John Mayow

English chemist and physiologist

John Mayow (1641 – 1679) was an English chemist and physiologist who is best known for his early studies on the nature of combustion and respiration. His work laid important groundwork for later discoveries in chemistry and biology.

Early Life and Education

John Mayow was born in 1641 in Cornwall, England. He studied at Wadham College, Oxford, where he developed an interest in natural philosophy and the emerging field of chemistry. Mayow was influenced by the work of Robert Boyle and other contemporary scientists.

Scientific Contributions

Mayow is most renowned for his experiments and theories regarding combustion and respiration. He proposed that both processes involved a common substance, which he called "spiritus nitro-aereus," a precursor concept to what would later be understood as oxygen.

Combustion Experiments

Illustration of Mayow's burning experiment

In his experiments, Mayow demonstrated that a candle burning in a closed container would extinguish after a certain amount of time, suggesting that a component of the air was consumed during combustion. He also showed that the same component was necessary for respiration by placing a mouse in a similar closed environment.

Respiration Studies

Mayow extended his ideas to biological systems, proposing that the "spiritus nitro-aereus" was also involved in the process of respiration in animals. He suggested that this substance was absorbed by the blood in the lungs and was essential for life.

Legacy

John Mayow's work was largely forgotten until the late 18th century when Antoine Lavoisier and others rediscovered the principles of combustion and respiration. Mayow's early insights were recognized as significant contributions to the development of modern chemistry and physiology.

Related pages

• Robert Boyle
• Antoine Lavoisier
• History of chemistry
• Oxygen