Pierre-Joseph Macquer

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Pierre-Joseph Macquer

1718-1784

French chemist who published an influential chemistry textbook and was the first to publish a chemical dictionary that was organized along modern lines. Macquer's textbooks, Elements of Theoretical Chemistry and Elements of Practical Chemistry were important texts that helped mold the thinking of chemists for many years. In addition, his organization of chemicals into roughly modern categories helped to systematize the field, taking it yet another step from the practices of alchemy.

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