Thomas Charles Hope (21 July 1766 – 13 June 1844) was a British physician, chemist and lecturer. He proved the existence of the element strontium, and gave his name to Hope's Experiment, which shows that water reaches its maximum density at . In 1815 Hope was elected as president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1815–19), and as vice-president of Royal Society of Edinburgh (1823–33) during the presidencies of

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

and

Thomas Makdougall Brisbane Major General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet, (23 July 1773 – 27 January 1860), was a British Army officer, administrator, and astronomer. Upon the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he had served, he was appoint ...

. He founded a chemistry prize at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

was one of Hope's students, and Darwin viewed his chemistry lectures as highlights in his otherwise largely dull education at the University.

Early life

Born in Edinburgh, the third son of Juliana Stevenson and surgeon and botanist John Hope, he lived at High School Yards on the south side of the old town. He was educated next door to his house at the

High School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, the

(MD 1787) and the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

. At the university he was a student of Prof

Joseph Black Joseph Black (16 April 1728 – 6 December 1799) was a Scottish physicist and chemist, known for his discoveries of magnesium, latent heat, specific heat, and carbon dioxide. He was Professor of Anatomy and Chemistry at the University of Glas ...

. Hope was a nephew of the physician Alexander Stevenson FRSE.

University of Glasgow and the discovery of strontium

He was appointed lecturer in chemistry at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in 1787, and professor of medicine in 1789. In January 1788, on the proposal of John Walker,

Daniel Rutherford Daniel Rutherford (3 November 1749 – 15 December 1819) was a Scottish physician, chemist and botanist who is known for the isolation of nitrogen in 1772. Life Rutherford was born on 3 November 1749, the son of Anne Mackay and Professor John ...

and Alexander Monro, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In 1791–1792 Hope completed experiments on the chemical element strontium, proposing the name Stronities for it, after

Strontian Strontian (; gd, Sròn an t-Sìthein) is the main village in Sunart, an area in western Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, on the A861 road. Prior to 1975 it was part of Argyllshire. It lies on the north shore of Loch Sunart, close to the head of ...

, the west highland village where he found strontianite. The element was later renamed to Strontium. On 4 November 1793, Hope presented his findings, ''An account of a Mineral from Strontian and of a Peculiar Species of Earth which it contains'', to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In the experiment that bears his name, Hope determined the maximum density of water and explained why icebergs float.

Edinburgh and the university

Hope was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1788 and served as its vice president from 1822 to 1833. In 1791 following the death of his uncle, Alexander Stevenson, Hope succeeded him in his uncle's role as Professor of Medicine at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. In 1795 Hope was selected by

as his assistant (1795–1799) and eventual successor to the professorship of medicine and chemistry (1799–1843) at the

. Hope’s goal was to more fully combine the practice of medicine with his chemical instruction. In 1800 Hope won the annual Edinburgh Arrow archery competition. In 1804 he became a member of the Highland Society. In May 1810 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

. From 1815 to 1819 he served as President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Between 1824–40 Hope worked with scientists based in

Poissy Poissy () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Pisciacais'' in French. Poissy is one ...

, France. With the town's major, Jean-François Senincourt, he tried to establish a university in the town. Within a few years their aims began to be realised as medical students crowded his lectures. In the 1830s he is listed as living at 31 Moray Place, a large townhouse in the Moray Estate on the western edge of Edinburgh's New Town. In 1843 he resigned the professorship. He died at his home, 31 Moray Place in Edinburgh's West End in 1844. He is buried in

Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...

in central Edinburgh. The grave lies against the western wall of the original churchyard, towards the north-west corner.

Works

* * * * *

Hope's apparatus

Hope's apparatus consists of a vertical vessel full of water surrounded round the middle by a trough of cooling ice. Two thermometers, one above and one below the trough, measure the temperature of the water. It is designed to demonstrate that water reaches its maximum density at . As the water in the central part of the vessel cools towards (and thus becomes denser) it sinks to the bottom of the vessel, displacing the warmer water. The lower thermometer will then read a constant . Further cooling towards will cause the now less dense water to rise to the top of the vessel, where the upper thermometer will then read a constant .

References