William Lewis (chemist)

William Lewis (baptized June 20, 1708 in Richmond , Surrey , England, † January 21, 1781 in Kingston , Surrey) was an English chemist who provided the basis for the specification of precious metals through his platinum research .

Life

There is evidence of a lecture for 1737 on the relationship between chemistry, trade and science. In 1754 he was admitted to the Royal Society as a recognized doctor, chemist and professor . To be able to advance his ambitious research better, he left London in 1747 and set up a spacious laboratory in Kingston . He was financially supported by Stephen Hales and the Duke of Northumberland . Around 1750 an Alexander Chisolm became his assistant, who entered the service of Josiah Wedgwood after Lewis' death . His interests were very diverse and he worked both theoretically and practically. One of his special interests was in theMetallurgy with the properties of gold , platinum and iron . In the case of gold, for example, he not only paid attention to the chemical properties, but also included the highly differentiated use of gold as money in his considerations, which certainly corresponded to the mercantilist zeitgeist. In 1754 he was awarded the Copley Medal for his studies on platinum . This part of his research was primarily aimed at combating fraud, as gold and white gold could not be differentiated at that time, which, since white gold was valued lower at the time, allowed abuse. The main obstacle to his research was that it was difficult to organize the amount of platinum required. Here he was dependent on various patrons.

Fonts

• Willhelm Lewis Materia medica or description of simple medicinal products / translated from English by Johann Heinrich Ziegler according to the second increased and improved edition . Orell, Geßner, Füeßlin & Co, Zurich 1771. Digitized edition
• De nieuwe Britsche apotheek. After the derden print van Londen uit het Engelsch vertaald door Theodorus van Brussel . Bom, Amsterdam
  • Volume 1: “ Behelzende 1. De algeneene Beginselen der Kruidmengkunst. 2. De Materia Medica. 3. The Bereidingen en Saamenmengselen van de nieuwe Londensche en Edinburgh pharmacies ”. 1772 Digitized edition of the University and State Library Düsseldorf
  • Volume 2: " Behelzende de Bereidingen en Saamenmengsels van de nieuwe Londensche en Edinburgh pharmacies ". 1773 Digitized edition of the University and State Library Düsseldorf
• The new dispensatory . Nourse, London 1753 Digitized edition of the University and State Library Düsseldorf
  • 2nd ed., Corr., With large additions. Nourse, London 1765 Digitized edition
  • 4th ed. Nourse, London 1781 Digitized edition
  • 6th ed. - F. Wingrave, London 1799 Digitized edition
• New improved dispensatory or Arzney book, in which everything that belongs to the art of pharmacy is presented with practical observations and remarks according to the London and Edinburgh pharmacopees; translated from English . Brandt, Hamburg 2 volumes 1768/1772 Digitized edition of the University and State Library Düsseldorf
• An experimental history of the materia medica or of the natural and artificial substances made use of in madicine: containing a compendious view of their natural history . Baldwin [u. a.], London 1761 Digitized edition of the University and State Library Düsseldorf

literature

• William Arthur Jobson Archbold:  Lewis, William (1714-1781) . In: Sidney Lee (Ed.): Dictionary of National Biography . Volume 33:  Leighton - Lluelyn. , MacMillan & Co, Smith, Elder & Co., New York City / London 1893, p. 199 (English).
• Frederick G. Page: Lewis, William (bap. 1708, d. 1781). In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew, Brian Harrison (Eds.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , from the earliest times to the year 2000 (ODNB). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861411-X , ( oxforddnb.com license required ), as of 2004

Web links

• Entry for Lewis, William (1708 - 1781) in the Archives of the Royal Society , London

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Copley archive winners 1799 - 1731 on the website of the Royal Society , viewed August 7, 2011 (English)
   Copley archive winners 1799 - 1731 ( memorial from November 12, 2007 on the Internet Archive ) on the website of the Royal Society , as of 12. November 2007, viewed August 7, 2011 (English)
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} F. W. Gibbs: William Lewis and Platina . Bicentenary of the Commercium Philosophico-Technicum . In: Platinum Metals Rev . tape 7 , no. 2 , 1963, p. 66–69 ( online (PDF; 987 kB) - pdf).