STAHL, GEORG ERNST

born Oct. 21, 1660, Ansbach, Franconia died May 14, 1734, Berlin German physician and chemist who developed the phlogiston theory of combustion and of such related biological processes as respiration, fermentation, and decay. The theory dominated chemical thought for almost a century. He also, at times, believed in alchemy and animism. Additional reading There is no published biography of Stahl; biographical information may be found in the article by C.W. Beck, Georg Ernst Stahl, J. Chem. Educ., 37:506510 (1960).