Born 8 Feb 1777; died 27 Sep 1838 at age 61.   

Born 8 Feb 1777; died 27 Sep 1838 at age 61.   

French #chemist who #discovered the #element #iodine. As the son of a saltpeter manufacturer from Dijon, he grew interested in #chemistry and was apprenticed to a #pharmacist. While in military service as a pharmacist, he became the first to #isolate pure #morphine from #opium (1804). He returned to assist at his father's saltpeter business, where the ashes of kelp seaweed were leached for #sodium and #potassium #salts using #sulphuric #acid. In 1811, from the mother liquor, he observed rising clouds of purple vapour which condensed on cold surfaces as dark crystals with a metallic lustre. He thought these could be a new element, but lacked ability to fully confirm his suspicion. This was later verified by Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac and Humphry Davy.