Early Life and Education of John Mervin Nooth:
– Born on 5 September 1737 in Sturminster Newton, Dorset.
– Father was an apothecary and mother was an apothecary’s daughter.
– Graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a medical degree in 1766.
– Conducted independent research and traveled Europe before settling in London.
– Contacted Benjamin Franklin and proposed improvements to a machine for static electricity, leading to his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1774.
Invention of the Nooth Apparatus:
– Invented an instrument for producing carbonated water inspired by Joseph Priestley’s work.
– The Nooth apparatus produced carbonated water using sulfuric acid and chalk/marble.
– Popular for household use due to perceived medicinal properties.
– Used in commercial beverage manufacturing and early experiments with general anesthesia.
– Modified versions of the apparatus were used worldwide and in administering ether for anesthesia.
Military Career and Later Life of John Mervin Nooth:
– Joined the British Army in 1775 and served in North America.
– Married Sarah Williams and had three children.
– Became superintendent-general of British military hospitals in America during the Revolutionary War.
– Deployed to Quebec in 1788, involved in politics and scientific pursuits.
– Returned to London in 1799 due to declining health, later served in Gibraltar until 1807.
Additional Notes on John Mervin Nooth:
– Also spelled Mervyn.
– Belief in fixed air curing scurvy possibly due to carbonated drinks containing lemon or lime juice.
References and Further Reading on John Mervin Nooth:
– Zuck (1993) in Anaesthesia journal discussed John Mervyn Nooth.
– Scott (2004) in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography detailed Nooth’s life.
– Roland (1987) in Dictionary of Canadian Biography provided insights into Nooth’s time in Canada.
– Zuck (1978) in British Journal of Anaesthesia explored the role of carbon dioxide in medicine in the late 18th century.
– Additional resources include media related to John Mervin Nooth on Wikimedia Commons and publications by Nooth himself on his inventions and medical cases.
John Mervin Nooth FRS (5 September 1737 – 3 May 1828) was an English physician, scientist, and army officer. Nooth earned his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1766 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1774. In the same year, inspired by Joseph Priestley's work on "fixed air" (now known as carbon dioxide), Nooth invented an instrument for producing carbonated water. The Nooth apparatus, as it came to be called, became popular for household use; the liquid it produced was thought to have medicinal properties. Modified versions of the Nooth apparatus were used in commercial beverage manufacturing and in early experiments with general anaesthesia. Nooth joined the British Army in 1775 and served in North America until 1784, becoming superintendent-general of the British military hospitals in 1779. In 1788 he was deployed to Quebec; he remained in Canada until 1799 and became involved in scientific and political pursuits there. On his return he settled in Bath, England, where he lived until his death.
