John French

John French has been the name of two famous soldiers:

• Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres was the commander of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in World War I, during 1914-15.

• Corporal John Alexander French of the Australian Army, who won a posthumous Victoria Cross at the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942.

John French is also the name of the drummer who played with Captain Beefheart.

John French (circa 1616-1657) was an English physician who also served as an army doctor. “The Art of Distillation” is thought to be representative of the English chemistry of this period. John French was follower of Paracelsus’ school of alchemy/chemistry, which was skeptical of certain alchemical traditions yet dedicated to seeking medical uses for various chemicals and compounds. Nreferences to Paracelsus in this work.