Abraham Gesner Geochemistry and Geochronology
Physician, geologist, chemist, inventor, professor, author: Invented kerosene oil and founded the modern petroleum industry
The Story
Gesner became a medical student in London, England, and graduated as a physician and surgeon. He then became the first government geologist in a British colony. He studied, described and mapped the distribution of rock formations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Beginning about 1846 he developed experiments for distilling “coal oil” from solid hydrocarbons. Gesner coined the name kerosene for the lamp oil he perfected by 1853, and patented his processes in 1854. His other inventions include a wood preservative, a process of asphalt paving for highways, briquettes made from compressed coal dust, and a machine for insulating electric wire. After overseeing the setup of a factory in USA, he sold his patents in 1863 and returned to Halifax and a professorship at Dalhousie University.
Sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia 1988
The Person
- Birthdate
- May 2, 1797
- Birthplace
- Cornwallis, NS
- Date of Death
- April 29, 1864
- Place of Death
- Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Status
- Deceased
- Last Updated
- October 15, 2001
- Popularity
- 28465
Profile viewed 28465 times