Michel Chevreul (1786-1889). 1852 illustration of the French chemist Michel Eugene Chevreul. Chevreul was director of dyeing at the Gobelin tapestry factory. He worked on animal fats and soap making, and in 1825 he and Gay-Lussac patented an improved candle made from crude stearic acid. He was the first to show that the urine of diabetics contained glucose. He also worked on organic analysis, oil paints, waxes, natural dyes, theories of colour, the use of divining rods, and the effects of ageing. He worked for many decades at the French Museum of Natural History, serving several times as director. He died at the age of 102.