STROMEYER, Friedrich.
(1776 – 1835)
Stromeyer first studied botany and pharmacy at the University of Göttingen, before conducting post graduate work under Lewis Nicolaus Vauquelin [1763-1829] at Paris. He received a Ph.D. from Göttingen in 1800. From 1802 to '05 he worked as a privatdocent, and in 1805 he succeeded J.F. Gmelin at the University of Göttingen. Stromeyer was ordinary professor of chemistry and pharmacy from 1810 to 1835, during which period he set up the first teaching laboratory at a German university.
Biographical references: DBA: I 1241, 362-386; II 1281, 227-231. Drugulin, Sechstausend Portraits, 1863: no. 5319-20. Hamberger & Meusel, Gelehrte Teutschland, 1796-1834. Hirsch, Biographisches Lexikon, 1884-8: 5, 458-9. Ihde, Development of Modern Chemistry, 1964: 261. ISIS, 1913-65: 2, 512. Lockemann, G. and R.E. Oesper, "Friedrich Stromeyer and the history of chemical laboratory instruction", Journal of Chemical Education, 30, (1953), 202-4. Partington, History of Chemistry, 1961-70: 3, 659. Poggendorff: 2, cols. 1031-2 & 7a, 669. Schaedler, Biographisch Handwörterbuch, 1891: 130. Wagenitz, Göttinger Biologen, 1988: 175-6. WBI. World Who's Who in Science: 1624.
1. German, 1821.
Untersuchngen | über die | Mischung | der | Mineralkorper | und | anderer damit verwandten Substanzen. | Von | Friedrich Stromeyer, | [...13 lines of titles and memberships...] | Erster [-Zweiter] Band. | [tapered rule] | Göttingen, | bey Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht. | 1821.
Untersuchungen | über die | Mischung der Mineralkörper | und | anderer damit verwandten Substanzen.
8°: π8 1-288 294; 236l.; [i]-iv (i.e., xiv), [2], [1]-453, 456-458 (i.e., 456) p. Page xiv is misnumbered iv and pages 454-456 are misnumbered 456-458. Page size: 220 x 135 mm.
Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii]-viii, "Vorbericht."; [ix]-iv (i.e., xiv), "Inhalt."; [1 pg], Sectional title page.; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-453, 456-458 (i.e., 456), Text.
Very scarce. First and only volume published of a proposed series on the chemical makeup of minerals. In the forward, Stromeyer writes that the influence of Berzelius' researches has helped motivate him to prepare this book. It is a collection of investigations into the composition of minerals. Thirty species are treated including aragonite, aluminite, magnesite, strontianite, boracite, apophyllite and spodumene. In several cases Stromeyer presents analyses from multiple localities to show that the composition of a mineral species does not vary much deposit to deposit. Thomson (1831-2) called the analyses "models of analytical sagacity and accuracy."
Bibliographical references: Bolton, Bibliography of Chemistry, 1893: 857. Cole, Chemical Literature, 1988: 518, no. 1251. Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 81. NUC [NS 1009346]. Thomson, History of Chemistry, 1830-1: 2, 217-21.
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