 Nicknamed the "Quinine King," he invented a synthetic form of the drug, a prophylaxis for malaria.His company, Powers & Weightman, merged in the 1920s with the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co.
Weightman was born on September 30, 1813 in Waltham, Lincolnshire, England.He immigrated to the United States at the age of 16 in 1829 invited by his uncle, chemist John Farr.