Torbern Olof BergmanBorn 20 Mar 1735; died 8 Jul 1784 at age 49. Swedish mineralogist, chemist and naturalist who experimented with carbon dioxide, which he named aerial acid, and Joseph Priestley called fixed air. His investigation led him to successfully prepare artificial mineral water. In natural mineral water, he identified hydrogen sulphide. As a pioneer in chemical analysis, he introduced many improvements, studied minerals in particular and contributed to the theory of crystal structure. In 1775, his important paper Essay on Elective Attractions marked the beginning of his extensive work preparing affinity tables for acids and bases. By 1783, he ceased this effort due to failing health, leaving it to others to further develop an understanding of chemical affinity. He wrote an account of the use of the blowpipe in analysis.« |