1688-1772

Swedish chemist, engineer, and mystic who published one of the first up-to-date accounts of mining and smelting techniques during the eighteenth-century. As with other influential publications of this era, Swedenborg's book was one of the first to systematically lay out the current principles and practices by which these ancient professions worked. By so doing, he helped to formalize the field, making it possible to teach standard, accepted techniques and practices to miners and smelters everywhere.