John Joachim, a celebrated chemist, born at Spire in the year 1645. He was connected with the most learned men in Europe; and the emperor, the electors of Mentz and Bavaria, and other persons of high rank, furnished him with the means of making experiments in natural philosophy, medicine, and chemistry. As his thoughts had been much directed to economical subjects, and particularly to the means of increasing the revenues of a state, he was invited to Vienna, where he contributed greatly to the establishment of several manufactures, a chamber of commerce, and an India company. But the jealousy of some of the ministers eventually occasioned his disgrace and ruin. Nor was he less unfortunate at Mentz, Munich, and Wurzburg; which determined him to repair to Harlem, where he invented a machine for working a great quantity of silk in a little time, and with few hands. But new misfortunes forced him to seek refuge in England, and he died at London in 1685. He wrote many works, the principal of which are, 1. Physica Subterranea, which was reprinted at Leipzig in 1703 and 1739, in octavo, with a small treatise, by E. Stahl, entitled Specimen Bechericum; 2. Experimentum chymicum novum, 8vo; 3. Character pro Nottitia Linguarum universali; 4. Institutiones Chymicae, seu Manuductio ad Philosophiam Hermeticam, 4to; 5. Institutionis Chymice prodromus, 12mo; 6. Experimentum novum ac curiosum de Miniaria arenaria perpetua, &c.