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Biographical note Léon Dufour, 1780–1865
International Journalfor
Parasitology.
Vol. 11, No. 3, p. 181. 1981.
Prinfed in Grear Britain
BICENTENARY BIOGRAPHICAL L&ON DUFOUR, BORN IN Saint-Sever (Landes, France) on April 10, 1780 the son of a physician, Jean-Marie-L&on Dufour started his studies at the Ecole centrale of his hometown and as a youngster witnessed the events resulting from the French Revolution of 1789. He then went to Paris to perform medical studies from 1799 to 1806, the year in which he wrote his thesis on: ‘Propositions g&&ales sur divers points de mkdecine’. He was already actively interested in Botany and Entomology and in this last discipline was the pupil of Latreille; he was acquainted with most of the French and European naturalists of his time. He then returned to Saint-Sever where he practiced medicine and performed researches in Natural History (chiefly Entomology), except between 1808 and 1814 when he served as a military physician in Spain during the Napoleonic campaign in this country. He married in 1822 and had four children among whom were two boys who became physicians. His scientific work is mainly concerned with the anatomy and physiology of arthropods (Crustacea, Arachnida, Acarina, Myriapoda, Insecta) on which he published between 1811 and 1864 232 papers among which were important monographs for which he received several prizes from the Academic des Sciences. Several of his articles are devoted to parasitic acari (ticks) and insects (Diptera, Siphonaptera etc.). Other parasitological works of Dufour include a detailed study on the ascaris of man (Ascaris lumbricoides) for the anatomical part of which he was preceded by J. Cloquet (1824). He also studied various nematodes from insects and described Sphaerularia bombi in bumble-bees. His name is also linked with the discovery of a new group of parasitic Protozoa, the Gregarines, which he mentioned in 1826 and named in 1828. Some Gregarines had already been seen and figured in the 17th and 18th centuries but were not recognized as belonging to a peculiar group of protozoan parasites before Dufour. In 1830 Dufour was elected as a corresponding member of the Acadt+mie des Sciences and in 1857 as
NOTE 1780-1865
an associate member of the Academic de MBdecine. He was also one of the honorary presidents of the SocW entomologique de France founded in 1832. He died in Saint-Sever on April 18, 1865. After his death his two sons, Albert and Gustave, published in 1888 his memoirs under the title: ‘Souvenirs d’un savant Franqais. A travers un siccle, 1780-1865. Science et histoire’ which have been recently reedited on the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth. The author wishes to express profound thanks to Colonel M. LCon-Dufour, great-grandson of L. Dufour who has provided his writings on his ancestor and helped with useful advice. Dr. J. T~ODORID~S, Maitre de Recherche au CNRS, Laboratoire d’Evolution, 105 Boulevard Raspail, Paris 6, France.
REFERENCES PRINCIPALWORKSON LEONDUFOUR
DUBED~UTM. & LABOULB~ A. 1865. Fun&-ailles de M. L&on Dufour. Annales de la SociPtt entomologique de France. 4e serie, 5: 211-215. LABOULB~E A. 1865. Liste des Travaux d’Entomologie publihs de 1811 a 1864 oar M. L&on Dufour. Annales de ia Sock%! entomologiqu-ede France, 4e serie, 5: 216252. LION-DUFOUR M. 1979. AperGu sur la correspondance de deux savants frangais au XIXe sikcle (Lkon Dufour et Henri Milne-Edwards) Bulletin de la SocZtC de Borda
(Dax). 48pp. LION-DUFOURM. 1980. La vie exemplaire du docteur LPon Dufour. Capdevielle, Saint-Sever. 23pp. LION-DUFOURM. 1980. La personnalitk de Lhon Dufour. In: Souvenir du bicentenaire, Saint-Sever, 7-29. PEYERIMHOFF P. DE. 1932. La SociCtt entomologique de France (1832-1931). In: Sock%! entomologique de France, Livre du Centenaire, 71-73. ROUMEGUEREC. 1878. Lkon Dufour botuniste. Baillitre, Paris, 27 pp.
181
Parasitology.
Vol. 11, No. 3, p. 181. 1981.
Prinfed in Grear Britain
BICENTENARY BIOGRAPHICAL L&ON DUFOUR, BORN IN Saint-Sever (Landes, France) on April 10, 1780 the son of a physician, Jean-Marie-L&on Dufour started his studies at the Ecole centrale of his hometown and as a youngster witnessed the events resulting from the French Revolution of 1789. He then went to Paris to perform medical studies from 1799 to 1806, the year in which he wrote his thesis on: ‘Propositions g&&ales sur divers points de mkdecine’. He was already actively interested in Botany and Entomology and in this last discipline was the pupil of Latreille; he was acquainted with most of the French and European naturalists of his time. He then returned to Saint-Sever where he practiced medicine and performed researches in Natural History (chiefly Entomology), except between 1808 and 1814 when he served as a military physician in Spain during the Napoleonic campaign in this country. He married in 1822 and had four children among whom were two boys who became physicians. His scientific work is mainly concerned with the anatomy and physiology of arthropods (Crustacea, Arachnida, Acarina, Myriapoda, Insecta) on which he published between 1811 and 1864 232 papers among which were important monographs for which he received several prizes from the Academic des Sciences. Several of his articles are devoted to parasitic acari (ticks) and insects (Diptera, Siphonaptera etc.). Other parasitological works of Dufour include a detailed study on the ascaris of man (Ascaris lumbricoides) for the anatomical part of which he was preceded by J. Cloquet (1824). He also studied various nematodes from insects and described Sphaerularia bombi in bumble-bees. His name is also linked with the discovery of a new group of parasitic Protozoa, the Gregarines, which he mentioned in 1826 and named in 1828. Some Gregarines had already been seen and figured in the 17th and 18th centuries but were not recognized as belonging to a peculiar group of protozoan parasites before Dufour. In 1830 Dufour was elected as a corresponding member of the Acadt+mie des Sciences and in 1857 as
NOTE 1780-1865
an associate member of the Academic de MBdecine. He was also one of the honorary presidents of the SocW entomologique de France founded in 1832. He died in Saint-Sever on April 18, 1865. After his death his two sons, Albert and Gustave, published in 1888 his memoirs under the title: ‘Souvenirs d’un savant Franqais. A travers un siccle, 1780-1865. Science et histoire’ which have been recently reedited on the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth. The author wishes to express profound thanks to Colonel M. LCon-Dufour, great-grandson of L. Dufour who has provided his writings on his ancestor and helped with useful advice. Dr. J. T~ODORID~S, Maitre de Recherche au CNRS, Laboratoire d’Evolution, 105 Boulevard Raspail, Paris 6, France.
REFERENCES PRINCIPALWORKSON LEONDUFOUR
DUBED~UTM. & LABOULB~ A. 1865. Fun&-ailles de M. L&on Dufour. Annales de la SociPtt entomologique de France. 4e serie, 5: 211-215. LABOULB~E A. 1865. Liste des Travaux d’Entomologie publihs de 1811 a 1864 oar M. L&on Dufour. Annales de ia Sock%! entomologiqu-ede France, 4e serie, 5: 216252. LION-DUFOUR M. 1979. AperGu sur la correspondance de deux savants frangais au XIXe sikcle (Lkon Dufour et Henri Milne-Edwards) Bulletin de la SocZtC de Borda
(Dax). 48pp. LION-DUFOURM. 1980. La vie exemplaire du docteur LPon Dufour. Capdevielle, Saint-Sever. 23pp. LION-DUFOURM. 1980. La personnalitk de Lhon Dufour. In: Souvenir du bicentenaire, Saint-Sever, 7-29. PEYERIMHOFF P. DE. 1932. La SociCtt entomologique de France (1832-1931). In: Sock%! entomologique de France, Livre du Centenaire, 71-73. ROUMEGUEREC. 1878. Lkon Dufour botuniste. Baillitre, Paris, 27 pp.
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