Papin

Papin, Denis (1647-1715), French physicist, was born at Blois. He practised as a physician before turning his attention to science, but was compelled to leave F'ranee on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. After living some years in England, where he was intimate with Boyle, he was in 1688 appointed professor of mathematics at Marburg, and died there. Besides being the inventor of a machine for raising the temperature of water above 212° F. (which is called by his name and known as his digester), he improved the air pump, and was probably the first to construct a steam-engine.