James Sheridan Muspratt, a British chemist, born in Dublin, March 8, 1821, died in Liverpool in November, 1871. He removed at an early age to Liverpool, where his father established a large chemical manufactory. At the age of 13 he travelled through France and Germany, and subsequently studied in the laboratory of Prof. Graham of Glasgow, whom he accompanied to London. Before reaching the age of 17 he was sufficiently advanced to be intrusted with the chemical department in a large manufacturing establishment in Manchester, and he also published a lecture on chloride of lime. After an attempt to embark in business in America, by which he lost money, he went in 1843 to Giessen and studied chemistry for two years under Liebig. His first important original paper was one on the sulphites, published in Liebig and Wohler's Annalen, in which he proved the analogy between the sulphites and the carbonates, and which procured him the degree of doctor of philosophy. While at Giessen he edited Plattner's "Treatise on the Blowpipe," with many valuable additions. Between 1845 and 1847 he travelled over Europe, returning in the latter year to Giessen, where he discovered several remarkable bodies produced from the sulpho-cyanides of ethyle and methyle.

In 1848 he returned to England, married the American actress Susan Cushman, and soon after founded a college of chemistry in Liverpool, of which he was appointed director. In 1854 he commenced a dictionary of chemistry, published in Europe and America in parts, which was completed in 1860 in 2 vols, royal 8vo. It was translated into German and French, and reached a large circulation. He has also published " Outlines of Quantitative Analysis for Students".