Charles Marie de La Condamine 452061 219925915 2008-06-17T14:10:05Z 68.58.152.238 /* South America exploration */ [[Image:Charles Marie de La Condamine 1701-1774.jpg|thumb|280px|right|Charles-Marie de La Condamine]] '''Charles Marie de La Condamine''' ([[January 28]], [[1701]] - [[February 4]], [[1774]]) was a [[France|French]] [[explorer]], [[geographer]], and [[mathematician]]. La Condamine was born in [[Paris]]. He was trained for the military profession, but turned his attention to science and geographical exploration. Before his journey to South America, he he took part in a scientific expedition in the [[Levant]] in 1731. ==South America exploration== La Condamine became a member of the [[French Geodesic Mission|expedition]] that was sent to [[Peru]] in 1735 to determine the length of a degree of the [[meridian (geography)|meridian]] in the neighborhood of the [[equator]]; this work laid the basis for the determination of the length of the [[meter]]. The group was led by [[Louis Godin]] and included [[Pierre Bouguer]], [[Antonio de Ulloa]], and [[Jorge Juan y Santacilia]]. His associations with his principals were unhappy; the expedition was beset by many difficulties, and finally La Condamine split from the rest and made his way to [[Quito]], [[Ecuador]] separately, discovering [[rubber]] in the process. Insufficient funds prevented La Condamine to return to France directly when he reached Quito. Thus he decided to take the trip down the [[Amazon River|Amazon]], ultimately reaching [[Cayenne]]. His was the first scientific exploration of the Amazon. He returned to Paris in 1744 and published the results of his measurements and travels with a map of the Amazon in ''Mém. de l'Académie des Sciences'', 1745 (English translation 1745-1747). This included the first descriptions by a European of the [[Casiquiare canal]] and the [[curare]] arrow poison prepared by the [[Amerindian]]s. He also noted the correct use of [[quinine]] to fight [[malaria]]. The journal of his ten-year long voyage to [[South America]] was published in Paris in 1751. However, much of his observations of the Andean region were kept secret by the Spanish, as La Condamine had to submit its reports to the Spanish viceroy before he could leave Quito for his Amazon trip in 1744. These ''Noticias Secretas'' were eventually published in 1826. ==Later years== On a visit to [[Rome]] La Condamine made careful measurements of the ancient buildings with a view to a precise determination of the length of the [[Foot (unit of length)|Roman foot]]. He also wrote in favour of [[inoculation]], and on various other subjects, mainly connected with his work in South America. In 1760 he was nominated to the [[Academie Francaise]]. He died in Paris after a hernia operation. ==Works== ===South America=== * ''Journal du voyage fait par ordre du roi à l'équateur'' (Paris 1751, Supplement 1752) * ''Relation abrégée d'un voyage fait dans l'intérieur del'Amérique méridionale'' (Paris 1759) * “Mémoire sur quelques anciens monumens du Perou [sic], du tems des Incas”, in: ''Histoire de l’Académie Royale des Sciences et Belles Lettres'' II (1746), Berlin 1748, S. 435-456 ([http://www.irox.de/reiseliteratur/la-condamine-memoire hier als PDF]). ===Others=== * ''La figure de la terre déterminée'' (Paris 1749) * ''Mesure des trois premiers degrés du méridien dans l'hémisphère australe'' (Paris 1751) * ''Histoire de l'inoculation de la petite vérole'' (Amsterdam 1773) ==References== *{{1911}} *[[Victor Wolfgang von Hagen]]: ''South America called them; explorations of the great naturalists: La Condamine, Humboldt, Darwin, Spruce''. New York: Knopf, 1945 *Robert Whitaker: ''The Mapmaker's Wife''. London: Doubleday, 2004. (The full story of the expedition to South America, drawn from the original documents) ==External links== *[http://www.academie-sciences.fr/archives/fonds_archives/Condamine/archives_Condamine_oeuvre.htm French Academy of Sciences biography] *{{MacTutor Biography|id=La_Condamine}} {{start box}} {{succession box | title=[[List of members of the Académie française#Seat 23|Seat 23]]<br>[[Académie française]]<br>[[1760]]-[[1774]] | before=[[Louis-Gui de Guérapin de Vauréal]] | after=[[Jacques Delille]] | years=}} {{end box}} [[Category:1701 births|La Condamine, Charles-Marie de]] [[Category:1774 deaths|La Condamine, Charles-Marie de]] [[Category:Explorers of South America|La Condamine, Charles-Marie de]] [[Category:French mathematicians|La Condamine, Charles Marie de]] [[Category:Members of the Académie française|La Condamine, Charles-Marie de]] [[ca:Charles-Marie de La Condamine]] [[de:Charles Marie de La Condamine]] [[es:Charles Marie de La Condamine]] [[fr:Charles Marie de La Condamine]] [[it:Charles Marie de La Condamine]] [[nl:Charles Marie de La Condamine]] [[ja:シャルル=マリー・ド・ラ・コンダミーヌ]] [[pl:Karol Maria de La Condamine]] [[pt:Charles Marie de La Condamine]] [[ru:Кондамин, Шарль Мари де ла]] [[sl:Charles Marie de La Condamine]] [[sv:Charles Marie de La Condamine]]