▁a ▁lawyer . ▁However , ▁he ▁continued ▁his ▁scientific ▁education ▁in ▁his ▁spare ▁time . ▁ ▁Early ▁scientific ▁work ▁Lav ois ier ' s ▁education ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁the ▁ide als ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁En light en ment ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁fasc in ated ▁by ▁Pierre ▁Mac quer ' s ▁dictionary ▁of ▁chem istry . ▁He ▁attended ▁lect ures ▁in ▁the ▁natural ▁sciences . ▁Lav ois ier ' s ▁dev otion ▁and ▁passion ▁for ▁chem istry ▁were ▁largely ▁influenced ▁by ▁Ét ienne ▁Cond illa c , ▁a ▁prominent ▁French ▁scholar ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁His ▁first ▁chemical ▁publication ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 4 . ▁From ▁ 1 7 6 3 ▁to ▁ 1 7 6 7 , ▁he ▁studied ▁ge ology ▁under ▁Jean - Ét ienne ▁Gu ett ard . ▁In ▁collaboration ▁with ▁Gu ett ard , ▁Lav ois ier ▁worked ▁on ▁a ▁ge ological ▁survey ▁of ▁Als ace - L or raine ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 7 6 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 7 6 4 ▁he ▁read ▁his ▁first ▁paper ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences , ▁France ' s ▁most ▁el ite ▁scientific ▁society , ▁on ▁the ▁chemical ▁and ▁physical ▁properties ▁of ▁gy psum ▁( h yd r ated ▁calci um ▁sul f ate ), ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 6 ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁gold ▁medal ▁by ▁the ▁King ▁for ▁an ▁ess ay ▁on ▁the ▁problems ▁of ▁urban ▁street ▁light ing . ▁In ▁ 1 7 6 8