Jean Pierre Joseph d'Arcet
Jean Pierre Joseph d'Arcet (31 August 1777 – 2 August 1844) was a French chemist and the son of Jean Darcet. Born in Paris, he studied at the Collège de France and worked with Louis-Nicolas Vauquelin. He later did metallurgical work at the Paris mint and began private research.
D'Arcet developed an efficient method to extract gelatin from bones and patented in 1814 a process for making bone glue and broth. His gelatin supplement was promoted as a diet for the poor and was used at Saint-Antoine Hospital by the Duke of La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, as well as for army troops. By 1831, some doctors questioned the benefits of gelatin as food.
He also studied bronze alloys and served as master of the Paris mint until his death. He married Claire Choron and had three children: Félix, Louise, and Pauline. Félix (1807–1846) became a chemist. Louise (1814–1885) married the sculptor James Pradier and was a model for Emma Bovary in Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:34 (CET).