Explanation:

- Option 4: Daniel Rutherford

- Correct Answer:

- Daniel Rutherford is credited with discovering nitrogen gas in 1772. He isolated it by removing oxygen and carbon dioxide from air, noting the inert gas left behind.

- Option 1: J. Priestley

- Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen in the 1770s. He made many contributions to chemistry but not the discovery of nitrogen.

- Option 2: Dr. Philip Drinker

- He is known for developing the Drinker respirator, an "iron lung" for polio patients, not for discovering gases.

- Option 3: R.C. Funk

- There is no historical record of R.C. Funk related to the discovery of nitrogen gas.