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The Cradle of Chemistry
The Early Years of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh
Synopsis
From the mid eighteenth century, many medical students from across the world made their way to Edinburgh, drawn by the reputation of the faculty and the quality and nature of its teaching. Chemistry, in particular, had star performers, notably William Cullen and Joseph Black, whose innovative teaching styles excited and inspired their audiences.
This book, which is based on conference papers given at the Crawford tercentenary meeting held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh in October 2013, describes the progress of chemistry at the University of Edinburgh from the appointment of the first professor, James Crawford, in 1713 to the career of Thomas Charles Hope, a century or so later. It includes the radical attempt by William Cullen to introduce 'philosophical chemistry' as a counterpart to Newton's natural philosophy, and Joseph Black's eventual acceptance of Lavoisier's oxygen theory. This is a fascinating study of the period when Edinburgh's chemistry literacy was higher than at any other time.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
'Evokes the reality of the development and operation of an instiution in which teachers encouraged of hindered their successors, took up or rejected new ideas, and in which dedicated students looked at their professors with both admiration and scepticism. The portrait is convincing, and splendidly varied' -- John Burnet * BOEC * 'A real addition to the history of the University of Edinburgh and to the history of the development of chemistry in Scotland' * Northern Scotland * 'The volume in its entirety makes for excellent reading. The section on the material legacy is a welcome addition and will, I hope, stimulate further research. Together with Anderson's introduction and Chang's lucid afterword, Cradle of Chemistry offers a coherent and insightful account of the early years of chemistry at the University of Edinburgh' -- Ruben E. Verwaal * Isis Review *