Traité de la Couleur de la Peau Humaine en Général et de celle des Nègres en Particulier, et de la Métamorphose d'une de ces Couleurs en l'autre, soit de naissance, soit accidentellement.

Le Cat, Claude Nicolas

Date d'édition : 1765

A propos de cet article

Ouvrage divisé en trois Parties. Amsterdam (Rouen), o. D., 1765, 8°, (2), XIV, 191, (1) pp., Frontispiece von H. Gravelot, 2 Kupferstichvignetten im Text, unbeschnittenes Exemplar im weichen Pappband d. Zt. First edition of the author's interesting speculation of human skin and its many colours. It is here that Le Cat discerned the black deposits which he called "aethiops" in the nerve tissues of animals. "Claude Nicolas Le Cat's (1700-1768) treatise, like Mitchell's essay " An eassay upon the causes of the different colour of people in different climates" of 1744 , contradicts the traditional theory that bile is responsible for coloring human skin. Essentially, Le Cat's work is an extension of Malpighi's theory of skin color. From his experimental studies o the nerve cells of frogs and other animals (see Le Cat s Dissertation sur l'Existence et la Nature du Fluide des Nerfs et Son Action Berlin 1765), Le Cat discerned the presence of a pigment which he called "ethiops" (i.e. melanin). From this he deduced that human skin tissue must contain similar structures and that they may be the cause of skin color. Given me physiological association of "ethiops" with nerve tissue, it appeared to Cat that skin color could not possibly be determined by bile from the liver, pancreas, or gall bladder. While unclear of its origin and its role, he believed there was an intrinsic relation between these "ethiops" structures and the environment, noting that blacks had a greater amount than whites." Frank Spencer, Ecco Homo (1986), p.96 Le Cat was also of the opinion that peoples' skin can change during their lifetime, and revert back the next generation. He details autopsies he performed where blacks become whites after being badly burned or whites that have become black 'accidental Negroes.' Le Cat (1700-1768) was surgeon to the archbishop of Rouen. He was a master of surgery, a lecturer on anatomy, and received the title of royal professor and demonstrator. He founded the Académie Royale des Science, Belles Lettres et Arts in Rouen, becoming its life-long secretary. Besides medical themes, his writings concern mathematics, architecture and philosophy. Sabin 39627. Hirsch-H. III 709. Cohen-Ricci 611. Lewin 301. Reynaud 299. Nicht bei Waller.

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Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Traité de la Couleur de la Peau Humaine en Général et de celle des Nègres en Particulier, et de la Métamorphose d'une de ces Couleurs en l'autre, soit de naissance, soit accidentellement.
• Date de parution: 1765
• Reliure: Couverture rigide
• Édition: Edition originale
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Biologie