Life and work of Mr. Devi. Abstract: David Hume His life and philosophical activity. The beginning of an acting career

To improve his system, Berzelius also used data from electrochemistry.

In 1780, the physician Luigi Galvani of Bologna observed that a freshly cut frog's leg would contract when touched with two wires of different metals connected to each other. Galvani decided that there was electricity in the muscles and called it "animal electricity".

Continuing the experiments of Galvani, his compatriot physicist Alessandro Volta suggested that the source of electricity is not the body of the animal: electricity arises as a result of the contact of different metal wires or plates. In 1793, Volta compiled an electrochemical series of metal voltages; however, he did not connect this series with chemical properties metals. This relationship was discovered by I. Ritter, who established in 1798 that the series of voltages of Volta coincides with the series of oxidation of metals - their affinity for oxygen or their release from solution. Therefore, the cause of electric current Ritter saw in the course of a chemical reaction.

At the same time, Volta, in response to the distrust of his colleagues, who doubted the correctness of his explanations due to the fact that the discharges were too weak and the electrometer needle deviated only slightly, decided to create an installation that would allow registering stronger currents.

In 1800, Volta created such an installation. Several pairs of plates (each pair consisting of one zinc and one copper plate), stacked on top of each other and separated from one another by a felt pad soaked in dilute sulfuric acid, gave the desired effect: bright flashes and noticeable muscle contractions. Volta sent a message about the "electric pole" he had created to the president of the Royal Society of London. Before the President published this message, he introduced it to his friends W. Nicholson and A. Carlisle. In 1800, scientists repeated Volt's experiments and found that when a current is passed through water, hydrogen and oxygen are released. In essence, this was a rediscovery, because in 1789 the Dutch I. Deiman and P. van Trostwijk, using electricity generated by friction, obtained the same results, but did not attach much importance to this.

Invention Alessandro Volta immediately attracted the attention of scientists, because with the help of this battery he made other amazing discoveries, for example, he isolated various metals from solutions of their salts.

As we have already noted, in 1802 Berzelius and Hisinger discovered that alkali metal salts, when an electric current is passed through their solutions, decompose with the release of their constituent "acids" and "bases". Hydrogen, metals, "metal oxides", "alkalis", etc. are released at the negative pole; oxygen, "acids", etc. - on the positive. This phenomenon did not find a solution until in 1805 T. Grotgus created a satisfactory hypothesis. He used atomistic concepts and suggested that in solutions the smallest particles of substances (in water, for example, hydrogen and oxygen atoms) are connected to each other in a kind of chain. Passing through the solutions, the electric current acts on the atoms: they begin to leave the chain, and the negatively charged atoms are deposited on the positive pole, and the positively charged ones on the negative pole. When water decomposes, for example, a hydrogen atom moves to the negative pole, and an oxygen atom released from the compound moves to the positive pole. The Grotgus hypothesis became known almost simultaneously with the Dalton hypothesis. The rather rapid recognition by scientists of both hypotheses shows that chemists in early XIX in. atomistic ideas became habitual.

The discoveries made with electricity in the following years created an even greater sensation than the galvanic pole created by Volta.

In 1806, Humphrey (Humphrey) Davy began his experiments with electricity at the Royal Institution in London. He wanted to find out whether the decomposition of water under the action of an electric current, along with hydrogen and oxygen, also produces an alkali and an acid. Davy drew attention to the fact that during electrolysis pure water the amounts of alkalis and acids formed fluctuate and depend on the material of the vessel. Therefore, he began to carry out electrolysis in vessels made of gold and found that in these cases only traces of by-products are formed. After that, Davy placed the installation in a closed space, created a vacuum inside and filled it with hydrogen. It turned out that under these conditions, under the action of an electric current, no acid or alkali is formed from water, and only hydrogen and oxygen are released during electrolysis.

Davy was so fascinated by the study of the decomposing force of the electric current that he began to study its effect on many other substances. And in 1807, he managed to obtain two elements from melts of caustic potash (potassium hydroxide KOH) and caustic (sodium hydroxide NaOH) - potassium and sodium! Before that, neither caustic potash nor caustic could be decomposed by any of the known methods. So the assumption was confirmed that alkalis are complex substances. Electric current turned out to be a strong reducing agent.

Humphrey Davy was born in 1778 in Penzance (Cornwell, England); his father was a wood carver. Davy attended school reluctantly and later considered it lucky that he spent many hours in his childhood not at a school desk, but watching nature. Davy attributed his subsequent successes in the natural sciences to the free development of his personality in childhood. Davy was interested in nature, poetry and philosophy.

After the death of his father in 1794, the sixteen-year-old Davy entered the training of a doctor, where he was engaged in the preparation of medicines. Free time he devoted himself to a thorough study of the Lavoisier system. Three years later, Davy moved to Clifton (near Bristol) to study the therapeutic effects of gases at the newly founded Pneumatic Institute of Dr. T. Beddois. Working at this institute with carbon monoxide, Davy almost died. With the "laughing" gas (nitric oxide N 2 O), the scientist was more fortunate: Davy discovered its intoxicating effect and gained popularity thanks to a witty description of this effect. Studying the effect of electric current on various substances, Davy discovered alkaline elements potassium and sodium. Extraordinary Properties alkali metals contributed to the fact that their discovery attracted special attention.

On the recommendation of Count Rumford Davy in 1801 took the position of assistant, and a year later - professor at the Royal Institute. True, at first Rumfoord was disappointed by the very youthful appearance of the new employee and his rather clumsy manner. But he was soon captivated by Davy's erudition and provided him with excellent conditions for scientific work. Davy fully justified the concern of the leaders of the institute, having made sensational discoveries in the field of electrochemical isolation of new elements and the study of the properties of various compounds.

In London, Davy quickly adopted the manners of high society. He became a man of the world, but to a large extent lost his natural cordiality. In 1812 the English king granted him the nobility. In 1820, Davy became president of the Royal Society, but six years later, for health reasons, he was forced to resign this position. Davy died in Geneva in 1829.

Davy is famous not only for the results of his experiments, but also for the electrochemical theory he developed. He wanted to solve the problem of the affinity of substances, which had long preoccupied chemists. Some of them compiled the so-called tables of affinity, for example, E. Geoffroy (1718), T. Bergman (circa 1775) (who later proposed using the expression “kinship of souls” introduced by Goethe into literature), L. Giton de Morvo (circa 1789 d.) and R. Kirvan (1792).

Electricity seemed to Davy the key to understanding the tendency of substances to interact. In his opinion, chemical affinity is based on the different electrical states of the elements. When two elements react with each other, the atoms in contact become charged with opposite charges, causing the atoms to attract and bond. In this way, chemical reaction represents, as it were, a redistribution between substances of opposite sign electric charges. This releases heat and light. The greater the difference between these charges between substances, the easier the reaction proceeds. According to Davy, the decomposing effect of current on matter consisted in the fact that the current returned to the atoms the electricity that they had lost during the formation of the compound.

Born in the small town of Penzance in the southwest of England. His father was a woodcarver, but he did not earn much, and therefore his family could hardly make ends meet. In the year his father dies, and Humphrey goes to live with Tonkin, his mother's father. Soon he became an apprentice pharmacist, began to be interested in chemistry. With a chemist at a medical institution ("Pneumatic Institute"), in 1801 an assistant, and with a professor at the Royal Institute, in the year of Devi at the age of 34 for scientific work was awarded the title of Lord, also marries the young widow Jane Apries, a distant relative of Walter Scott, in the year he defeated "firedamp" (methane), having developed an explosion-proof mine lamp, for which he was awarded the title of baronet, and in addition to this, the rich mine owners of England gave him a silver service worth £2,500, with the President of the Royal Society of London. M. Faraday studied and began to work with Davy. C foreign honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In the same year, he was struck by the first apoplexy, which for a long time chained him to bed. At the beginning of the year, he leaves London for Europe with his brother: Lady Jane did not consider it necessary to accompany her sick husband. May 29, in the year on the way to England, Devi was struck by a second stroke, from which he died in the fifty-first year of his life in Geneva. A few hours before his death, he received a letter from his wife, in which she writes that she loves him. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, at the burial site prominent people England. In his honor, the Royal Society of London established an award for scientists - the Davy Medal.

Works

In Davy discovered the intoxicating effect of nitrous oxide, called laughing gas. In Davy, he proposed the electrochemical theory of chemical affinity, later developed by J. Berzelius. B received metallic potassium and sodium by electrolysis of their hydroxides, which were considered indecomposable substances. B received electrolytically amalgams of calcium, strontium, barium and magnesium. Regardless of J. Gay-Lussac and L. Tenar, Davy isolated boron from boric acid and confirmed the elemental nature of chlorine. Davy proposed the hydrogen theory of acids, refuting the view of A. Lavoisier, who believed that every acid must contain oxygen. In 1808-09 he described the phenomenon of the so-called electric arc (see arc discharge). In Davy, he designed a safe mine lamp with a metal mesh. In he established the dependence of the electrical resistance of the conductor on its length and cross section and noted the dependence of electrical conductivity on temperature. In 1803-13 he taught a course in agricultural chemistry. Davy expressed the idea that mineral salts are necessary for plant nutrition, and pointed out the need for field experiments to resolve issues of agriculture.

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- (Davy), Sir Humphrey (1778-1829), English chemist who discovered that ELECTROLYTIC ELEMENTS produce electricity chemically. This led him to use ELECTROLYSIS to isolate elements such as sodium, potassium, barium, ... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Davey) (Davy) Humphrey (Humphrey) (1778 1829), English chemist and physicist, one of the founders of electrochemistry. Received by electrolysis (1800) hydrogen and oxygen (from water), K, Na, Ca, Sr, Ba, Mg and Li (1807 18). Described (1810) an electric arc. Proposed… … Modern Encyclopedia

- (“goddess”), in Hinduism, the wife of the god Shiva (see SHIVA), has several hypostases (Kali, Durga, Parvati, etc.) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

List of meanings of a word or phrase with links to related articles. If you got here from ... Wikipedia

Davy (Davy) Humphrey (Humphrey) (12/17/1778, Penzance, 5/29/1829, Geneva), English chemist and physicist. Since 1798, a chemist in a medical institution ("Pneumatic Institute"), in 1801 an assistant, and since 1802 a professor at the Royal Institute, since 1820 president ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

DAVY- [Mahadevi, Devi; Skt. goddess], in Hinduism, the designation of wives. deities, most often applied to the wife of Shiva; the main object of worship in Shaktism. The cult of D. goes back to the archaic veneration of the Mother Goddess and primitive cults fertility ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

A goddess, most often a mother goddess. In Shaivite mythology, it is used to denote the wife of Shiva, or Shakti, the personification of the female incarnation of his creative energy. The veneration of goddesses, especially mother goddesses, dates back to the most ancient ... ... Hindu Dictionary

Davy G.- DAVI, Davy (Davy) Humphrey (Humphrey) (17781829), Eng. chemist and physicist, one of the founders of electrochemistry, in. post. h. Petersburg. AN (1826). Received (180018) by electrolysis hydrogen and oxygen (from water), potassium, sodium, calcium, barium, magnesium and ... ... Biographical Dictionary

DAVY- (Davie), James, b. OK. 1783, mind. Nov 19 1857 in Aberdeen as director of the choir at the church of St. Andrew; published collections of psalms arranged for 4 voices with accompaniment and the same arrangement of duets, tercets and glees, exercises for singing, etc., and ... ... Riemann's musical dictionary

Colonel David Crockett, better known as Davy Crockett (eng. Davy Crockett; August 17, 1786 March 6, 1836) is a famous American folk hero, traveler, US Army officer and politician. Born on the Frontier, Tennessee. Was ... ... Wikipedia

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 Biography
• 2 Works
• 3 Interesting Facts
• 4 In culture and art
Sources
Literature

Introduction

Humphrey Davy

Humphrey Davy(Humphry Davy) Humphry Davy) (December 17, 1778, Penzance - May 29, 1829, Geneva) - English chemist and physicist.

1. Biography

Born in the small town of Penzance in the southwest of England. His father was a woodcarver, earned little, and, therefore, his family had difficulty making ends meet. In 1794, his father dies, and Humphrey goes to live with Tonkin, his mother's father. Soon he became an apprentice pharmacist, began to be interested in chemistry. Since 1798, a chemist in a medical institution (“Pneumatic Institute”), in 1801 an assistant, and since 1802 a professor at the Royal Institute, in 1812, at the age of 34, Devi was awarded the title of Lord for scientific work, and also marries the young widow Jane Apris, a distant relative Walter Scott, in 1815 he defeated "firedamp" (methane), having developed an explosion-proof mine lamp, for which he was awarded the title of baronet, and in addition to this, the wealthy mine owners of England presented him with a silver service worth 2,500 pounds sterling, from 1820 the president of the Royal Society of London . M. Faraday studied and began to work with Davy. From 1826 foreign honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In the same year, he was struck by the first apoplexy, which for a long time chained him to bed. At the beginning of 1827, he leaves London for Europe with his brother: Lady Jane did not consider it necessary to accompany her sick husband. On May 29, 1829, on his way to England, Devi was struck by a second stroke, from which he died at the age of fifty-one in Geneva. A few hours before his death, he received a letter from his wife, in which she writes that she loves him. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in London, at the burial place of prominent people of England. In his honor, the Royal Society of London established an award for scientists - the Davy Medal ( English).

2. Works

In 1799, Davy discovered the intoxicating effect of nitrous oxide, called laughing gas. In 1800, Davy proposed an electrochemical theory of chemical affinity, later developed by J. Berzelius. In 1807 he obtained metallic potassium and sodium by electrolysis of their hydroxides, which were considered indecomposable substances. In 1808 he obtained by electrolytic amalgams of calcium, strontium, barium and magnesium. Regardless of J. Gay-Lussac and L. Tenard, Davy isolated boron from boric acid and in 1810 confirmed the elemental nature of chlorine. Davy proposed the hydrogen theory of acids, refuting the view of A. Lavoisier, who believed that every acid must contain oxygen. In 1808-09 he described the phenomenon of the so-called electric arc (see arc discharge). In 1815, Davy designed a safe mine lamp with a metal grid (see Davy lamp). In 1821, he established the dependence of the electrical resistance of a conductor on its length and cross section, and noted the dependence of electrical conductivity on temperature. In 1803-13 he taught a course in agricultural chemistry. Davy expressed the idea that mineral salts are necessary for plant nutrition, and pointed out the need for field experiments to resolve issues of agriculture.

3. Interesting facts

The H. Davy Medal, which the Royal Society of London awarded in 1882 to D. I. Mendeleev and L. Meyer "For the discovery of periodic relations of atomic weights."

4. In culture and art

About the life and work of Humphrey Davy, Boris Oktyabrsky wrote a biographical story “Live in danger!”.

Sources

• Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Literature

Humphrey Davy

Humphrey Davy(Humphry Davy, Humphry Davy) (1778-1829) - English chemist and physicist. Founder of electrochemistry.

Biography

Born December 17, 1778 in the town of Penzance (Cornwall) in the south-west of England. Humphrey's father was a woodcarver who "couldn't count money," and so the family struggled to make ends meet. mother was adopted daughter local doctor in Tonkin.

Despite the early manifested outstanding abilities, he studied mediocre at school and after the death of his father was sent to study with a pharmacist. Here he began his first chemical experiments, and in addition, he engaged in self-education according to an extensive plan drawn up by himself.

At the age of 17, Davy made his first discovery: having received heat from the friction of two pieces of ice, he came to the conclusion that heat is special kind movement. Davy's research attracted the attention of the famous mathematician D. Gilbert, with whose support the young scientist received in 1798 a position as a chemist in a medical institution (Pneumatic Institute) in Bristol. Here he studied the effect of gases (hydrogen, nitrous oxide, methane) on human body and in 1799 he discovered the exciting ("laughing"), and then the anesthetic effect of nitrous oxide and suggested using it in surgery (the so-called "laughing gas").

In 1800 Davy proposed the electrochemical theory of chemical affinity, later developed by Berzelius.

In 1801 Davy was invited to the Royal Institute, where he worked as an assistant to B. Rumfoord; in 1802 he became professor of chemistry at the Royal Institute.

In 1803, Davy was elected a member of the Royal Society of London, from 1803 to 1813 he taught a course in agricultural chemistry, where he argued that mineral salts are necessary for plant nutrition, and pointed out the need for field experiments to resolve farming issues.

For 10 years he conducted research on the application of chemistry in agriculture and leather production. The lectures he gave on agricultural chemistry were published as a separate book, which served as a generally accepted textbook in this discipline for more than 50 years.

However greatest success reached Davy in electrochemistry. His first works in this area were devoted to the study of the effect of electric current on chemical compounds. He showed that electric current causes decomposition (electrolysis) of acids and salts.

In 1807, using the largest “voltaic column” at that time, he obtained by electrolysis two new elements - metallic potassium and sodium from melts of their hydroxides (alkalis), which before him were considered indecomposable substances (of the chemists of that time, only Lavoisier doubted the elementality of alkalis) . Here is how Davy described his experience: "A small piece of caustic potash... was placed on an insulated platinum disk connected to the negative pole of a high-performance battery... at the same time a platinum wire connected to the positive pole was brought into contact at the top surface of the alkali... Kali began melt at both points of electrization, and at upper surface vigorous evolution of gas was observed; at the lower, negative surface, gas was not released, instead small balls appeared with a strong metallic sheen, outwardly no different from mercury. Some of them immediately after their formation burned out with an explosion and with the appearance of a bright flame, others did not burn out, but only dimmed, and their surface was eventually covered with a white film.

In 1808, four more metals were also obtained by electrolysis: amalgams of barium, calcium, magnesium, and strontium; then, independently of J. Gay-Lussac and L. Tenard, boron was isolated from boric acid.

Once, during experiments with molten potassium, an accident occurred with Davy: metal falling into water caused an explosion, which turned out to be the loss of his right eye and deep scars on his face.

In 1810, using a large electric battery consisting of 2000 galvanic cells, he demonstrated the phenomenon of an electric arc that occurred between two pieces of coal connected to the poles of the battery (however).

As early as 1802, the Russian naturalist V.V. Petrov was the first to obtain an electric arc, and Davy also conducted experiments independently of him. In 1810, Davy, using a powerful electric battery of 2 thousand galvanic cells, provoked an electric arc between two carbon rods connected to the poles of the battery (later this arc was called voltaic).

His further experiments confirmed the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine; he also tried to obtain pure fluorine and other halogens. These studies led him to the creation of the hydrogen theory of acids, which refutes A. Lavoisier's statement that every acid must necessarily contain oxygen. Davy tried to decompose alumina by electrolysis, being sure that this substance also contained an unknown metal. As the scientist wrote: "If I were lucky enough to get the metallic substance I'm looking for, I would suggest a name for it - aluminum". He managed to obtain an alloy of aluminum with iron, and pure aluminum was isolated only in 1825 by the Danish physicist H.K. Oersted.

In 1812 he proposed the kinetic nature of heat. In the same year, at the age of thirty-four, he was awarded the title of Lord for his scientific merits. At the same time, Davy began to publish his poems, entering the circle of English romantic poets of the so-called "lake school". Soon his wife was Lady Jane Apriles, a relative of the famous writer Walter Scott. Unfortunately, this marriage was not a happy one.

In 1815, together with M. Faraday, he invented a safe mine lamp with a metal mesh; for this invention, the Royal Society of London awarded him the B. Rumford medal.

In 1818, Davy received in its purest form another alkali metal- lithium.

In 1820-1827 he was President of the Royal Society of London (English Academy of Sciences). Michael Faraday studied and began working with Davy.

In 1821 he established the dependence of the electrical resistance of a conductor on its length and cross section and noted the dependence of electrical conductivity on temperature, constructing a series of thermometers based on observations (with mercury, alcohol, water).

From 1826 he was a foreign honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

At the beginning of 1827, Davy, feeling unwell, accompanied by his brother, left for treatment in France and Italy. Lady Jane did not see fit to accompany her sick husband.

In 1829, in Geneva, on his way back to England, Davy was struck by an apoplexy, from which he died in his brother's arms on May 29 at the age of 51.

Buried at Westminster Abbey in London.

Compositions

• The collected works ed. by J. Davy, v. 1-9, L., 1839-40.

Biographers

• Mogilevsky B. L., Humphry Devi, M., 1937.
• Davy, J., Life of Sir H. Davy, L., 1896.

Links

• Big Soviet Encyclopedia, article "Davy, Humphrey"

(1778-1829) eminent English chemist and physicist

Humphry Davy was born in the small town of Penzance in the southwest of England. His father was a woodcarver and earned little - the family struggled to make ends meet. Mother, Gracia Millet, was the adopted daughter of a local doctor in Tonkin. School teachers, who studied with Humphrey, unanimously spoke about the outstanding abilities of the boy and advised him to send him to study further. Humphrey did not want to part with rocky shores Cornwall, but my father's decision was firm.

His sudden death disrupted all plans. Davy was forced to stop the chemical experiments that he was so fond of. recent times: the money that my mother sent was not even enough for food. His chemical laboratory, arranged in a large chest, was locked.

It was very difficult for the widow Davy to feed one five children. After selling the farm, she moved closer to her foster father. After consulting with Mr. Tonkin, she decided to appoint the young man to work in a pharmacy for John Borleys, who was considered a good doctor with lots of practice.

Science, like a magnet, attracted Humphrey and encouraged him to work in Borlaze's laboratory with full dedication. The young man dreamed of becoming a doctor and read a lot about medicine.

But one day, digging in the library, he found Lavoisier's chemistry textbook, then the "Chemical Dictionary", then another and another ... Having become acquainted with the works of great chemists, young Davy realized that chemistry was his true calling.

So, G. Davy in 1795-1798. - an apothecary's apprentice, from 1798 - head of the laboratory at the Pneumatic Institute, near Bristol, from 1802 - professor at the Royal Institute in London, in 1807-1812. - Permanent Secretary of the Royal Society of London.

The research that Davy conducted was very diverse and related to inorganic chemistry and electrochemistry.

In 1799, the scientist discovered the intoxicating and analgesic effect of hemiazot (nitrous oxide) and determined its composition. It happened quite by accident. Once, during experiments with nitrous oxide in the laboratory, a bottle with the gas under study broke. Davy felt a state of strong intoxication and became excessively merry, after which this gas was called "laughing gas." Davy noticed that when inhaling a large number nitrogen hemioxide it acts like a drug. The anesthetic (pain-relieving) property of nitrous oxide was also accidentally established when Davy had an unbearable toothache. He tried to breathe "laughing gas" and suddenly found that the pain had gone.

After reading the work of Nicholson and Carlyle "The decomposition of water by an electric current of a galvanic cell", Davy became interested in this problem and began to investigate the effect of an electric current on various properties substances. He studied the electrolysis of water and confirmed the fact of its decomposition into hydrogen and oxygen. As always, when studying gaseous substances, Davy experienced the effects of hydrogen and methane on himself. When inhaling methane, he lost consciousness and probably would have died if the laboratory assistant, noticing something was wrong, had not cut off the flow of gas in time. The scientist slowly regained consciousness, but then he was seriously ill for a long time. Davy wrote: "I am recovering from a fever of nine weeks, very dangerous and with bilious attacks."

As soon as he felt better, inspired by his achievements and universal recognition, the scientist again launched his extensive work. By electrolysis of molten salts and alkalis in 1807, Davy obtained the metals potassium, sodium, barium, calcium, and in 1808, an amalgam of strontium and magnesium. When obtaining potassium from a melt of potassium hydroxide, misfortune again occurred. During the experiment, an explosion was suddenly heard, fragments of glass and drops of potassium hit Davy in the face. Several months passed, the wounds on his face had healed for a long time, but he could no longer see with his right eye.

1812 was a happy year for G. Davy. This year, at the age of thirty-four, he was awarded the title of Lord for scientific services to England. Jane Apris, a young widow, the daughter of a wealthy merchant and a distant relative of Walter Scott, became his chosen one. Jane was " socialite» Edinburgh Society. This woman was very ambitious, proud and arrogant, besides, she was madly in love with titles. Her real character, unfortunately, Humphry Davy learned only three years after their wedding. It was during this period that all his illnesses worsened. Apparently, family discord also played an important role in this.

In 1820, the Royal Society of London elected Humphry Davy as its president. Michael Faraday, his student, noted with sadness that in last years In life, the teacher became more vain and he became envious of the success of his student.

Davy worked with inexhaustible energy, but overstrain and old illnesses increasingly made themselves felt. In 1826, he was struck by the first apoplexy (hemorrhage in the brain and partial paralysis of the body), which for a long time chained him to bed. The situation was complicated by the fact that the scientist's wife was not at home for a long time, preferring to have fun surrounded by a crowd of fans. Despite everything, Devi loved his wife very much and indulged her in every possible way.

Several times he went to Italy for treatment, then to Switzerland, but these trips did little to change his state of health.

In 1826, feeling his imminent death, Davy resigned as president of the Royal Society of London.

At the beginning of 1827 he and his brother left London for Europe. A year later, the illnesses reminded of themselves with even greater force. Davy at that time lived in a country villa near Geneva. The wife never accompanied her husband on these trips. In mid-May, however, she arrived in Geneva, and Davy's brother, John, also arrived there.

In 1829, on the way to England, the scientist was struck by a second apoplexy, vitality slowly but surely left him. Humphrey Davy died at the age of fifty-one.

The ashes of the distinguished son of Great Britain were buried in Westminster Abbey.