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160:. William sought to make clear the mechanisms of possible reactions between ultimate particles by using diagrams of the reacting particles and the affinity forces between them. Evidence has recently been presented that Dalton may have been aware of the
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In 1803, William had a leave of absence from the Dublin
Society, which enabled him to sit on a London committee selecting a hydrometer to measure the strength of alcoholic drinks for revenue purposes. It was in London that William met
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in 1806. William and
Humphry’s relationship flourished from 1810 on, when Humphry promoted William’s claims to the discovery of the chemical atomic theory over those of their rival
29:. Known mainly for his speculative ideas on chemical combination, William Higgins is popular for the insights his life offers into the emergence of chemistry as a career during the
128:, and acting as a part-time chemist to the Irish Linen Board. But when the company had financial troubles William lost his job. At the suggestion of
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but did not complete his degree. His next four years after that were spent in London, where he published two editions of his most important work, the
289:"John Dalton and the London atomists: William and Bryan Higgins, William Austin, and new Daltonian doubts about the origin of the atomic theory"
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33:. Despite an evident charm, his erratic behaviour and tendency to indulge personal animosities prevented him from engaging the affections of
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96:. In 1785 William undertook a mineralogical tour through England, also visiting a number of chemical manufacturers. In 1788 he entered
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to live with his uncle. Under his uncle’s guidance, William developed a strong liking for and expertise in experimental chemistry.
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65:, Ireland, and came from a well-known medical family. William was the second child and younger son of Thomas Higgins, a
41:. Thanks to the combination of such scientific opportunities with family resources, he became a very wealthy man.
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248:"William Higgins at the Dublin Society, 1810–20: the loss of a professorship and a claim to the atomic theory"
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In the early 1780s
William assisted in making all the experiments detailed in his uncle Bryan Higgins’
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society. Instead he found refuge in a succession of government-supported chemical positions in
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After a disagreement with his uncle, William left London and went to Dublin to be a
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156:. William’s claims to the discovery of the chemical atomic theory is found in
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in 1792. William was soon busy equipping the laboratory, attending the
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was also an eminent chemist. When
William was a boy he was sent to
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Comparative View of
Phlogistic and Antiphlogistic Theories
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The Life and Work of
William Higgins, Chemist 1763–1825
334:Observations and Experiments on the Atomic Theory
200:"Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography"
132:, William became supervisor of the important
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223:A Dictionary of Irish Biography, 3rd Edition
225:. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. p. 179.
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91:Experiments and Observations Relating to
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287:Grossman, Mark I. (20 December 2014).
246:Grossman, Mark I. (20 December 2010).
176:In June 1825, William Higgins died at
136:of minerals, recently acquired by the
336:, William Higgins, Published in 1814.
25:, was one of the early proponents of
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108:'s atomic theory 19 years earlier.
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339:T S Wheeler and J B Partington,
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31:British Industrial Revolution
21:(1763 – June 1825), an Irish
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372:Fellows of the Royal Society
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48:Higgins Ultimate Particles
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104:which laid out much of
71:University of Edinburgh
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221:Boylan, Henry (1998).
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367:People from Collooney
85:Beginning experiments
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184:References and notes
138:Royal Dublin Society
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112:Start of his career
73:. William’s uncle
202:. Encyclopedia.com
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252:Notes and Records
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63:County Sligo
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362:1825 deaths
357:1763 births
154:John Dalton
53:Early years
351:Categories
206:8 November
180:, Dublin.
313:0035-9149
293:Notes Rec
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67:physician
59:Collooney
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118:chemist
23:chemist
343:(1960)
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106:Dalton
79:London
39:Dublin
35:London
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