PAPIN, pa'paN'. DENIS 11C47-e.1714 . A French physicist. Ile was born at Blois. where, after studying inedici OP. lie practieed for some time as a physician. His devotion to study and research in physical science dates from his ac quaintance with Huygens:. and lie -.ill after be came the pupil and assistant of this famous physicist, contributing substantial improvements to the air pump. He rapidly acquired a wide reputation and visited England. where he was received with open arms by the philosopher: of that country. and became a member of the Royal Society in 10s0. While in England. Papin and Robert Boyle worked together and per formed many experiments. Papin inventing the double air pump and the air gun during this period. To him is also due the idea of plum ing tie t is,1011 of power. but he was not all,' to make a practical use of his method. in 11)87 Papin was called to the chair of mathematic: in the University of :?larbilrg in 'Hesse-Cassel. the duties of which office be di...barged with zeal and success for many years. lie died in extreme poverty. To Papin belongs the high honor of having first constructed a steam-engine with a ton 111;001 and be also used the simple method of condensing the steam to produce .t vaemon beneath the raised piston. Ile is olso the inventor of the 'safety-valve: whi eh w essential part of his 'digester' (q.v.). With this
latter machine Papin showed that liquids under produced atmospheric pre.o.nro would be n ide to boil at a much lower temperature than freely exposed to the air. Papin discovered the principle of action of the siphon. Improved the air pump of Otto von Guerieke, and took part in philosophical discussions with Leibnitz. In 1690 he constructed a paddle-wheel boat in which his pumping engine was used to raise water which turned a water wheel connected with the paddle. It was destroyed by a mob on account of its interfering with the business of the boatmen. Many of Papin's numerous writings will be found in the Ph ilosophical Transactions, Acta Eruditoruni, and the Recueil de direrses pieces (1695). He published an explanation of the construction and uses of his `digester' (London, 1681), afterwards (1682) translated into French, and his experiments en titled Nouvelles expe'riences du l'uide (Paris. 1674). It was not for nearly a century after his death that the great value of Papin's experiments and researches was pereeived. For Papin's work connected with the steam-engine, see Thurston, Growth of the Steam Enyiğe (New York. 1878). See his Life, by Gerland, which includes his cor respondence with Leibnitz and Huygens (Berlin, 1881).