At the Crossroads of the Scientific Revolution - (Other Voice in Early Modern Europe: The Toronto) by Martine de Bertereau & Marie Meurdrac

Book Synopsis

The first translation of the works of early modern French woman scientists Martine de Bertereau and Marie Meurdrac.

The writings of mineralogist and hydrogeologist Martine de Bertereau (ca. 1584-ca. 1643) and alchemist and chemist Marie Meurdrac (ca. 1610-80) stand at the crossroads of the Scientific Revolution, a significant period between Copernicus and Newton that oversaw a new ferment in both the theoretical and empirical investigation of the natural world. Bertereau's writings appear at the interface of a negotiation between an older form of knowledge, dating back to Aristotle, and a new scientific empiricism. She brilliantly addresses the relationship between knowledge and mining applications, as well as the roles of the king, the state, the market, and the public. Meurdrac published the first so-called chemistry book by a woman, which contributed to the various areas of scientific knowledge generally associated with alchemy in its development into chemistry, particularly medical cookery, botany, pharmacology, and cosmetology.

Bertereau's and Meurdrac's works illustrate this age of transition, a spectacular time of growth in ideas and discoveries for both men and women. This first-time translation of their works is an important step in restoring the voices of these early modern French women scientists.

Review Quotes

"This edition and translation of two significant seventeenth-century scientists by two leading scholars of early modern women intellectuals is a welcome addition to the Other Voice series. Martine de Bertereau and Marie Meurdrac have elicited limited scholarly attention in the history of science, but they are not widely known among scholars of the period. Neither figure has been translated into English. Larsen and Winn's introduction offers a thorough examination of what is known of each woman's life as well as a careful reading of her work. The translations themselves read well; a detailed scholarly apparatus illuminates technical scientific terms and provides references to relevant contemporary scholarship. This project enlarges our understanding of women's intellectual contributions at a pivotal moment in the emergence of modern science."-- "Julie Candler Hayes, Professor Emerita of French at the University of Massachusetts Amherst"

About the Author

Martine de Bertereau (ca. 1584-ca. 1643) was a mineralogist and hydrogeologist and dedicated her life and two published works to advocating for state support of the science of mineralogy. Marie Meurdrac (ca.1610-80) was an alchemist and chemist who published the first so-called chemistry book by a woman. Anne R. Larsen is professor emerita and senior research professor at Hope College. She is author of Anna Maria van Schurman, "The Star of Utrecht" The Educational Vision and Reception of a Savante and coeditor of Anna Maria van Schurman, Letters and Poems to and from Her Mentor and Other Members of Her Circle. Colette H. Winn, professor emerita at Washington University in Saint Louis, is author of Far from Home in Early Modern France: Three Women's Stories and Les Femmes témoins de la révocation de l'édit de Nantes.