Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement/Bernays, Albert James
BERNAYS, ALBERT JAMES (1823–1892), chemist, son of Dr. Adolphus Bernays (d. 22 Dec. 1864), professor of modern languages at King's College, London, was born in London in 1823. He was educated at King's College school, and studied chemistry with C. Remigius Fresenius, and afterwards with Justus Liebig at Giessen, where he graduated Ph.D. His doctoral thesis was probably a paper on limonin, a bitter principle which he discovered in the pips of oranges and lemons (published in Buchner's 'Repertorium für die Pharmacie' and abstracted in Liebig's Annalen, 1841, xl. 317). In 1845 he began his career as an analyst and lecturer on chemistry in Derby, and became known for his interest in questions concerning food and hygiene. In 1851 he served as a juror at the Great Exhibition. In 1852 he published the first edition of 'Household Chemistry,' a popular work, of which the fourth edition, published in 1862, was called 'The Science of Home Life,' and the seventh edition, published in 1869, 'The Student's Chemistry.'
In 1855 Bernays was appointed to the lectureship in chemistry at St. Mary's Hospital, London; he resigned in 1860, and accepted a similar post at St. Thomas's Hospital, which he retained till his death. Bernays was also public analyst to St. Giles's, Camberwell, and St. Saviours, Southwark, was for many years chemist and analyst to the Kent Water Company, and sometime examiner to the Royal College of Physicians. He died from bronchitis at Acre House, Brixton, on 5 Jan. 1892, and was by his own desire cremated at Woking.
Bernays was a genial man and a capable and popular teacher; he took a great interest in social matters generally, and gave over a thousand free public lectures during his lifetime. Besides the works mentioned above he published a small manual on food in 1876, an essay on 'The' Moderate Use of Alcohol True Temperance,' published in the 'Contemporary Review ' and reprinted with essays by others in 'The Alcohol Question,' various editions of 'Notes for Students in Chemistry,' and miscellaneous lectures on agricultural chemistry and other subjects. He also carried out investigations on the atmosphere of Cornish mines and on dangerous trades, and made inventions in water filtration. He was a fellow of the Chemical Society and of the Institute of Chemistry.
He married Ellen Labatt, daughter of Benjamin Evans; she died on 6 Feb. 1901 (Times, 8 Feb. 1901).
[Obituaries in the Times, 9 Jan. 1892; Journ. Chem. Soc. 1892, p. 488, by T[homas] S[tevenson]; Chemical News, lxv. 85; Nature, xlv. 258; Brit. Med. Journ. 1892, i. 148; The Analyst, 1892, xvii. 60, and index to vols. i-xx.; Brit. Mus. Cat.; King's Coll. Cal.; Bernays's own works.]