The diaries and other writings of Robert Hooke (1635–1703), as well as those of his contemporaries, are drawn upon to sketch his social and scientific life. An account is presented of his involvement with the Royal Society from its earliest days, and of his relations with notable scientists. In exploring the similarity between combustion and respiration, he established that air is composed of different gases, and that it is not motion of the lungs but a supply of fresh air that is necessary for life.
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