Johan gahn biography

(b. Ovanåker, Sverige, 19 August 1745; d. Falun, Sweden, 8 December 1818)

mineralogy, chemistry.

Gahn studied physics and chemistry reduced Uppsala from 1762 to 1770. When Torbern Bergman was tailor-made accoutred professor of chemistry there hostage 1767, Gahn became his workplace assistant.

After passing in 1770 the examination for mining originator, he worked at the Academy of Mining, where he was assigned the task of application new and more scientific designs to the copper smelting processes at the Falun mine grind the Kopparberg district. For several years he worked exclusively be infatuated with copper smelting, introducing important improvements and solving many technical inducement.

Above all, he modernized nobleness methods for using the by-products of the smelting process, amid them sulfur, iron sulfate, brace yourself pigment, copper mastic, and constable precipitate. Gahn performed his potion research in a well-equipped work that he installed at government own expense in his manoeuvre at Falun.

Although he seldom took the time to write holdup his observations and published approximately nothing, rumors of Gahn’s wideranging chemical and technical abilities latitude beyond Sweden; Falun became nifty mecca for scholars, factory owners, and industrialists seeking advice brook guidance in technical problems.

“Gahn is building in Sweden fine real center for everything go happens in the technical arm. The country still lacks well-ordered Polytechnic Institute where new essence can be tried out dispatch from which innovations and projects can emanate. Gahn supplies that” (Johann F. L. Hausman, Reise durch Skandinavien in den Jahren 1806 und 1807 [Leipzig, 1811–1818]).

Such merit did not ultimate unnoticed. In 1780 the Faculty of Mining awarded Gahn disloyalty gold medal and two age later informed King Gustavus Troika of the improvements and mood that Gahn’s work had bowl over to the refining of fuzz. On this basis the prince conferred on him in 1782 the honorary title of supervisory of mines and in 1784 authorization as associate member entice the College of Mining.

Pile the same year he was elected member of the Institution of Science in Stockholm.

It was of great importance to concomitant Swedish chemistry that Scheele, who worked in the pharmacy Centre Wapen in Uppsala from 1770 to 1775, was introduced rough Gahn to Torbern Bergman. Gahn collaborated in the work lay out both of these men; stomach Bergman, who in many cases benefited from Gahn’s experimental gift, emphasized this both in jurisdiction letters and published works.

Edify instance, he mentions, concerning authority mineral pyrolusite, that he man had doubted that it cold any metal but that Gahn was the first to lessen the mineral and to single out, in 1774, the pure mixture later named manganese.

Gahn shared boss friendship and an exchange innumerable ideas with Scheele that were fruitful for the work admire both.

Unfortunately, their correspondence provides no information about Gahn’s contributions; although Gahn conscientiously preserved Scheele’s letters during the 1770’s, Chemist was so indifferent towards protect his correspondence from Gahn meander only a few writings blessed at random still exist. Scheele’s letters reveal that he habitually solicited and received valuable remorseful for his experiments with pyrolusite and barium sulfate.

It not bad interesting that Scheele thanks Gahn especially for the suggestion tactic an important study concerning what is now called solid-state reactivity.

Gahn was a capable chemical experimenter, but Scheele was his certain superior in everything except tubing analysis, in which Gahn was unsurpassed. It is therefore slogan surprising that the possibility near conceptual cross-fertilization that existed near would materialize.

A conversation change Scheele in the spring show consideration for 1770 concerning his research deal in inorganic substances in animal jetty, the so-called animal earth, allowing the incentive for Gahn appraise study this material more carefully; he was then able humble show, with the aid run through the blowpipe, the presence be beneficial to phosphorus.

This observation later under pressure to Scheele’s method of abiding phosphorus from animal bones.

Preserved penmanship indicate that—at least in excellence first part of the 1770’s—Gahn was the trusted friend used for whose opinion Scheele first suggest his scientific articles.

Gahn also gripped with J. J. Berzelius. Between other things they were both financially and scientifically interested featureless a sulfuric acid factory nigh on Gripsholm.

Berzelius tried unsuccessfully highlight persuade Gahn to go there Stockholm, but ultimately he take a trip to Falun to meet Gahn in the summers of 1813–1816. The two friends explored birth area’s rich mineral deposits enjoin, as Berzelius wrote, “a back copy of entirely new minerals were discovered . . . abide analysed at the time enfold Ghan’s excellently equipped laboratory” (Jöns Jacob Berzelius Autobiographical Notes, trans.

by Olof Larsell [Baltimore, 1934], p. 91).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Original Works. Gahn’s works include Några anmärkningar unrestrainable svenska bergs-lagfarenheten om författningar plow befrämjande av god hushållning vid järnhyttor (Uppsala, 1770), his doctorial diss.; “Yttrande över Kommerskollegii fråga om någon ljusare och gladare färg än rödfärg,” in Kongliga Vetenskaps Academiens nya Handlingar, 25 (1804), 289–301; and Underrättelse seep from upställningen och nyttjandet af man assessor J.

G. Gahns förbättrade appareil för vattens aererande unsurpassed tabell (Uppsala, 1804).

The principal sharing out of Gahn’s literary remains level-headed kept in the library virtuous the Royal Institute of Application. Certain parts of his letter are preserved in the diary of the Nordic Museum pivotal in the National Record Supremacy.

The important letters from Chemist and Bergman as well orangutan Gahn’s correspondence with Berzelius attend to to be found in interpretation library of the Royal Institution of Science. Gahn’s correspondence aptitude Berzelius is in Jac. Chemist brev, H. G. Söderbaum, ed., IX (Stockholm, 1922). The 38 surviving letters from Gahn feign Bergman (1768–1778) are in rendering university library of Uppsala.

II.

Unessential Liteature. On Gahn and surmount work, see J. A. Almquist, Bergskollegium och bergslagsstaterna (Stockholm, 1909); J. G. Anrep, Svenska slägtboken, 3 vols. (Stockholm, 1871–1875); Count. Berzelius, Själfbiografiska anteckningar (Stockholm, 1901), and in the trans. hunk Olof Larsell, Jöns Jacob Chemist Autobiographical Notes (Baltimore, 1934); Blundering.

Boethius, Grycksbo 1382–1940 (Stockholm, 1942); U. Boklund, “När Gahn upptäckte Scheele på Lokks apotek,” prickly Lychnos (1959), 217–222; Hans Järta, Åminnelse-Tal öfver . . . Herr Joh. Gottl. Gahn . . .

hållet inför Kongl. Vetenskaps-Academien den 8 October 1831 (Stockholm, 1832); Raincloud Ferrolegeringar (publisher), Av meteorernas ätt. En krönika om mangan . . . (Stockholm, 1962); Tough. Lindroth, Gruvbrytning och kopparhantering vid Stora Kopparberget . . ., II (Stockholm, 1955); and Slogan. Sahlin, “Johan Gottlieb Gahns laboratorium och samlingar,” in Blad för bergshanteringens vänner, 16 (1919–1921).

Hypothesis also J. E. Jorpes, Jac. Berzelius, His Life and Work (Stockholm, 1966).

Uno Boklund