THE long career of James Keir (born in Edinburgh on 20 September 1735, elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 8 December 1785, died at West Bromwich on 11 October 1820) effectively covered the period of the scientific revolution out of which modern chemistry evolved. Keir himself played a significant part in that revolution, as writer, experimenter, and industrialist—and, by no means least, as a frequent ‘chairman’ at meetings of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, which he helped to hold together by his tact and force of character. Although there are frequent references to Keir in books and articles dealing with the period (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), he remains relatively unknown, partly because he was overshadowed by men like Priestley and Watt, partly because he adhered too long to the phlogiston theory, and perhaps also because of his own modesty. A short account of his life, and an appreciation of his contributions to science and technology, may therefore not be out of place, particularly in view of the marked revival of interest in the Lunar Society in recent years.
The two faces of modern chemistry