1774-1836

English Chemist and Physician

William Henry was a leading experimental chemist who helped establish the validity of Dalton's atomic theory. Best known for his investigation of gases, he formulated Henry's Law, which describes the relationship between mass and pressure for a gas dissolved in liquid. Henry also wrote the most influential chemistry textbook of his time, which stood as the standard for over thirty years.

Henry was born into a wealthy English family in Manchester. At age 10, he was injured by a falling beam and left with chronic, lifelong pain. This limited his play and led to his becoming an avid student. At age 16, he began his studies in medicine and in 1795 entered the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. A year later, however, he left to work in the family's manufacturing business. During this period, he did original research in chemistry. He returned to school in...