Stephen Haul

Stephen Hales (September 17th 1677 with Bekesbourne in the Kent - January 4th 1761 with Teddington in the Middlesex) is a physiologist, Chimiste and British inventor .

Biography

Resulting from a noble family, Hales is born in Bekesbourne in the Kent. Intended for the ecclesiastical state, it is sent in June 1696 to the Corpus Christi College of the Université of Cambridge, to make there studies of Théologie, and, in February 1703, it is part-time lecturer there. During its leisures it is delivered with passion to the study of the Botanique and the Anatomie, confirming tastes for the natural science which it had shown very early. In 1708, it is named with the vicariate of Teddington in the Middlesex, where it will remain until the end of its life. He becomes also vice-chancellor of Porlock in the Somerset, then also that of Faringdon in the Hampshire. These two additional ecclesiastical benefit, obtained by favor, put it in a good position of fortune. In 1717, he is elected member of the Royal Society, which will decree to him in 1739 the Médaille Copley for its work on the calculations of the Vessie. In 1732 it is named member of a committee which studies the establishment of a colony in Georgia. In 1733, he becomes doctor in Théologie of the Université of Oxford.

But it appears more interested by the study of the natural science and the invention of machines that by the advance which it could have obtained within the Église. He studies the role of the air and water at the Plante S and the animal. He describes the movements of water in the plants and shows that they absorb air. He discovers the dangers to breathe in stagnant air pockets. He publishes in 1741 his invention of ventilators intended to renew the air in the mine S, the hospital, the Prison S and the low parts of the ships. About 1747, one of these ventilators is installed in the prison The Savoy of London. In front of almost the disappearance of died by the “fever of the prisons”, the use of such ventilators spreads in these establishments, like in the old people's homes, the ships and the attics with corn. Their employment is also spread in France, where Hales would have obtained from the king Louis XV, during one of the wars with France, the authorization to make install such devices in the deposits where were retained English prisoners.

In its modest cure of Teddington, it receives characters among most considerable of the kingdom, the such prince de Galles, which likes to visit it. With died of the prince in 1751, it is named, to some extent in spite of him, chaplain of the princess dowager of Wales, and then Chanoine of Windsor. With death to sir Hans Sloane in 1753, he becomes associated foreigner of the Academy of Science with France. He dies in Teddington in 1761 at the 83 years age.

Principal work

Pioneer of the experimental Physiology, it shows that the Spinal-cord is used as mediator with certain reflexes. He studies the renal calculi and biliary and suggests the use of solvent which could reduce them without surgical intervention . He also invented the Forceps.

Haul is better known for its static Essais (Statical Essays) . The first volume Statique of the plants (Vegetable staticks) (1727) contains the report of a good number of experiments on the physiology of the plant S: water losses of the plants by evaporation, the speed of growth of the growths and the sheets, variations of the absorption capacity of the roots at various times of the day. The second volume, relating to the Blood circulation, Haemastaticks (1733), contains descriptions of experiment on the force of blood for various animal, its rate of flow and the capacity different blood-vessels.

Works

Static of the plants (1727), translated into French by Buffon (1735), first work of this one;
Haemastaticks (1733), translated by Wild of Lacroix under the Static title of the animals , Geneva, (1744);
Art to make sea water drinkable ;
One the solution off stone in the bladder ( On the means of dissolving the stone in the bladder ) London (1739), which was worth the Médaille Copley to him.

Sources

Pierre Larousse: Large universal Dictionary of the XIXe century , 15 volumes, (1863-1890)
Louis Gabriel Michaud: old and modern universal Biography (35 vol. 1773-1858);
Georges Vat: History of the natural science since their origin among all known people .

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