VAUQUELIN, LOUIS NICOLAS French chemist, was born at Hebertot in Normandy on May 16, 1763. He was laboratory boy to an apothecary in Rouen (1777-1779), and after various vicissitudes he obtained an introduction to A. F. Fourcroy, in whose laboratory he was an assistant from 1783 1791 At first his work appeared as that of his master and patron, then in their joint-names; but in 1790 he began to publish on his own authority, and between that year and 1833 his name is associated with 376 papers. Most of these were simple records of patient and laborious analytical operations, in the course of which he detected two new elements—beryllium (1798) in beryl and chromium (1797) in a red lead ore from Siberia. In organic
chemistry he is known as the discoverer of quinic acid, asparagine, camphoric acid, and other naturally occurring compounds. He held various offices, and finally succeeded Fourcroy (1809) as professor of chemistry to the Medical Faculty in Paris. He died at his birthplace on Nov. 14, 1829.
He published Manuel de l'Essayeur, in 1812.