Stephen Hales (September 17, 1677 - January 4, 1761) was an English physiologist, chemist and inventor. Hales studied the role of air and water in the maintenance of both plant and animal life. He gave accurate accounts of the movements of water in plants, and demonstrated that plants absorbed air. He discovered the dangers of breathing in stale air, and invented a ventilator which improved survival rates when employed on ships, in hospitals and in prisons. Wikipedia
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