Chemical Affinity in Eighteenth-Century British Mineralogy

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Place: 6th Floor Conference Room, Chemical Heritage Foundation

Information: 215-873-8289 or bbl@chemheritage.org

Free and open to the public.

The doctrine of affinity, which says that substances have different levels of chemical attraction to various substances, was central to 18th-century experimental chemistry. Much of the work done on affinity thus far has focused on the theoretical chemistry of Newton, Geoffroy, Bergman, and Fourcroy. As part of his larger dissertation project, John Stewart will present a talk on the appropriation of affinity by those interested in chemical mineralogy. Drawing on the work of Ursula Klein and Matthew Eddy, he will explore the ways in which doctors, fossil collectors, artisans and natural historians used affinity in the commodification of natural resources and at the same time contributed to a complex and ever-changing affinity doctrine.

After receiving a B.A. in letters with a minor in the history of science from the University of Oklahoma in 2006, John Stewart entered the OU history of science program. In 2008, he completed the M.A. requirements with a thesis titled “Kirwan’s Chemistry: Heat, Affinity, and Phlogiston in the 1780s.” Since completing the Master’s degree, John has continued his work on historical understandings of chemistry, now with a focus on affinity. His dissertation, currently titled “Affinity across the Disciplines, The Centrality of Chemistry in 18th Century Science,” will include analysis of both the appropriation and production of affinity theories in British agriculture, mineralogy, and physiology. When not working on his dissertation, John works for Isis Bibliographer Stephen Weldon on the Current Bibliography database.