Charles Delvaux de Fenffe

Charles Delvaux de Fenffe, (July 25, 1782, in Rochefort - November 14, 1863, at the Fenffe Castle (Ciergnon) was a Belgian doctor of medicine, doctor of sciences, and professor at the University of Liège. He served as the sixteenth rector of the university from 1832 to 1833.

Born in the southern part of the Principality of Liège, Charles Delvaux received a religious education, which was then seen as a means of upward mobility in the bourgeoisie of the principality. After studying medicine in Paris in the early 19th century, he returned in 1809 to his hometown and then to Liège to practice his profession. Soon, he discovered teaching, first at the Imperial Lyceum from 1810 onwards, then at the University of Liège from its establishment in 1817, where he taught physics, chemistry, and metallurgy. He became rector of the university between 1832 and 1833. After becoming emeritus professor in 1837, he continued to practice medicine in Liège until 1857. He then returned to his native village, where he cared for the less fortunate. He died in 1863 at his estate in Fenffe.

His scientific career, in terms of publications, was not extensive; he preferred teaching and popularization. His main works focused on pharmacy inspection, the control of suspicious food, and the conducting of toxicological analyses at the request of the Prosecutor's Office. He was also a member of various learned societies, including the Royal Society of Sciences of Liège, the Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium, and the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium.

A ferric phosphate mineral whose chemical composition he determined was named "delvauxite" in his honor by André Dumont. Provided by Wikipedia