In chemistry, Heinrich Tabor (1751/57-1795), or “Hein Tabor”, was a German physician-chemist noted for doing the German translation of Torbern Bergman’s A Dissertation on Elective Attractions. [1]
Overview
In 1782 (or 1785), Tabor did first German translation of Torbern Bergman’s 1775 A Dissertation on Elective Attractions
Scholars including Alistair Duncan (1970) and Reginald Hollingdale (1971) cited the 1785 date of this German translation
Philosopher Sandra Lynch (2005) states that the German edition appeared in 1782 and John Ferguson (1909) also makes some type of 1782 dated connection between Bergman and Tabor connection.
In 1787 to 1795, according to Jeremy Adler, Tabor published a six-volume set entitled Shorter Works on Physics and Chemistry (Kleine physische und chymische Werke); in volume three of which (pgs. 360-602), is found Bergman’s A Dissertation on Elective Attractions, which Tabor titled as “Von der Attraction”. [1]
German literature scholar Peter Smith (2000), citing Adler, points out that there seems to exist a certain amount of confusion in the literature, which states that Tabor titled his Bergman translation as “Wahlverwandtschaften”, which does not seem to be the case. [2]
The Tabor translation of Bergman, according to Adler (1990), is one of the “possible sources”, for Goethe’s knowledge of affinity, along with works by Pierre Macquer, Johann Gehler, Johann Fischer, and Johann Gottling. [1]
Education
At age 10, Tabor was sent to grammar school at Frankfurt, remaining there for ten years. At age 19, he went to Giessen, where he studied the arts and medical courses, where he was taught by Boehmius in philosophy, Baumer in physiology, chemistry, and pharmacy, and clinical practice, Alefeld in anatomy, F.A. Cartheuser in botany, mineralogy, materia medica and chemistry, Nebel in surgery and obstetrics. [3]
References
1. Adler, Jeremy. (1990). “Goethe's use of chemical theory in his Elective Affinities”, in: Romanticism and the Sciences (editors: Andrew Cunningham and Nicholas Jardine) (§:18, pgs. 263-79; Tabor, pg. 278). Cambridge University Press.
2. Smith, Peter D. (2000). Metaphor and Materiality: German Literature and the World-View of Science 1780-1955 (abs) (Heinrich Tabor, pgs. 39-41; Goethe, 92+ pgs; chemistry, 30+ pgs). Legenda.
3. Ferguson, John. (1909). Bibliotheca Chemica, Volume Two (Tabor, pg. 423). James Maclehose and Sons.
