(John), a celebrated physician, was born in the year 1684, at the little town of Savoy, in the province of Languedoc. His father, who was a protestant clergyman, bestowed particular pains upon the earliest part of his education. After which he went to the university of Montpelier, where he was created master of arts in the year 1700. He then began the study of medicine; and, in two years, obtained the degree of bachelors, having, upon that occasion, written a dissertation on the cause of fermentation, which he defended in a very spirited manner. On the 25th of January 1703, he was created doctor of physic; after which, before arriving at extensive practice, he applied to the study of medical authors, both ancient and modern, with uncommon assiduity. The good effects of his study soon appeared; for, in the year 1710, he published a treatise concerning muscular motion, from which he acquired very high reputation. In the year 1717, he was appointed to teach medicine at Montpelier; which he did with such perspicuity and eloquence, that it was universally said, he had been born to be a professor. His fame soon rose to such a height, that the king assigned him an annual salary; and he was, at the same time, appointed to superintend the mineral waters in the province of Languedoc.

But, as Montpelier did not afford sufficient scope for his aspiring genius, he went to Paris with a great stock of manuscripts, which he intended to publish, after subjecting them to the examination of the learned. Soon after, however, he left it, having in the year 1729 accepted the office of first physician to the king of Poland, which was then offered to him. His stay in Poland, however, was but of short duration, and he again returned to Paris.

Upon the death of the celebrated Geoffroy, in the year 1731, he was appointed Regius Professor of medicine at Paris. The duties of this office he discharged in such a manner, as to answer even the most sanguine expectations. He taught the practice of physic with great applause, as to draw from other universities to that of Paris, a great concourse of medical students, foreigners as well as natives of France. At the same time he was not more celebrated as a professor than a practitioner. And, even at an advanced age, he persisted fitted with unwearied assiduity in that intense study which first raised his reputation. Hence it is, that he has been enabled to transmit to posterity so many valuable monuments of his medical erudition. He died universally regretted, on the 15th of May, 1766, in the 82nd year of his age.