When was it published?

September 2, 1785 in Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Foreign News September 2, 1785

Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

Q: What sub-type of article is it?

Scientific Discovery, Chemical Invention

Q: What keywords are associated?

Mercury Fixation, Chemical Discovery, Vienna Chemist, Female Inventor, Volatile Metal Fixed

Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire

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What is this article about?

In Vienna, Germany, a lady named Orbelin has discovered a method to fix mercury, making it non-volatile and fusible like other metals, a major chemical breakthrough attributed to a woman.

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OCR Quality

98% Excellent

Full Text

One of the most important chemical discoveries, that of the fixing of mercury, which has so long been searched after by the curious, has at last been made at Vienna, in the empire of Germany, by a lady of the name of Orbelin, who has for some years employed her leisure hours in chemical operations: This lady invites any person to be an eye witness to her having discovered means of fixing mercury, and rendering it fusible as other metals are, without the invention of any other metallick substance; and after its fixation by a process of no great length or labour, this able chymist submits the mercury to the greatest heat, without its resuming any of its former volatility, the principle of which is absolutely destroyed. On the contrary, this volatile metal becomes so entirely fixed; that the greater heat is placed, the more compact and dense it becomes, even to a state of bitternes." Thus we are indebted to the fair sex for one of the greatest chemical discoveries of this age.

What sub-type of article is it?

Scientific Discovery Chemical Invention

What keywords are associated?

Mercury Fixation Chemical Discovery Vienna Chemist Female Inventor Volatile Metal Fixed

What entities or persons were involved?

Orbelin

Where did it happen?

Vienna, In The Empire Of Germany

Foreign News Details

Primary Location

Vienna, In The Empire Of Germany

Key Persons

Orbelin

Outcome

discovery of means to fix mercury, rendering it fusible as other metals, non-volatile under heat, becoming more compact and dense with greater heat

Event Details

A lady named Orbelin has discovered a method to fix mercury, making it fusible like other metals without additional metallic substances. The process is not lengthy or laborious. She invites witnesses and demonstrates that the fixed mercury withstands great heat without volatility, with its volatile principle destroyed, becoming more compact and dense.