Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 9
Albrecht Graefe – 22nd May (1828-1870)
Albrecht von Graefe is
best known as the
founder of modern ophthalmology+ VonGraefe,
whose full name was
Friederich Wilhelm Ernst
Albrecht von Graefe,
dedicated his life to becoming an excellent
teacher, surgeon, and
clinician in the field of
ophthalmology+ Although born into a privileged life as the son of
Carl Ferdinand von
Graefe the Director of
the Surgical Clinic for 30
years, author of the Encyclopedic Dictionary of
Medical Sciences, a pioneer in plastic surgery,
and general in the Prussian army Albrecht
based his short life on
utilizing his talent to benefit those who were in
need+
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit – 24th May (1686-1736)
Fahrenheit invented the
first truly accurate thermometer using mercury
instead of alcohol and
water mixtures+ In the
laboratory, he used his
invention to develop the
first temperature scale
precise enough to become a worldwide
standard+ He began constructing his own thermometers in 1714, and it
was in these that he
used mercury for the
first time+ Previous thermometers, such as those
constructed by Galileo
and Guillaume Amontons, used combinations
of alcohol and water
which would go as the
temperature rose, the
alcohol would expand
and the level within the
thermometer would increase+ These thermometers were not particularly accurate, however,
since they were too easily thrown off by changing air pressure+ The key
to Fahrenheit's thermometer was a new
method for cleaning
mercury that enabled it
to rise and fall within
the tube without sticking to the sides+ Mercury was an ideal substance for reading temperatures since it expanded at a more constant rate than alcohol
and is able to be read
at much higher and
lower temperatures.
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