(Born: Anklam, Germany, 10 January 1782; Died: Berlin, Germany, 5 March 1847) German physician & chemist.

From 1804 to 1806, John was a professor in Moscow at the Institute of Economics. He then became professor of chemistry and pharmacy at the University of Frankfurt an der Oder, followed by a position in Berlin, where he retired.

Biographical references: ADB. • DBA: I 610, 35-49. • Hamberger & Meusel, Gelehrte Teutschland, 1796-1834. • Neuer Nekrolog der Deutschen. • Poggendorff: 1, col. 1197. • WBI.

1. German, 1808.
Chemisches Laboratorium, oder einweisung zur chemischen Analyse der Naturalien. Nebst Darstellung der nothigsten Reagentien von Johann Friedrich John. Mit einer Vorrede von M.H. Klaproth. Berlin, F. Maurer, 1808.

8°: xii, 522, [2] p., 2 plates (folding).

Very rare. With a foreword written by Martin Heinrich Klaproth, this is the first volume of a series of six that contains the analytical memories of the author. This initial volume works as a good general textbook on practical chemistry techniques in the laboratory. It concentrates on the chemical analysis of natural objects including minerals, with information on the reagents used in the manipulation. Other volumes of the series contain analyses of natural objects from the plant, animal, and mineral kingdoms. With regard to mineral analyses, John investigated zinc ores, meteorites, columbite, tantalite, aragonite, manganese oxides, native silver, copper, and arsenic. He also investigated colored rock salt and found that yellow and red were caused by iron oxides, and although unable to determine the cause for the blue coloring, definitively showed that it was not due to copper.

1810: Chemische Untersuchungen mineralischer, vegetabilischer und animalischer Substanzen. Fortseztug des chemischen Laboratoriums. Berlin, 1810. 8°: xxvi, 292, [2] p.

1811: Neue Chemische Untersuchungen mineralischer, vegetabilischer und animalischer Substanzen. Zweite Fortseztug des chemischen Laboratoriums. Berlin, 1811. 8°: xvi, 318, [2] p.

1813: Neue Chemische Schriften. Vierter Band. Chemische Untersuchungen mineralischer, vegetabilischer und animalischer Substanzen. Dritte Fortseztug des chemischen Laboratoriums. Berlin, 1813. 8°: xvi, 326, [2] p.

1816: Neue Chemische Schriften. Fünfter Band. Chemische Untersuchungen mineralischer, vegetabilischer und animalischer Substanzen. Vierte Fortseztug des chemischen Laboratoriums. Berlin, 1816. 8°: xx, 246, [2] p.

1821: Neue Chemische Schriften. Sechster Band. Chemische Untersuchungen mineralischer, vegetabilischer und animalischer Substanzen. Fünfte Fortseztug des chemischen Laboratoriums. Berlin, 1821. 8°: xx, 365, [2] p.

Bibliographical references: Hlawatsch, Bibliothekskatalog, 1911: p. 143. • Katalog Bergakademie Freiberg, 1879: p. 333 [IV. 647a-f.]. • LKG: XI 30 & XI 31a. • Neu, Chemical, Medical & Pharmaceutical Books, 1965: no. ??. • Partington, History of Chemistry, 1961-70: 3, p. 601-603. • Zeitlinger & Sotheran, Bibliotheca Chemico, 1921-52: no. 9809.

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