1791 in science

The year 1791 in science and technology involved some significant events.

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Biology

• Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard begins publication of Histoire des champignons de la France, a significant text in mycology.
• Luigi Galvani publishes his discoveries in "animal electricity" (Galvanism).^[1]

Chemistry

• Nicolas Leblanc patents the Leblanc process for the production of soda ash (sodium carbonate) from common salt (sodium chloride).
• The element Titanium is discovered included in ilmenite in Cornwall, England, by local amateur geologist Rev. William Gregor.^[2]

Medicine

• May 7 – Irish surgeon Samuel Croker-King first describes his trepanning device.^[3]

Metrology

• March – In France, the National Constituent Assembly accepts the recommendation of its Commission of Weights and Measures that the nation should adopt the metric system.

Physics

• Pierre Prévost shows that all bodies radiate heat, no matter how hot or cold they are.

Technology

• James Rumsey is granted a patent related to fluid power engineering, in England.^[4]

Publications

• Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland begins publication, introducing the term Statistics into English.^[5]

Awards

• Copley Medal: James Rennell; Jean-André Deluc^[6]

Births

• March 20 – John Farey, English mechanical engineer and technical writer (died 1851)
• April 9 – George Peacock, English mathematician (died 1858)
• April 27 – Samuel F. B. Morse, American inventor (died 1872)
• July 13 – Allan Cunningham, English botanist and explorer (died 1839)
• July 27 – Jean-Nicolas Gannal, French pharmacist, chemist and inventor (died 1852)
• September 4 – Robert Knox, Scottish anatomist (died 1862)
• September 22 – Michael Faraday, English chemist and physicist (died 1867)
• September 23 – Johann Franz Encke, German astronomer (died 1865)
• December 26 – Charles Babbage, English mathematician and inventor of computing machines (died 1871)

Deaths

• July 24 – Ignaz von Born, Hungarian metallurgist (born 1742)
• Date unknown – Maria Petraccini, Italian anatomist and physician (died 1759)