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Carl Wilhelm Scheele

Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1742-1786) was a chemist and pharmacist.

Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Carl Wilhelm Scheele

Scheele was born in Stralsund in the then Pomerania. At the age of 15 he started as an apprentice at the pharmacy Enhörningen in Gothenburg. There he was given the opportunity, through self-study and experimentation, to build up a great knowledge of the chemistry of the time. Scheele then held employment at a number of pharmacies before being given the opportunity to take over the pharmacy in Köping in 1776.

In 1775 he was elected to the Academy of Sciences and many of his discoveries contributed greatly to the research in chemistry and the rapid development of the subject in the late 18th century. Among other things, he was able to identify the substances oxygen and chlorine. He also discovered a variety of acids of biological origin such as citric acid, lactic acid and uric acid.

He received flattering offers from abroad but stayed in Köping until his death.

Reference: Wikipedia

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