Cabanis, Peter John George
, a French physician of considerable eminence, the son of Mons. Cabanis, an able agriculturist, was born about 1756 and in his youth | shewed much taste for scientific as well as polite literature, which he pursued with success; although having caught the revolutionary phrensy, his studies became interrupted by his polkical engagements. He is said, however, to have had no hand in any of the excesses which arose out of the fury of contending parties. He was connected with Alirabeau, and attended him in his professional capacity on his death-bed. He was also one of the Council of Five Hundred; and it was in consequence of a motion made by him, that the Directory was dissolved. His principles, however, do not appear to have been much more steady and consistent than those of his brethren. He published, 1. “Observations sur les Hopitaux,” Paris, 1790, 8vo. 2. “Journal de la maladie et de la mort de Mirabeau,” ibid. 1791, 8vo. 3. “Travail sur I’education publique,” a posthumous work of Mirabeau, edited by Cabanis, 1791, 8vo. 4. “Melanges de Litterature Allemande,” 1796, 8vo. 5. “Dudegrede certitude delamedecine,”1797, 8vo,republishedin 1802, with the addition of the first two articles in this list. 6. “Quelques considerations sur l’organization sociale en generale,” &c. 1799, 12mo. 7. “Des rapports du physique et du morale de Pnomme,” 1803, 2 vols. 8vo, reprinted with additions in 1804. On the merit of this work the French critics are divided we may, however, form some idea of it from the circumstance of its having been praised by the philosophers, and censured by the divines. 8. “Coup d’ceil sur les revolutions et la reforme de la medicine,” 1803. 9. “Observations sur les affections Catarrhales,” &c. 1807. He wrote also some curious articles in the “Magazin Encyclopedique;” and in the Moniteur for 1799 are many of his speeches in the Jegislative body. He was connected, we are told, wkh a great part of the writers and philosophers who contributed to enlighten the eighteenth century. During his last years he inhabited a country-house at Auteuil, bequeathed him by his friend madame Helvetius. He died at Meulan, May 5, 1808; and was at the time of his death a member of the institute, of the philomatic society, and of the medical society. 1