Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Marsh, James
MARSH, JAMES (1794–1846), chemist, born 2 Sept. 1794 (Vincent), studied chemistry with great success, especially devoting himselt to poisons and their effects. He was employed for many years as practical chemist to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, and on Faraday's appointment to the Royal Military Academy in December 1829 became his assistant there. He remained there till his death at a salary of only thirty shillings a week.
Marsh was the inventor of electro-magnetic apparatus, for which he received the silver medal of the Society of Arts, with thirty guineas, in April 1823. He also invented the test for arsenic which bears his name, and the first account of which was published in the 'Edinburgh Philosophical Journal' for October 1836. This paper was translated into French by J. B. Chevallier and J. Barse in 1843, and into German by A. L. Fromm in 1842. In recognition of this valuable toxicological discovery the Society of Arts awarded him their gold medal in the same year. Among his other inventions were the quill percussion tubes for ships' cannon, and for this he received the large silver medal and 30l. from the board of ordnance. The Crown Prince of Sweden sent Marsh a small silver medal as a mark of appreciation of his services to science.
He died on 21 June 1846, leaving a wife and family unprovided for.
Besides the paper on 'The Test for Arsenic' already recorded, Marsh wrote five others, on chemical and electrical subjects, which appeared in 'Tulloch's Philosophical Magazine' and the 'Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine ' between 1822 and 1842.
[W. T. Vincent's Records of the Woolwich District, i. 340, with portrait; Gent. Mag. 1846, pt. ii. pp. 219, 327; Webb's Compend. Irish Biog., where he is erroneously described as a 'Dublin physician;' information kindly supplied by Prof. A. G. Greenhill, F.R.S., of the Royal Military Academy.]