摘要：Smithson Tennant (1761---1815), a British physician turned chemist and chemical engineer, published very few papers but they were significant enough as to leave a mark in science and technology. He proved that diamond is a pure allotropic form of carbon, established that carbon dioxide was composed of only carbon and oxygen, discovered iridium and osmium in the residue of platinum ore, invented a simple procedure for producing potassium in large quantities, and established the basis of multiple effect evaporation. In addition, he proved the deleterious effect of magnesium oxide and carbonate in agriculture, emery was a variety of corundum, and that potassium nitrate reacted with gold.
