Humphry Davy (1778–1829, APS 1810) was a British chemist and pioneer in the field of electrochemistry. He was a major figure in the reformed chemistry movement initiated by the French scientist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794, APS 1775).

Davy was the son of an impoverished Cornish woodcarver. As a youth, he was apprenticed to an apothecary-surgeon with whom he pursued a regimen of self-study that included theology, philosophy, poetics, several languages, as well as, botany, chemistry, anatomy, mechanics and physics. In subsequent years, when most of his time was occupied by scientific endeavors, Davy exhibited a particular fondness for philosophical writings and poetry. In 1799 he published his first poems.

However, it was Davy's aptitude for scientific matters that soon attracted attention. One of the people who recognized his abilities was Davies Giddy (1767-1839), a Member of Parliament with scientific interests. Giddy eventually became Davy's patron. He allowed his protégé access to his library; furthermore, he persuaded Davy's master to release him from his indenture so that he could become the assistant to Thomas Beddoes, Giddy's former teacher at Oxford.

In 1798 Davy joined Beddoes's Pneumatic Institution in Bristol which was established for the purpose of investigating the medical powers of newly discovered airs and gases. There, he made the acquaintance of fellow scientists as well as individuals with literary interests, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), Joseph Cottle (1770-1853), and Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849). In 1797 Davy read Lavoisier's Traité élémentaire de chimie in French, a study that made a deep impression on him. Two years later he published an essay in which he refuted Lavoisier's caloric; that same year he established his reputation as a chemist with his book Researches, Chemical and Philosophical, chiefly concerning Nitrous Oxide . . . and its Respiration in which he suggested that nitrous oxide (laughing gas) be used as an anesthetic in minor surgical operations. Davy had arrived at his conclusions after a series of risky experiments with different gases on himself. He described his "emotions" after awakening from the effects of laughing gas as "enthusiastic and sublime."

Davy engaged in electrochemical experiments that led to several discoveries, including the recognition that the production of electricity was linked to a chemical reaction. He also isolated and analyzed the chemical elements potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium. One of his best-known contributions to the field was his conclusion that, contrary to Lavoisier's claims, there was no material basis for acidity. In 1810 he announced that the green gas contained in sea salt was an element. He named it chlorine.

As a strong promoter of applied science, Davy also engaged in various practical projects. He researched the chemistry of tanning, promoted improvements to agricultural practices, and developed a miner's lamp that inhibited the ignition of the methane gas commonly found in mines. Furthermore, Davy was known as an effective lecturer. He made scientific topics accessible to an audience that extended beyond a small circle of fellow scientists.

Davy's accomplishments were recognized with numerous awards and honors. In 1801 he joined the faculty of the Royal Institution in London. He became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1803, was awarded the Copley medal in 1805, and served as the Society's president from 1820 to 1827. He was knighted in 1812 and created a baronet in 1818. He was also a founder of the Geological Society of London, the London Zoo and the Athenaeum.

Davy was married to Jane Apreece Kerr, a wealthy and well-connected widow. They did not have children. In 1829, he suffered a stroke while vacationing in Italy. He died a few days later.

The bulk of the collection comprises 31 letters, covering the period between c. 1803 and 1824. Twenty-three of the letters are written by Humphry Davy to the chemist Alexander John Gaspard Marcet. Other addressees of letters by Davy include Henry Penneck and John W. Croker. There are also two letters signed by Davy in his capacity as Secretary of the Royal Society of London to Marcet, and there is one letter by Lady Jane Kerr Davy to Marcet. Finally, there are three notes and one brief scientific essay by Davy. The collection includes a typed table of contents.

Most of the letters concern matters related to the natural sciences, especially chemistry. They include the exchange of papers on various topics, the loan of an instrument, and news about fellow scientists. For example, Davy asks Marcet to borrow a scientific instrument (1803), sends Marcet papers (1806, 1810), discusses chemical ideas with him (1810), and asks Marcet to forward material to the Swedish scientist Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1813). Of particular interest is a letter in which Davy tells Marcet about the subject of his next paper, the battery (1809).

One personal letter that reflects Davy's close ties to the Royal Society as well as Marcet informs Marcet that Sir Joseph Banks "did not think there could be a gentleman more worthy of the fellowship of the Society" (1808). That Marcet was highly regarded by the Royal Society is further attested by the two letters by the Royal Society and signed by Davy in his capacity as secretary. They inform Marcet that his submitted paper has been accepted for publication (1807), and that he has been elected a fellow of the Society (1808). Furthermore, in 1809, Davy wrote to Marcet that "Sir Joseph" had advanced 100£ for a botanical collection, and he also confirmed that Banks would assist Mr. Berger, who had evidently been recommended by Marcet. Davy, in turn, introduced Dr. Clarke, a young physician he had met in Rome, to Marcet (1819). Additional letters that suggest Davy's personal friendship with Marcet include information about their travel plans (1803, 1806), invitations for visits (1808), Davy's intention to visit Marcet's wife (1809), news about friends (1814), and Davy's hunting exploits (1822). On one occasion Jane Davy's requests a consultation with Marcet about her "ills" (1816).

Some insight into Davy's activities and views as a scientist and teacher can be gleaned from his letter to Henry Penneck (no year). It deals with scientific instruments Davy recently shipped, the discovery of a new English mineral, the construction of a new laboratory for experiments in "pneumatic medicine," and Davy's hope to enlist Dr. Smith and Dr. Beddoes to offer lectures. Davy also notes in this letter that "both Brown's and Darwin's Theories seem to be daily losing ground."

Three of the four letters to Croker relate primarily to Davy's experiments with copper sheathing on boats (1824). A fourth deals with the Royal Observatory as well as Davy's and Croker's plan to found a "Club" restricted to "Men of Science Art & Literature" (1823). The final letter in the collection includes candid information about a number of fellow scientists Davy had met at a meeting (possibly of the Astronomical Society), including Sir Alexander Johnston, Sir George Ducket ("a harmless bore"), and Mr. [Henry Thomas?] Colebrooke (1824).

Physical description

35 items.

Provenance

Received from Carnegie Institution of Washington and accessioned, 1965 (1965 1475ms).

Early American History Note

This manuscript collection falls outside the geographic scope of the Early American guide (British North America and the United States before 1840). It may be of interest to scholars interested in global history, international relations, imperialism, or the U.S. in the world.

• Banks, Joseph, 1743-1820
• Berger, J. F. (Jean François), 1779-1833
• Berzelius, Jöns Jakob, Friherre, 1779-1848
• Biot, Jean-Baptiste, 1774-1862
• Bostock, John, 1773-1846
• Cooper, Thomas, 1759-1839
• Croker, John Wilson, 1780-1857
• Davy, Humphry, Sir, 1778-1829
• Fabbroni, Giovanni Valentino Mattia, 1752-1822
• Penneck, Henry

• Anatomy
• Beyond Early America
• Chemistry
• Medicine.
• Mineralogy.
• Natural history.