The Atmosphere of Heaven: The Unnatural Experiments of Dr Beddoes and His Sons of Genius
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.18 (860 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0300168918 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-05-16 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Beddoes and the brilliant circle who surrounded him: Erasmus Darwin, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey, who supported his ideas; James Watt, who designed and built his laboratory; Thomas Wedgwood, who funded it; and the dazzling young chemistry assistant, Humphry Davy, who identified nitrous oxide and tested it on himself, with spectacular results. But when its members discovered the mind-altering properties of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, their experiments devolved into a pioneering exploration of consciousness with far-reaching and unforeseen e
All rights reserved. Illus. Fans of scientific biography and history of science, as well as history buffs in general, will be engrossed by Jay's marvelous study of an unusual man and the political and intellectual ferment of his time. Poets Samuel Coleridge and Robert Southey also came into Beddoes's orbit, as did James Watt and Josiah Wedgwood as both sponsors of Beddoes and fathers of two of his consumptive patients. (May)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Beddoes employed the young Humphrey Davy, who quickly made im
"Delightful story, entertaining and illuminating history" according to SwissMiss. Dr. Beddoes was searching for a cure for tuberculosis and thought the new science of separating air into its components--oxygen, nitrogen, etc--might yield a cure. The climax of the story comes when he and his fellow researchers began experimenting with inhaling nitrous oxide (laughing gas). The poet Robert Southey, one of many friends w
His books include the award-winning The Air Loom Gang: The Strange and True Story of James Tilly Matthews and His Visionary Madness. He lives in London.. Mike Jay has written extensively on scientific and medical history and is a specialist in the study of drugs