Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
foundry there in the time of Johann III.,1 of which his son,,
also called Peter, became managing director.
The two famous step-brothers Gahn who concern us
here were both born at Falun, where their father, Hans
Jacob, was landowner and the district-treasurer. Johann
Gottlieb, the elder of the two, saw the light in 1745, on the
19th of August. From his first appearance at Upsala one
might say that his whole life was given up to experiments.
In 1770, the year he left the university, he received a
commission for finding out improved smelting processes of
metals, owing to complaints about the impure copper
produced at Falun. These experiments were followed by
others, which he undertook jointly with other famous
scientists of the day, to produce vitriol and sulphur from
the water of the mines ; and he introduced new instruments
in mining, for instance one for measuring the velocity of
the wind. His great merits did not remain unnoticed. In
1780 the mining-college caused a gold medal to be struck
in his honour, and from the king he received the title of
“ Bergmästare ” (Mining-director) for his improving the
quality of the copper. In 1784 he was made a member
of the Mining Board, whilst he was already a member of
many learned societies, and a partner in a chemical factory
at Gripsholm. He was himself quite a complete scientific
institution, by which new discoveries were conscientiously
tested, and whence new ideas were continually being
thrown out. On his laboratory, his books, and his
instruments he spent the greater part of his income. But
this unquenchable thirst for knowledge had its
disadvantages. Hurrying from one experiment to the other,
he almost entirely relied on his memory, and made few
notes. So it happened that many of his discoveries were
lost to posterity. On the other hand, he had a great gift
1 1568-92.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
