the passion of a naturalist, an artist and an ethnologist whom it carried out these voyages of discovered and of prospection in these areas.

1873 : Mission in Greece, Syria for the search for tertiary fossils and the study of the marine animals of the Mediterranean
1875: Mission in the Gulf of Égine and the roads of Smyrna for the research and the reproduction of the sponges
1876: Travel to Syria for faunistic studies and to give an account of its geographical observations and ethnological
1880: Mission in Syria for the study of fauna (fish) and for excavations in old a necropolis phenician
1897: Mission of medical research on Bilharziose
1900-1909: Missions in Egypt for the study of old fauna

Botany

It on the occasion, in its youth, to herborize with Georges Roffavier (1775-1866), one of the founders of the Company linnéenne of Lyon, which had divided many herborizings with Clémence Lortet, and Hénon. It made some new discoveries which made it possible to enrich the flora by the Cariot abbot, but it is especially with the Cryptogams that it was interested. Besides it made its second thesis on the fecundation at Pressia commutata . This work was presented by Brongnard to the Academy of Science and which received all the praises; the knowledge of the reproduction was very precisely described there and various aspects of this one were enlightened like the discovery of aleurone in the spores. Louis Lortet completed other work in botany like those bearing on the cristations at the Erica .

Species of Louis Lortet

Louis Lortet described several species like Capoeta sauvagei Lortet, 1883 or Barbus barroisi Lortet, 1894

Several species were also dedicated to him:

Iris lorteti Barbey
Tulipa lorteti Jordan
Anona lorteti Saporta and Marion (Pliocène)
Cycladites lorteti Saporta (Kimméridgien)
Radiotubigera lorteti
Sphoerium lorteti
Extracrinus lorteti
Ammonites lorteti
Paraortyx lorteti
Pseudaelurus lorteti
Lutra lorteti (Miocène)
Anodonta lorteti Locard
Unio lorteti Locard
Melanopsis lorteti Locard
Helix lorteti Bearded Locard
lorteti Wild

Learned societies and principal honorary titles

Louis Lortet was member of a very great number of learned societies, among which one will be able to quote the Société of medicine of Lyon, the Société of anthropology of Lyon, the Société linnéenne of Lyon, the botanical Société of France, etc

1854 : Science baccalaureat
1855-1956: Prize winner of the preparatory School of Medicine of Lyon
1856: Intern of Lyon
1861: Doctor of medicine
1861-1876: Doctor of the Lyons evangelic Infirmary
1863: Assistant doctor of the general Dispensary of Lyon
1863: Doctor of the catholic room of asylum of Saint-Pothin of Lyon
1865: Bachelor of science natural
1866: Doctor of the Protestant Company of precaution and mutual helps
1867: Science doctor natural
1867: Responsible for the course of zoology at the preparatory School of Medicine and Pharmacy of Lyon
1867: Desmazières price for its work on the fecundation and the germination of the Preissia commutata
1868: Professor of natural history at the same School
1869: Responsible for the course of zoology to the Faculty of Science of Lyon
1870: Medical officer of the National guard of Lyon
1870-1871: Attache as surgeon with the first international ambulance of Lyon
1870-1909: Director of the Natural history museum of Natural history of Lyon
1871: Decorated with the bronze cross of the French company with helps with wounded and patients of the sea and Armies
1872: Knight of the National order of the Legion of honor
1872-1879: Member of the scientific Commissions to deliver an opinion on the site of the cemeteries of Lyon
1874: Professor of zoology and physiology to the Faculty of Science of Lyon
1875: Founder and president of the Lyons Section of the Alpine Club French
1876: Gold medal decreed by the Ministry for the State education, on the proposal of the Committee of historical work and the Learned societies, to reward its work on the zoology and paleontology
1876: Named with, the Humanities Academy of Science and Art of Lyon
1876: Member of the Congress of the Orientalists of Marseilles
1876: Member of honor of Schweizerische Naturforschende Gesellschaft of Basle
1877: Professor of natural history to the mixed Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Lyon
1877-1907: Senior of this faculty
1878: Officer of Academy
1878: Member of honor of the Lyons Company of Gymnastics
1879: Honorary president of the protective Company of the Animals of Lyon
1882: Large Officer of the royal Order of Isabelle the Catholic
1882: Honorary president of the Lyons Section of the Alpine Club French
1883: Officer of the State education
1885: President of the Company of Anthropology of Lyon
1889: Member of the Steering Committee of the Congresses at the time of the World Fair of Paris
1890: Promoted with the first class
1892-1896: Member of the Superior council of the State education
1894: Officer of the National order of the Legion of honor
1894: Member of the Council of public health of Lyon
1894: Delegated of the Minister for the State education
1900: Corresponding national of the Academy of Medicine
1901: Honorary president of the first Egyptian Congress of Medicine held in Cairo
1902: Honorary member of the Egyptian Institute
1902: Delegated of the Minister for the State education and the Art schools to the first medical Congress convened in Cairo
1903: Honorary member of the medical Company of Alexandria
1904: President of the Association of the Former Interns of Lyon
1906: Large Officer of the imperial Order of Médjidieh
1906: Professor emeritus
1906: Honorary senior
1908: Member of the Commission of control of the service of obligatory vaccination
Large Officer about the Lion and Sun of Persia
Dignitary of the imperial Order of the Pink of Brazil

Work and publications

1859 : Research on an anomaly of the flowers of the Erica arborea
1861: Monographic test on the labial cancroïde
1862: Vital principle and thinking heart
1863: Glaucome
1863: Studies on the " Medical physiology of the circulation of the sang" of Mr. Dr. Marey
1863: New means of expelling the " Taenia"
1863: Lubricating Microbiose
1863: Syphilis transmitted by the catherism of the Eustachian tube
1864: Research on the hair of the Negros
1866: Description of a new parasite of the Man: the Helophilus horridus
1866: Physiological research on the glaciers
1867: Research on the fecundation and the germination of the Preissia commutata , to be used for the history of the Marchantia
1867: Memory on the speed of blood in the arteries of the horse, with a new recording device (hémadromographe)
1867: On the penetration of the leucocytes through the organic membranes (two memories)
1868: Contagion of the cholera
1869: Two rises with Mont Blanc and the evil of the mountains. Research on circulation and breathing at a great altitude. Layouts sphygmographic taken with 4.810 meters of altitude
1872: Studies on the prehistoric site of Solutré (Saône-et-Loire) (Ducrost and Lortet)
1872: Study on the Lagomys corsicanus of Bastia (Corsica)
1872: Paleontological studies in the Basin of the Rhone. Quaternary period (Lortet and Chantre)
1873: Report/ratio with Mr. prefect on the work carried out during the year 1872
1875: On a fish of the Lake Tibériade, the Chromis paterfamilias which incubates its eggs in the mouth
1875: Abysses of the Sea by Charles Wyville Thomson, 1870, translation of L. Lortet
1878: Seek on the mastodons and mammalogic faunas which accompany them (Lortet and Chantre)
1880: Leprosy tubercular patient in Syria
1880: Results of the major dredgings carried out in the Lake Tibériade
1883: Poisson and Reptiles of some other part and Tibériade Lake of Syria
1884: Syria of today. Voyages in Phénicie, Lebanon and Judaea. 1875-1880
1887 : Observations on the terrestrial Tortoises and paludines of the basin of the Mediterranean
1887: Note on the Rhizoprion Bariensis of Jourdan
1887: Migrations of Myriapodes and the Spirostreptus Syriacus of the edges of the Dead Sea
1889: Gigantic erratic Blocks deposited on the moraine of the glacier of Gorner with Zermatt
1890: The Bacterium of the wreck, infectious disease of the Bees
1890: Pathogenic Microbes of drinking water distributed to the town of Lyon (Lortet and Despeignes)
1891: Research on the pathogenic Microbes of the vases of the Dead Sea
1891: Experimental tuberculosis at the terrestrial lombrics
1892: Ground Worms and bacilli of tuberculosis (Lortet and Despeignes)
1892: Fossil Reptiles of the basin of the Rhone
1894: Study on the Bilharzia hæmatobia and the bilharziose
1896: Influence indirect currents on the orientation of the alive Bacteria
1896: Experimental tuberculosis attenuated by radiation Roentgen (Lortet and Genoud)
1898: Fall of Shellfish Ostracodes fossils observed in Oullins, close to Lyon, on September 24th, 1898
1900: Caretakers of Lyon and tuberculosis
1900: Laboratory of parasitology. The Light, therapeutic agent, method of professor Finsen, Copenhagen
1901: Phototherapeutic apparatus, without condenser, for the application of Finsen (Lortet and Genoud)
1901: Momifiés Birds of old Egypt (Lortet and Gaillard)
1901: Note on the vertebrate animals of old Egypt
1903: The momifiée Fauna of old Egypt, 1st series (Lortet and Gaillard)
1904: Analyzes natron contained in the ballot boxes of Maher-Pra (Lortet and Hugounenq)
1905: In the mountains. Follow-up of That and there in the Alps by John Tyndall, 1869; translation and new foreword by L. Lortet
1906: The momifiée Fauna of old Egypt, 2nd series (Lortet and Gaillard)
1906: Flints cut in the area of Thèbes (High-Egypt)
1907: The momifiée Fauna of old Egypt and anthropological Recherches, 3rd series (Lortet and Gaillard)
1907: Syphilitic cranium and prehistoric necropoles of High-Egypt
1908: Antiquity of syphilitic cranium found in the prehistoric necropolis of Ground (High-Egypt), Bulletin of the Company of Anthropology of Lyon (Answer of Mr. Doctor Lortet to Mr. Chantre)
1908: Desert paleolithic station of Gebel-Souhan (High-Egypt)
1908: The momifiée Fauna of old Egypt and anthropological Recherches, 4th series (Lortet and Gaillard)
1909: The Truth (Necropolis of Khozan)
1909: The momifiée Fauna of old Egypt and anthropological Recherches, 5th series (Lortet and Gaillard)

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