Peter Woulfe (1727–1803) was an Anglo-Irish

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe t ...

and

mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proce ...

. He first had the idea that

wolframite Wolframite is an iron, manganese, and tungstate mineral with a chemical formula of that is the intermediate between ferberite ( rich) and hübnerite ( rich). Along with scheelite, the wolframite series are the most important tungsten ore mineral ...

might contain a previously undiscovered element (

tungsten Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isol ...

). In 1771, Woulfe reported the formation of a yellow dye when

indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...

was treated with

nitric acid Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitri ...

. Later it was discovered by others that he had formed picric acid, which eventually was used as the first synthetic dye, an explosive and an

antiseptic An antiseptic (from Greek ἀντί ''anti'', "against" and σηπτικός ''sēptikos'', "putrefactive") is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putre ...

treatment for burns. Woulfe is credited with inventing, around 1767, the Woulfe Bottle, an apparatus for purifying or dissolving gases, which employed a bottle with two or three necks.

Alchemy

Woulfe has been described as being as much an alchemist and mystic as a

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosoph ...

. As recorded by John Timbs:

"The last true believer in alchemy was not Dr. Price, but Peter Woulfe, the eminent chemist, and Fellow of the Royal Society, and who made experiments to show the nature of
mosaic gold Mosaic gold or bronze powder refers to tin(IV) sulfide as used as a pigment in bronzing and gilding wood and metal work. It is obtained as a yellow scaly crystalline powder. The alchemists referred to it as aurum musivum, or aurum mosaicum. The t ...
tin(IV)_sulfide,_SnS₂.html" ;"title="tin(IV)_sulfide.html" ;"title="tin(IV) sulfide">tin(IV) sulfide, SnS₂">tin(IV)_sulfide.html" ;"title="tin(IV) sulfide">tin(IV) sulfide, SnS₂ […] He had long vainly searched for the Elixir, and attributed his repeated failures to the want of due preparation by pious and charitable acts. I understand that some of his apparatus is still extant, upon which are supplications for success and for the welfare of the adepts."

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Woulfe, Peter 1727 births 1803 deaths People from Ennis Anglo-Irish people Fellows of the Royal Society Recipients of the Copley Medal Irish chemists Mineralogists Irish alchemists 18th-century Irish people 19th-century Irish people 18th-century alchemists 19th-century alchemists Date of birth missing Date of death missing