chemistry

William Lewis (chemist, died 1781)

William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) rather than just read about it. In short: William Lewis FRS (c. 1708 – 21 January 1781) was a British chemist and physician. He is known for his writings related to pharmacy and medicine, and for his research into metals.

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Reference excerpt

William Lewis FRS (c. 1708 – 21 January 1781) was a British chemist and physician. He is known for his writings related to pharmacy and medicine, and for his research into metals.

Life and work William Lewis, the son of John (William?) Lewis, a brewer, was born in Richmond, Surrey. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, on 17 March 1730. He graduated B.A. in 1734, and proceeded M.A. 1737, M.B. 1741, and M.D. 1745. He practiced as a physician, and in 1746 was living in Dover Street, London, but shortly afterwards moved to Kingston upon Thames. At the opening of the Radcliffe Library in 1749, Lewis delivered the oration.

Honours Fellow of the Royal Society (1745) Copley Medal (1754) "For the Many Experiments made by him on Platina, which tend to the discovery of the sophistication of gold:—which he would have entirely completed, but was obliged to put a stop to his further enquiries for want of materials."

Selected writings A Course of Practical Chemistry, London, 1746, 8vo. Pharmacopœia Edinburgensis, London, 1748, 8vo. The New Dispensatory, London, 1753, Digital edition 8vo, Edinburgh, 1781 Digital edition by the University and State Library Düsseldorf, 1791. Experimental History of the Materia Medica, London, 1761 Digital edition by the University and State Library Düsseldorf; 3rd edit, by J. Aiken, 1784; German translation, 1771. Willhelm Lewis Materia medica oder Beschreibung der einfachen Arzneymittel . Orell, Geßner, Füeßlin & Co., Zürich 1771 Digital edition by the University and State Library Düsseldorf Commercium Philosophico-Technicum, London, 1763 Digital edition, 4to. Neues verbessertes Dispensatorium oder Arzneybuch, in welchem alles, was zu der Apothekerkunst gehöret, nach den Londoner und Edinburger Pharmacopeen mit practischen Wahrnehmungen und Bemerkungen vorgetragen wird; aus dem Engländischen übersetzet. Brandt, Hamburg 2 Bände 1768/1772 Digital edition by the University and State Library Düsseldorf The new dispensatory : contains 1. The elements of pharmacy, 2. The materia medica, or an account of the substances employed in medicine, 3. The preparations and compositions of the new London and Edinburgh pharmacopoeias; the whole interspersed with practical cautions and observations. F. Wingrave, London 6th ed. 1799 Digital edition by the University and State Library Düsseldorf Lewis also published translations of Caspar Neumann's chemical works in 1759 Digital edition and 1773 (Vol. I & Vol. II), and (posthumously) of Hoffman's System of the Practice of Medicine (1783). In 1754 and 1757 he published a series of original papers on platinum: Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 48 (1754) 638–689 (Papers I–IV), Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 50 (1757) 148–155 (Paper V) & Phil. Trans. R. Soc. 50 (1757) 156–166 (Paper VI). In 1767 the Society for the Improvement of Arts, Manufactures, &c., of which he was a founder, awarded him a gold medal for an essay upon 'potashes'.

Death He died in Kingston, Surrey on 21 January 1781 and was buried in Richmond.

References

Further reading Jungnickel, Christa; McCormmach, Russell (1996). Cavendish. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. p. 150. ISBN 0-87169-220-1.

External links Media related to William Lewis (scientist) at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with William Lewis (chemist, died 1781)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of William Lewis (chemist, died 1781)

In research: William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1700s births, 1781 deaths, 18th-century English medical doctors, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) in simple terms?

William Lewis FRS (c. 1708 – 21 January 1781) was a British chemist and physician. He is known for his writings related to pharmacy and medicine, and for his research into metals.

Why does William Lewis (chemist, died 1781) matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study William Lewis (chemist, died 1781)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on William Lewis (chemist, died 1781).