[Charles Ménière (1816-1887) : pharmacist and historian of the pharmacists who were in practice in the town of Angers].

Charles Ménière (1816-1887) was the young brother of the doctor Prosper Menière (1799-1862), who was the obstetrician of the Duchess of Berry, the doctor in chief of the deaf-mute Institution and an erudite ear specialist. Charles learned pharmacy in Paris. Coming back to Angers he bought a chemist's shop. In 1871 he became the chief pharmacist of the Hôtel-Dieu. In 1857 he joined the Academic Society of Angers and presented many consequent papers between them one can find notes concerning the history of the Angers's pharmacists. Its researches relate to pharmacology, mineralogy, hydrology and even philology.

[Apothecaries and communal saltpeter works: the example of Joachim Proust (1751-1819)]. / Les pharmaciens et la récolte du salpêtre sous la convention: l'exemple de Joachim Proust (1751-1819).

In 1793, our country was besieged by almost the entire Europ. During the year following December 4, 1793, 6 000 private and communal saltpeter works had produced 16 764 039 lb of saltpeter. They had been demanded by the Committee of Public Safety for supplying the gunpowder factories. Their management was generally given to apothecaries. Joachim Proust, who was the brother of Joseph Louis Proust (definite proportions rule), was appointed to the district of Angers. From 1778 to 1788 he had worked in Paris under Hilaire Marin Rouelle and met the greatest chemists. The district of Angers confronted the civil war of Vendée. Joachim Proust chose to favour professional saltpeter makers. The saltpeter collect, which has reached the smallest villages, has been a significant factor of national unity around the revolutionary ideas.