The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
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The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
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1660-1734
German chemist and physician remembered for developing phlogiston theory—combustion and calcination consist of phlogiston loss. Stahl postulated that ash from burnt wood and calx from heated metals are devoid of phlogiston, and heating calx with phlogiston-rich charcoal yields metal by calx re-absorbing phlogiston. Accounting for observed weight changes required phlogiston to have negative weight. Though incorrect, Stahl's theory greatly facilitated the shift from alchemy to Antoine Lavoisier's new chemistry. Within medical thought, Stahl's vitalism provided an alternative to Hermann Boerhaave's mechanist theories.