Christopher Glaser

Christopher Glaser, a pharmaceutical chemist of the 17th century, was a native of Basel, became demonstrator of chemistry at the Jardin du Roi in Paris and apothecary to Louis XIV and to the duke of Orleans. He is best known by his Traité de la chymie (Paris, 1663), which went through some ten editions in about twenty five years, and was translated into both German and English. It has been alleged that he was an accomplice in the notorious poisonings carried out by the marchioness de Brinvilliers, but the extent of his complicity is doubtful. He appears to have died some time before 1676. The sal polychrestum Glaseri is normal potassium sulfate which he prepared and used medicinally. The mineral K₃Na(SO₄) ₂ (Glaserite) is named after him.

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• Long table of chemists with short note of Glaser