François Xavier Bon de Saint Hilaire
Encyclopedia
François Xavier Bon de Saint Hilaire (1678–1761), president of the Court of Auditors of Montpelier
, demonstrated in 1709 that he could make fabric from spider
silk. Many cocoons were boiled, washed and dried and the thread was collected with fine combs. Some socks and gloves were produced. He also claimed to have manufactured medicines curing apoplexy
, lethargy and coma
from spiders. His report, published in 1710, was republished several times and was translated into several languages including Chinese.
The French scientist also made one of the first ventures into the mass-cultivation of spider silk, keeping the creatures in crates of fifty and one-hundred, only to find, upon returning after a considerable duration, that the spiders had thinned themselves out to a mere few remaining members.
He was named to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
in 1750.
Montpelier
Montpelier or Montpellier is the name of several places:in Canada:* Montpellier, Quebec* Montpellier , a train station in Montreal, Canadain France:* Montpellier, a city in southern France** The University of Montpellierin Ireland:...
, demonstrated in 1709 that he could make fabric from spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
silk. Many cocoons were boiled, washed and dried and the thread was collected with fine combs. Some socks and gloves were produced. He also claimed to have manufactured medicines curing apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
, lethargy and coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
from spiders. His report, published in 1710, was republished several times and was translated into several languages including Chinese.
The French scientist also made one of the first ventures into the mass-cultivation of spider silk, keeping the creatures in crates of fifty and one-hundred, only to find, upon returning after a considerable duration, that the spiders had thinned themselves out to a mere few remaining members.
He was named to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres is a French learned society devoted to the humanities, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France.-History:...
in 1750.