Editing 1791 in science

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{{Science year nav|1791}}

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The year '''1791 in [[science]]''' and [[technology]] involved some significant events.

==Biology==
* [[Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard]] begins publication of ''Histoire des champignons de la France'', a significant text in [[mycology]].
* [[Luigi Galvani]] publishes his discoveries in "animal electricity" ([[Galvanism]]).<ref>In the treatise "De viribus electricitatis in motu musculari commentarius" ("Commentary on the Force of Electricity on Muscular Motion") published in the proceedings of the [[Institute of Sciences at Bologna]] (vol. 7) and separately at Modena the following year.</ref>

==Chemistry==
* [[Nicolas Leblanc]] patents the [[Leblanc process]] for the production of soda ash ([[sodium carbonate]]) from common salt ([[sodium chloride]]).
* The element [[Titanium]] is [[discovery of the chemical elements|discovered]] [[Inclusion (mineral)|included]] in [[ilmenite]] in [[Cornwall]], [[England]], by local amateur geologist Rev. [[William Gregor]].<ref>Reported to the [[Royal Geological Society of Cornwall]] and in ''[[Crell's Annalen]]''. {{cite book|title=Nature's Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements|last=Emsley|first=John|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2001|isbn=978-0-19-850340-8|chapter=Titanium|page=[https://archive.org/details/naturesbuildingb0000emsl/page/452 452]|url=https://archive.org/details/naturesbuildingb0000emsl/page/452}}</ref>

==Medicine==
* May 7 – Irish surgeon [[Samuel Croker-King]] first describes his [[trepanning]] device.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Description of an Instrument for Performing the Operation of Trepanning the Skull, with More Ease, Safety and Expedition, than Those Now in General Use|first=Samuel|last=Croker King|journal=[[Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy]]|location=Dublin|volume=4|date=1790–1792|pages=119–139|jstor = 30078668}}</ref>

==Metrology==
* March – In France, the [[National Constituent Assembly (France)|National Constituent Assembly]] accepts the recommendation of its Commission of Weights and Measures that the nation should adopt the [[metric system]].

==Physics==
* [[Pierre Prévost (physicist)|Pierre Prévost]] shows that all bodies radiate heat, no matter how hot or cold they are.

==Technology==
* [[James Rumsey]] is granted a [[patent]] related to [[fluid power]] engineering, in [[England]].<ref>British patent no. 1825.</ref>

==Publications==
* [[Sir John Sinclair, 1st Baronet|Sir John Sinclair]]'s ''[[Statistical Accounts of Scotland|Statistical Account of Scotland]]'' begins publication, introducing the term ''[[Statistics]]'' into [[English language|English]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Ball|first=Philip|title=Critical Mass|publisher=Farrar, Straus & Giroux|year=2004|isbn=978-0-374-53041-9|page=53}}</ref>

==Awards==
* [[Copley Medal]]: [[James Rennell]]; [[Jean-André Deluc]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Copley Medal {{!}} British scientific award |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/Copley-Medal |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |accessdate=21 July 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

==Births==
* March 20 – [[John Farey, Jr.|John Farey]], [[English people|English]] mechanical engineer and technical writer (died [[1851 in science|1851]])
* April 9 – [[George Peacock (mathematician)|George Peacock]], English [[mathematician]] (died [[1858 in science|1858]])
* April 27 – [[Samuel F. B. Morse]], [[United States|American]] inventor (died [[1872 in science|1872]])
* July 13 – [[Allan Cunningham (botanist)|Allan Cunningham]], English [[botanist]] and explorer (died [[1839 in science|1839]])
* July 27 – [[Jean-Nicolas Gannal]], [[French people|French]] [[pharmacist]], chemist and inventor (died [[1852 in science|1852]])
* September 4 – [[Robert Knox (surgeon)|Robert Knox]], [[Scottish people|Scottish]] [[anatomist]] (died [[1862 in science|1862]])
* September 22 – [[Michael Faraday]], English [[chemist]] and [[physicist]] (died [[1867 in science|1867]])
* September 23 – [[Johann Franz Encke]], [[Germans|German]] [[astronomer]] (died [[1865 in science|1865]])
* December 26 – [[Charles Babbage]], English mathematician and inventor of computing machines (died [[1871 in science|1871]])

==Deaths==
* July 24 – [[Ignaz von Born]], [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungarian]] [[metallurgist]] (born [[1742 in science|1742]])
* Date unknown – [[Maria Petraccini]], Italian anatomist and physician (died [[1759 in science|1759]])

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:1791 in science| ]]
[[Category:18th century in science]]
[[Category:1790s in science]]