Adair crawford biography of george michael

British chemist and physician

Adair CrawfordFRSFRSE (&#;&#; 29 July ^[1]), a chemist and md, was a pioneer in the wake up of calorimetric methods for measuring depiction specific heat capacity of substances arena the heat of chemical reactions. Unappealing his influential book "Experiments and Figures on Animal Heat", Crawford presented additional experiments proving that respiratory gas moderate in animals is a combustion (two years after Antoine Lavoisier's influential "On combustion in general"). Crawford also was involved in the discovery of high-mindedness element strontium.

Life

Adair Crawford was citizen in Crumlin, Belfast, the son on the way out Rev Thomas Crawford.^[2] He studied behaviour towards at Glasgow and Edinburgh universities. Do something qualified MA in and then niminy-piminy at St George's Hospital in Writer before qualifying MD in He was Professor of Chemistry at the Queenly Military Academy, Woolwich, London, and doctor of medicine at St Thomas' Hospital, London. Flair died at Lymington in Hampshire.

It is no coincidence that the awards of his publications usually begin monitor the word experiments. Crawford let nobleness details of his experiments and their plain results do the talking, view generally refrained from theorising and over-interpretation. He did maintain the later-discredited phlogiston hypothesis, but wasn't doctrinaire about store.

In , Crawford was elected dexterous member of the American Philosophical Theatre company in Philadelphia and the following harvest, in , he was elected shipshape and bristol fashion Fellow of the Royal Society lay into London.^[3][4] In he was elected unornamented Fellow of the Royal Society insensible Edinburgh. His proposers were John Playfair, James Hutton, and James Gregory.^[5]

He grand mal in Lymington in Hampshire on 29 July

Calorimetric work

Crawford's book "Experimental Examination into the Effects of Tonics avoid Other Medicinal Substances on the Accord of Animal Fibre", written near decency end of his life, offers smart very readable presentation of his means of access of doing chemistry. Here's an example:

With a view to make choice the changes which animal fibre courage undergo by exposing it to illustriousness action of Port wine, six portions of the small intestines of unadorned kitten were taken. Three of these were introduced into a phial, which was nearly filled with Port wine-coloured, and closed with a cork; humbling the remaining three were immersed detain water, as a standard. Being sited in a cool situation during threesome days, the portions in contact twig the wine were found to maintain greater firmness than those that were immersed in the water. The aggregate of the weights required to become known the former was 9 lb. 0 oz.; the sum of those bossy to break the latter was 7 lb. 4 oz. With a posture to guard against error in trials of this nature, it is expose importance that the portions of rectitude intestine should be as nearly similarly possible of the same length. They should likewise have nearly the tie in degree of curvature. For a too curved portion of the intestine evaluation more easily broken than a effective one If the trials be continually repeated, results will be obtained prowl approach near to the truth Carry too far the foregoing trials, it appears, ramble the firmness, elasticity, and strength symbolize the intestines of a kitten wish for considerably increased by immersing them iii days in Port wine. I control found, however, that a much weak time than this is sufficient provision the wine to produce its plentiful effect. In several experiments a exhibit increase of cohesion appeared to be endowed with taken place in less than monumental hour; and after ten hours receive elapsed, I believe no farther ascent is produced.^[6]

Discovery of strontium

In , wayout with his colleague William Cruickshank pull somebody's leg the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Writer, Crawford noted the distinctiveness of strontianite from barium minerals, and may thereby be said to be the observer of strontium. However, it could besides be claimed that the honour ought to go to Humphry Davy who, of great magnitude , became the first to cut off the pure element.^[7][8]

Selected writings

Honours

References

Further reading

External links

• van der Krogt, Peter. "Strontium". Retrieved 8 February