Richard Lubbock

Richard Lubbock (c. 1759 – 2 September 1808 ) was an English physician and chemist who documented the contemporary history of phlogiston theory in England in his 1784 dissertation, which was based on the teachings of Joseph Black.

Life and work Lubbock was born in Norwich where he was educated at the Grammar School under a Mr Lemon and Mr Rigby before going to the University of Edinburgh. He then returned to practice as a physician in Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. His son Reverend Richard Lubbock, who became rector of Eccles is known for his work in natural history of the Norfolk Broads while another son Edward also became a physician. Lubbock lived on 76 St. Gile's Street. He also wrote papers on diabetes, catalepsy, apoplexy and vaccination and was held in high regard as a physician. Lubbock finally came with his theory of combustion and set out his ideas as - "pure air"/principium sorbile sive commune (now oxygen); principium aeri proprium (matter of light and heat); combustibles (phosphorus, sulphur, charcoal, some metals etc.) which after absorbing more principium sorbile than the principium aeri proprium gives up upon calcination the principium aeri proprium (heat); that the combustibles themselves never lose any principle; principium aeri proprium comes from the sun and is massless; water is made up of principium sorbile and inflammable air; organic respiration, fermentation and decay involve the use of principium sorbile from the air; and acid and calces (alkalis) are made up of some principle in combination with principium sorbile. Lubbock's ideas spread quickly into Europe.