Black, Joseph 1728-1799. Scottish physicist
and chemist, who in 1754 discovered carbon
dioxide (which he called `fixed air'). By his
investigations in 1761 of latent heat and
specific heat, he laid the foundation for the
work of his pupil, James Watt. Born in
Bordeaux, France, Black qualified as a doctor
in Edinburgh. In chemistry, he prepared the
way for the scientists Henry Cavendish,
Joseph Priestley, and Antoine Lavoisier.