Barnabas Wood (May 17, 1819 in Guilderland, New York – May 30, 1875 in Albany, New York) was an American dentist and inventor best known for his discovery of the fusible alloy known as Wood's metal.[1]
After briefly attending Albany Medical College in 1841, Wood began practicing dentistry in the company of his brother.[2] In 1851, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee,[1] where he earned his medical degree from the University of Nashville in 1852.[2]
In 1860, Wood announced the discovery of an alloy of bismuth, tin, lead, and cadmium, in proportions such that it had a very low melting point; James Dwight Dana subsequently proposed that it be named "Wood's Fusible Metal" in his honor.[3]
Wood remained in Tennessee until the American Civil War began in 1861, at which point his "sympathy with the North" led him to return to New York.[2] In 1867, he earned a degree from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery.[2]
Wood also edited various periodicals, including The American Magazine and Repository of Useful Literature (1841–42),[1] Southern Journal of Medical and Physical Sciences (1853–?),[2] and The Dental Circular and Examiner (1860–1865).[1]