James Sheridan Muspratt

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James Sheridan Muspratt

James Sheridan Muspratt (born March 8, 1821 in Dublin , Ireland, † February 3, 1871 in West Derby near Liverpool ) was a British chemist.

Live and act

The son of the chemist James Muspratt studied chemistry with Thomas Graham in Glasgow and London and from 1843 to 1845 with Justus von Liebig in Giessen. He then initially worked as an assistant to the Liebig student August Wilhelm von Hofmann , before he founded the Liverpool College of Chemistry in 1848 , where he also taught as a professor.

From 1854 onwards, Muspratt published his handbook Chemistry, Theoretical, Practical and Analytical, which appeared in several fascicles . The work focused less on the theoretical background than on the practical application of industrial chemical processes and at the same time offered an overview of the state of the British chemical industry in the mid-19th century. The 2000-page manual contained 80 entries on key words such as alum, ammonia, acetic acid and paint. In addition, 31 etchings with portraits of chemists from the 19th century are printed. In addition to a Russian translation, Muspratt's work was also translated into German by Friedrich Stohmann and the content revised. The German edition appeared in several editions and was the forerunner of Fritz Ullmann's later Encyclopedia of Technical Chemistry .

For his services, Muspratt was awarded an honorary doctorate from Harvard University . Since 1850 he was a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh .

Memorial in Toxteth Park Cemetery

Works (selection)

  • Outlines of Analysis, 1849
  • Theoretical, practical and analytical chemistry as applied to arts and crafts (Original title: Chemistry, Theoretical, Practical and Analytical , 1854). Verlag CA Schwetschke & Sohn , Braunschweig, 1st-3rd edition Braunschweig 1854–1880, 4th edition Vieweg Verlag, Braunschweig 1888–1922 (under the changed title Encyclopädisches Handbuch der technischen Chemie )

literature

  • William Hodson Brock : Vieweg's History of Chemistry . Springer, Heidelberg 1997, especially p. 174f.
  • Georg Schwedt , Liebig and his students . Springer, Heidelberg 2002, especially p. 208f.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cf. Georg Schwedt, Liebig and his students . Heidelberg 2002, p. 209
  2. ↑ Cf. William H. Brock: Viewegs Geschichte der Chemie . Heidelberg 1997, pp. 172, 174
  3. ↑ Cf. William H. Brock: Viewegs Geschichte der Chemie . Heidelberg 1997, p. 175; Website of the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg: On the history of chemical handbooks and reference works
  4. ↑ Cf. William H. Brock: Viewegs Geschichte der Chemie . Heidelberg 1997, p. 175
  5. ^ Fellows Directory. Biographical Index: Former RSE Fellows 1783–2002. (PDF file) Royal Society of Edinburgh, accessed March 24, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Muspratt, James Sheridan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British chemist
DATE OF BIRTH March 8, 1821
PLACE OF BIRTH Dublin , Ireland
DATE OF DEATH February 3, 1871
Place of death West Derby at Liverpool