Editing Dmitri Mendeleev (section)

==Activities beyond chemistry==
Beginning in the 1870s, he published widely beyond chemistry, looking at aspects of Russian industry, and technical issues in agricultural productivity. He explored demographic issues, sponsored studies of the [[Arctic Sea]], tried to measure the efficacy of chemical fertilizers, and promoted the merchant navy.<ref>Alexander Vucinich, "Mendeleev's Views on science and society," ''ISIS'' 58:342–351.</ref> He was especially active in improving the Russian petroleum industry, making detailed comparisons with the more advanced industry in [[Pennsylvania]].<ref>Francis Michael Stackenwalt,  "Dmitrii Ivanovich Mendeleev and the Emergence of the Modern Russian Petroleum Industry, 1863–1877." ''Ambix'' 45.2 (1998): 67–84.</ref> Although not well-grounded in economics, he had observed industry throughout his European travels, and in 1891 he helped convince the Ministry of Finance to impose temporary tariffs with the aim of fostering Russian [[Infant industry argument|infant industries]].<ref>Vincent Barnett,  "Catalysing Growth?: Mendeleev and the 1891 Tariff." in W. Samuels, ed., ''A Research Annual: Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology''  (2004) Vol. 22 Part 1 pp. 123–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0743-4154(03)22004-6  [https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1016/S0743-4154(03)22004-6/full/html Online]</ref>

In 1890 he resigned his professorship at St. Petersburg University following a dispute with officials at the Ministry of Education over the treatment of university students.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Woods|first=Gordon|date=2007|title=Mendeleev – The Man and his Legacy|url=https://edu.rsc.org/feature/mendeleev-the-man-and-his-legacy-/2020190.article}}</ref> In 1892 he was appointed director of Russia's Central Bureau of Weights and Measures, and led the way to standardize fundamental prototypes and measurement procedures. He set up an inspection system, and introduced the metric system to Russia.<ref>Nathan M. Brooks, "Mendeleev and metrology." ''Ambix'' 45.2 (1998): 116–128.</ref><ref>Michael D. Gordin, "Measure of all the Russias: Metrology and governance in the Russian Empire." ''Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History'' 4.4 (2003): 783–815.</ref>

He debated against the scientific claims of spiritualism, arguing that metaphysical idealism was no more than ignorant superstition. He bemoaned the widespread acceptance of spiritualism in Russian culture, and its negative effects on the study of science.<ref>Don C. Rawson,  "Mendeleev and the Scientific Claims of Spiritualism." ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' 122.1 (1978): 1–8.</ref>

===Vodka myth===
A very popular Russian story credits Mendeleev with setting the 40% standard strength of [[vodka]]. For example, [[Russian Standard (vodka)|Russian Standard]] vodka advertises: "In 1894, Dmitri Mendeleev, the greatest scientist in all Russia, received the decree to set the Imperial quality standard for Russian vodka and the 'Russian Standard' was born"<ref>[http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/russian-standard-vodka-1l Sainsburys: ''Russian Standard Vodka 1L''] Linked 28 June 2014</ref> Others cite "the highest quality of Russian vodka approved by the royal government commission headed by Mendeleev in 1894".<ref name=Evseev2011>{{cite web|last=Evseev|first=Anton|title=Dmitry Mendeleev and 40 degrees of Russian vodka|work=Science|publisher=English [[Pravda.ru]]|location=Moscow|date=21 November 2011|url=http://english.pravda.ru/science/mysteries/21-11-2011/119683-dmitry_mendeleev_vodka-0/|access-date=6 July 2014}}</ref>

In fact, the 40% standard was already introduced by the Russian government in 1843, when Mendeleev was nine years old.<ref name=Evseev2011 /> It is true that Mendeleev in 1892 became head of the Archive of Weights and Measures in Saint Petersburg, and evolved it into a government bureau the following year, but that institution was charged with standardising Russian trade weights and measuring instruments, not setting any production quality standards. Also, Mendeleev's 1865 doctoral dissertation was entitled "A Discourse on the combination of alcohol and water", but it only discussed medical-strength alcohol concentrations over 70%, and he never wrote anything about vodka.<ref name="Evseev2011" /><ref>{{Cite journal| title=Mendeleyev vodka challenge | first=Juris | last=Meija| journal=Anal. Bioanal. Chem. | volume = 394 | issue = 1 | pages=9–10 | year=2009|doi=10.1007/s00216-009-2710-3 | pmid=19288087 | s2cid=1123151 }}</ref>