Papin, DENIS, a French physicist, was born at Blois, 22d August 1647, and studied medicine in Angers, where he practised for some time as a physician. But, becoming acquainted with Huygens, he helped him in his experiments with the air-pump; then, crossing to England, he assisted Boyle in his physical experiments, invented the condensing pump and the steam digester (1681)—a sort of steam cooking apparatus, to which was applied for the first time a safety-valve—and was made a member of the Royal Society (1680). Shortly afterwards he proceeded to Venice for the purpose of helping to conduct a newly-founded academy of science, but was back in London in 1684. Three years later he was appointed professor of Mathematics at Marburg, but from 1696 to 1707 worked in Cassel. Then, returning to England, he died in obscurity, probably in 1712. To Papin belongs the honour of having first applied steam (1690) to produce motion by raising a piston, and with this he combined the simplest means of producing a vacuum beneath the raised piston—viz. by condensation of aqueous vapour. In virtue of this his biographer claims that he is really the inventor of the steam-engine. He is the inventor of the safety-valve, an essential part of his digester; of the siphon; and according to some, of steam-navigation. See SHIPBUILDING, p. 402; also DIGESTER.
His papers were mostly printed in the Philosophical Transactions, Acta Eruditorum, Journal des Savans, &c. He also wrote Nouvelles Expériences du Vide (Paris, 1674). See Lives by Ernouf (Paris, 1874) and Gerland (Berlin, 1881). His correspondence with Huygens and Leibnitz was published by Gerland (Berlin, 1881). See Nature, vol. xxiv. (1881).