JOHANN JOACHIM BECHER (1635-1682). Becher is best known for his relation to the hlogiston doctrine. He revived the ancient Three ~ r i n c i & s under new names, (1) la pi^ furilis ~ c terra u lapidea. "a fusible stone or stony earth im roperly called Salt," ( 2 ) term pinguis. "a fat earth improper& called Sulfur," and (3) ffuidn terra, "a fluid earth improperly called Mercury,,, His view+ set forth in the Phy.& Suht~rranca,first edition, Frankfort, 1669, were adopted by. Stahl who gave the name of phlogiston to the f e r ~ and secured principle, reissued the book ~ i t his h the general acceptance of the doctrine.
Becher was a well-informed chemist andia-skilful manipulator. In 1680 he demonstrated that sugar is necessayy for the v;,,,, fermentation. He distilled coal, and suggested that the t,, might be used for the preservation of cordage and the gases for the heating of smelting furnaces. The portrait is reproduced from his C b m i d c r Gliicks-Hajen; oder grosse chymhhe Concodzntz, Frankfort, 1682, a book of laboratory processes which contains directions for 1500 chemical ~ r e ~ a r a t i o n r(Conlribufcd . hy Tenncy L. Davis.)
