Caspar Neumann

Caspar Neumann (or Neuman) (July 11, 1683 – October 20, 1737) was a German chemist and apothecary.

Biography

Birth and Education Neumann was born at Zullichau, in the Electorate of Brandenburg, July 11, 1683. He was first educated in music by his father, but being orphaned at age 12, he apprenticed to his godfather, the apothecary, Johannes Romke. Completing his apprenticeship in 1701, he commenced practice at Unruhstadt, or Kargowa, in Poland.

Career After three years in Kargowa, he went to Berlin in 1704, working at first at the apothecary shop of Christoph Schmedicke. Soon thereafter he became a traveling apothecary for the king of Prussia, Frederick I, and he continued in this capacity until 1711. At that point, Frederik sent him abroad to learn more about chemistry and pharmacy in a number of European countries. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1726.

In 2009, Alexander Kraft established that it was Caspar Neumann who conveyed the secret formula for preparing the first synthetic pigment, Prussian blue, to the Royal Society in England in 1723.

Known For Attempting to establish clear material descriptions of the properties of a substance, such as density and melting point. Organizing a nomenclature for salts Discovery of crystalline form of thymol Work on alcohol, amber, benzoin resin and cinnamic acid. Support for the phlogiston theory