Ivan Pulyui
Encyclopedia
Ivan Pulyui (2 February 1845 in Hrymayliv, a village near Ternopil
, Austria–Hungary – 31 January 1918 in Prague
) was a Ukrainian
-born physicist
, inventor and patriot
who has been championed as an early developer of the use of X-ray
s for medical imaging
. His contributions were largely neglected until the end of the 20th century.
(1869), later also from the Department of Philosophy (1872). In 1876 Pulyui finished his doctorate on internal friction in gases at the University of Strasbourg
under supervision of August Kundt
. Pulyui taught at the Navy academy in Fiume (Rijeka
, Croatia
) (1874–1876), University of Vienna
(1874–1884) and the German part of the Higher Technical School in Prague
(1884–1916). He served as the rector of the Higher Technical School in Prague
(German part) in 1888-1889. Pulyui also worked as a state adviser on electrical engineering for Bohemia
n and Moravia
n local governments.
In addition he completed a translation of the Bible
into the Ukrainian language
.
s, publishing several papers about it between 1880 und 1882. As a result of experiment
s into what he called cold light Pulyui developed the lamp which was mass-produced
for a period. This device was also some kind of primitive X-ray tube
, but it was not until Wilhelm Röntgen discovered the X-rays and published his experiments, that Puluj recognized the potential of his own device. He was nevertheless among the first who worked with X-Rays and used them for medical diagnostics.
Pulyui published his results in a scientific paper, Luminous Electrical Matter and the Fourth State of Matter in the Notes of the Austrian Imperial Academy of Sciences (1880–1883), but expressed his ideas in an obscure manner using obsolete terminology. Pulyui did gain some recognition when the work was translated and published as a book by the Royal Society
in the UK
.
Pulyui made many other discoveries as well. He is particularly noted for inventing a device for determining the mechanical equivalent of heat
that was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle
, Paris
, 1878. Pulyui also participated in opening of several power plants in Austria-Hungary.
. He actively supported opening of a Ukrainian university in Lviv
and published articles to support Ukrainian language. Together with P. Kulish and I. Nechuy-Levytsky
he translated Gospels and Psalter
into Ukrainian
. Being a professor Pulyui organized scholarships for Ukrainian students in Austria-Hungary
.
Ternopil
Ternopil , is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia...
, Austria–Hungary – 31 January 1918 in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
) was a Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
-born physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, inventor and patriot
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
who has been championed as an early developer of the use of X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s for medical imaging
Medical imaging
Medical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science...
. His contributions were largely neglected until the end of the 20th century.
Biography
Ivan Pulyui graduated with honors from Theological Faculty of the University of ViennaUniversity of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
(1869), later also from the Department of Philosophy (1872). In 1876 Pulyui finished his doctorate on internal friction in gases at the University of Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
under supervision of August Kundt
August Kundt
August Adolf Eduard Eberhard Kundt was a German physicist.-Biography:Kundt was born at Schwerin in Mecklenburg. He began his scientific studies at Leipzig, but afterwards went to Berlin University. At first he devoted himself to astronomy, but coming under the influence of H. G...
. Pulyui taught at the Navy academy in Fiume (Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
) (1874–1876), University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
(1874–1884) and the German part of the Higher Technical School in Prague
Czech Technical University in Prague
Czech Technical University in Prague is one of the largest universities in the Czech Republic, and the oldest institute of technology in Central Europe....
(1884–1916). He served as the rector of the Higher Technical School in Prague
Czech Technical University in Prague
Czech Technical University in Prague is one of the largest universities in the Czech Republic, and the oldest institute of technology in Central Europe....
(German part) in 1888-1889. Pulyui also worked as a state adviser on electrical engineering for Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n and Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
n local governments.
In addition he completed a translation of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
into the Ukrainian language
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
.
Scientific contribution
Pulyui did heavy research into cathode rayCathode ray
Cathode rays are streams of electrons observed in vacuum tubes. If an evacuated glass tube is equipped with two electrodes and a voltage is applied, the glass opposite of the negative electrode is observed to glow, due to electrons emitted from and travelling perpendicular to the cathode Cathode...
s, publishing several papers about it between 1880 und 1882. As a result of experiment
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...
s into what he called cold light Pulyui developed the lamp which was mass-produced
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
for a period. This device was also some kind of primitive X-ray tube
X-ray tube
An X-ray tube is a vacuum tube that produces X-rays. They are used in X-ray machines. X-rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, an ionizing radiation with wavelengths shorter than ultraviolet light...
, but it was not until Wilhelm Röntgen discovered the X-rays and published his experiments, that Puluj recognized the potential of his own device. He was nevertheless among the first who worked with X-Rays and used them for medical diagnostics.
Pulyui published his results in a scientific paper, Luminous Electrical Matter and the Fourth State of Matter in the Notes of the Austrian Imperial Academy of Sciences (1880–1883), but expressed his ideas in an obscure manner using obsolete terminology. Pulyui did gain some recognition when the work was translated and published as a book by the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Pulyui made many other discoveries as well. He is particularly noted for inventing a device for determining the mechanical equivalent of heat
Mechanical equivalent of heat
In the history of science, the mechanical equivalent of heat was a concept that had an important part in the development and acceptance of the conservation of energy and the establishment of the science of thermodynamics in the 19th century....
that was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle
Exposition Universelle (1878)
The third Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle in French, was held from 1 May through to 10 November 1878. It celebrated the recovery of France after the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.-Construction:...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 1878. Pulyui also participated in opening of several power plants in Austria-Hungary.
Quotes about Puluj
- "World history has never been just to certain individuals or certain nations. Small nations and their achievements are often neglected while the accomplishments of large nations are at times exaggerated."
- Slavko Bokshan, a SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n scientist who worked in the same department as Pulyui and Roentgen
- Slavko Bokshan, a Serbia
Honours
- Ukraine's Ternopil Ivan Pul'uj National Technical University is named after him.
- A stamp published on the occasion of Pulyui's 150th Birth Anniversary in 1995.
- Streets in KievKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, LvivLvivLviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and other Ukrainian cities has the name of Ivan Pulyui.
Pulyui's publications
- Strahlende Elektrodenmaterie //Wiener Berichte I. - 1880. - 81. - S.864 -923; II. - 1881. - 83. - S.402-420; III. 1881. - 83. - S.693-708; IV. - 1882. - 85. - S.871-881.
- Strahlende Elektrodenmaterie und der sogenannte vierte Aggregatzustand' - Wien; Verlag Carl Gerold Sohn, 1883.
- Radiant Elektrode Matter and the so Called Fourth State. -London: Physical Memoirs, 1889. - Vol. l, Pt.2. - P.233-331.
- Über die Entstehung der Röntgenstrahlen und ihre photographische Wirkung// Wiener Berichte II Abt. 1896. - 105. - S.228-238.
Support of Ukrainian culture
Pulyui is also known for his contribution in promoting Ukrainian cultureUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. He actively supported opening of a Ukrainian university in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and published articles to support Ukrainian language. Together with P. Kulish and I. Nechuy-Levytsky
Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky
-Bioghaphy:Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky was born on 25 November 1838 to a family of a peasant priest. In 1847 entered the Boguslav religious school. Upon graduating from the Kiev Theological Academy he taught Russian language, history, and geography in the Poltava Theological Seminary and, later, in the...
he translated Gospels and Psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
into Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
. Being a professor Pulyui organized scholarships for Ukrainian students in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
.
Literature
- R. Gajda, R. Plazko: Johann Puluj: Rätsel des universalen Talents. EuroWelt-Verlag, Lwiw 2001, ISBN 966-7343-04-9
- S. Nahorniak, M. Medyukh: Physical-technical ideas of Ivan Pul'uj. Dschura, Ternopil 1999, ISBN 966-7497-34-8