The progress of scientific chemistry in our own times : with biographical notices / by William A. Tilden.

  • William A. Tilden
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The progress of scientific chemistry in our own times : with biographical notices / by William A. Tilden. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES Amedeo Avogadro (di Quaregna e di Cerreto) was born at Turin, 9th August 1776, and died 9th July 1856. The name Avogadro appears to be a modification of Avocatis in reference to the functions discharged by the family in early times in connection with the legal business of the clergy. Amedeo himself took the degree of Doctor in Ecclesiastical Law, and for some years was engaged in the practice of the legal pro¬ fession. But from about 1800 lie began the serious study of mathematics, and in 1809 became Professor of Physics at Ver- celli. In 1820 the first Italian chair of mathematical physics was instituted at Turin, and Avogadro held this chair till the end of 1822, when it was suppressed. In 1832 the chair was re¬ stored, and after being occupied by Cauchy for two years it was given again to Avogadro, who held it till 1850, when he retired. [Opere Scelte di Amedeo Avogadro. Published by the Academy of Sciences of Turin. Prefaced by a Life by Prof. J. Gnareschi, 1911.] Stanislao Cannizzaro was born in Palermo on 13th July 1826, the youngest of a large family. At the age of fifteen he began the study of medicine at Palermo, but in 1845 he made the acquaintance of the physicist Melloni, and by his intro¬ duction became assistant to Piria at Pisa. Henceforward his studies were devoted to chemistry, though interrupted by his taking part in the revolution in Sicily. Escaping to Paris, he worked in the laboratory of Chevreul, and joined Cloez in work on cyanogen chloride, which was published in the Comptes Rendus in 1851. Soon afterwards he was recalled to Italy and appointed Professor at the National School at Alessandria. Here he discovered benzylic alcohol. In 1855 Cannizzaro was appointed to the Chair of Chemistry in the University of Genoa, but once more he left his studies to join the revo¬ lutionary movement, under Garibaldi, which led ultimately to the unification of Italy. In 1861 he was called to the Chair of Chemistry in Palermo, where he remained about ten years.
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