Gerhardt, Charles Frederic (1816–1856)

French chemist who contributed to the study of plant essential oils.

He was born in Strasbourg and studied at Karlsruhe and Leipzig, under German chemist Justus von Liebig at Giessen, and with French chemist Michel-Eugène Chevreul, and translated several works of Swedish chemist Jön Berzelius and of Liebig. Gerhardt was professor at Montpellier, 1844–48, and then returned to Paris, the greater part of his work being done in that city. In 1855 he became professor of chemistry at Strasbourg.

His chief works are Précis de chimie organique 1844–45, Introduction à l'étude de la chimie par le système unitaire 1848, Précis d'analyse chimique 1855, Traité de chimie organique 1853–56.