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Stefan, Josef

(Encyclopedia)Stefan, Josef yōˈzĕf shtĕfˈän [key], 1835–93, Austrian physicist. At the Univ. of Vienna he became a professor of physics and later director of the Physical Institute. From his observations on...

toxoid

(Encyclopedia)toxoid, protein toxin treated by heat or chemicals so that its poisonous property is destroyed but its capacity to stimulate the formation of toxin antibodies, or antitoxins, remains. Because toxoids ...

Richet, Charles Robert

(Encyclopedia)Richet, Charles Robert shärl rōbĕrˈ rēshāˈ [key], 1850–1935, French physiologist. From 1887 to 1927 he was professor at the Univ. of Paris. His special study was anaphylaxis, a term he used t...

activation energy

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Energy profile of an exothermic reaction: Although the total energy of the products is less than that of the reactants, the activation energy must be added to weaken or break existing bonds bef...

water, desalination of

(Encyclopedia)water, desalination of, process of removing soluble salts from water to render it suitable for drinking, irrigation, or industrial uses. The principal methods used for desalination include distillatio...

Channing, Edward

(Encyclopedia)Channing, Edward, 1856–1931, American historian, b. Dorchester, Mass.; son of William Ellery Channing (1818–1901). He was a prominent teacher at Harvard from 1883 until his retirement in 1929, hol...

Farabi, al-

(Encyclopedia)Farabi, al- äl-färäˈbē [key], d. 950, Islamic philosopher. He studied in Baghdad and later flourished in Aleppo as a sufi mystic (see Sufism). He died in Damascus. Al-Farabi was the author of an ...

Hrotswith von Gandersheim

(Encyclopedia)Hrotswith rôsvēˈtä fən gänˈdərs-hīm [key], 10th-century German dramatist, a nun. Of a noble Saxon family, Hrotswith was well educated. Her long epic poems—one including a fragment on Empero...

Frye, Northrop

(Encyclopedia)Frye, Northrop nôrˈthrəp [key], 1912–91, Canadian literary critic, b. Quebec. In 1936 he was ordained as a minister in the United Church of Canada. In 1948 he was appointed professor of English a...

Garnett, Richard

(Encyclopedia)Garnett, Richard, 1835–1906, English librarian and author. From 1851 until his retirement in 1899 he was connected with the British Museum, which he served with great distinction. Besides writing vo...