William Cruickshank (chemist)
Encyclopedia
William Cruickshank was a Scottish
military surgeon and chemist, and professor of chemistry at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
on 5 October 1780. In March 1788 he became assistant to Adair Crawford
at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, at a salary of £30 a year. On 24 June 1802, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
, found near Strontian
, in Argyleshire. Other authors name Adair Crawford
for the discovery of this new earth, due to the mineral's property of imparting a redding color to a flame. It was later isolated by Humphry Davy
and is now known as strontium
.
, an improvement on Alessandro Volta
's voltaic pile
. The plates were arranged horizontally in a trough, rather than vertically in a column.
during his experiments. On 6 July 1804, he retired on a pension of 10 shillings a day. He died in 1810 or 1811 and military records state that the death occurred in Scotland
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
military surgeon and chemist, and professor of chemistry at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
Career
William Cruickshank was awarded a diploma by the Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandRoyal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
on 5 October 1780. In March 1788 he became assistant to Adair Crawford
Adair Crawford
Adair Crawford FRS , a chemist and physician, was a pioneer in the development of calorimetric methods for measuring the specific heat capacity of substances and the heat of chemical reactions...
at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, at a salary of £30 a year. On 24 June 1802, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
Strontium
Some authors credit Cruickshank with first suspecting an unknown substance in a Scottish mineral, strontianiteStrontianite
Strontianite is an important raw material for the extraction of strontium. It is a rare carbonate mineral and one of only a few strontium minerals...
, found near Strontian
Strontian
Strontian is the main village in Sunart, an area in western Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, on the A861 road. It lies on the north shore of Loch Sunart, close to the head of the loch...
, in Argyleshire. Other authors name Adair Crawford
Adair Crawford
Adair Crawford FRS , a chemist and physician, was a pioneer in the development of calorimetric methods for measuring the specific heat capacity of substances and the heat of chemical reactions...
for the discovery of this new earth, due to the mineral's property of imparting a redding color to a flame. It was later isolated by Humphry Davy
Humphry Davy
Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet FRS MRIA was a British chemist and inventor. He is probably best remembered today for his discoveries of several alkali and alkaline earth metals, as well as contributions to the discoveries of the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine...
and is now known as strontium
Strontium
Strontium is a chemical element with the symbol Sr and the atomic number 38. An alkaline earth metal, strontium is a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element that is highly reactive chemically. The metal turns yellow when exposed to air. It occurs naturally in the minerals celestine and...
.
Trough battery
Circa 1800, Cruickshank invented the Trough batteryTrough battery
The trough battery was a variant of Alessandro Volta's Voltaic Pile and was invented by William Cruickshank circa 1800.-Disadvantage of the pile:...
, an improvement on Alessandro Volta
Alessandro Volta
Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Gerolamo Umberto Volta was a Lombard physicist known especially for the invention of the battery in 1800.-Early life and works:...
's voltaic pile
Voltaic pile
A voltaic pile is a set of individual Galvanic cells placed in series. The voltaic pile, invented by Alessandro Volta in 1800, was the first electric battery...
. The plates were arranged horizontally in a trough, rather than vertically in a column.
Retirement and death
In March 1803, Cruickshank became very ill and it is possible that this was due to exposure to phosgenePhosgene
Phosgene is the chemical compound with the formula COCl2. This colorless gas gained infamy as a chemical weapon during World War I. It is also a valued industrial reagent and building block in synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds. In low concentrations, its odor resembles...
during his experiments. On 6 July 1804, he retired on a pension of 10 shillings a day. He died in 1810 or 1811 and military records state that the death occurred in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.