Historical Fiashback i
Has chemistry become the second invisible profession?
Around 1669,Hamburg alche
mist Hennig Brand, acci dentally discovered phos phorous in his own urine while trying to turn base materials into gold. While he failed in his quest sci entifically, he nevertheless transmuted his findings into wealth. Calling his discovery cold light, for it left
architecture and commerce have their
heroes well represented by such names as Sir Alexander Fleming, Frank Lloyd Wright,J.P. Morgan and many, many others, the historical records of distinguished chemists are remarkably barren. Only after John Walker of Fng-
progress in recent years. The contribu tions of the chemical profession were brought home to me in Washinginton, D.C., when my son Steve and 1 met with the late Dr.Ahel Wolman,then the dean of North American environmental sciences.
The much revered Dr. Wolman was in his nineties when we met
him. While physically frail, his penetrating intellect and impish
a luminous trail in the dark, he
kept his process secret. Later he
sense of humour commanded the
sold it to Krafft who created a
hibited it. Herr Brand had unwit
rapt attention of internationally renowned environmental engi neers and scientists, inevitably concluding in a standing ovation.
tingly taken the first step which led to the knowledge that P is an
he started his scientific career in
sensation before the crowned
heads of Europe wherever he ex
Dr. Wolman told us that when
has been referred to as the first
the early 1900s, the analytical state-of-the-art was only capable
chemist as well as the first per
of measurements down to one
son known to have discovered an
part per ten thousand. By the 1960s,the ability to measure was in the part per million range. In strumentation and chemistry then proceeded at a staggering rate, he
essential element for all life. He
element.
But his phosphorous mirabilis languished as a mere curiosity for a hundred years until a J.F. Gahn made his startling discovery: phosphorous was an essential
told us.
constituent of human and animal
In the 1980s, analytical chem ists could routinely find toxins
bones. Later a C.W. Scheele
at parts per trillion and for some,
found that phosphorous could be Portrait ofAntoine-Laurent Lavoisier, a pioneer in chem in the parts per quadrillion range. produced from bone ash. But istry, and his wife, Marie-Anne Pierrette Paulze, in their In what Dr.Don Mackay,now a Brand's secret was so well kept, home as he sits recording results, surrounded by his professor at Trent University, once so aptly described as the in Robert Boyle and Kunchel had balloon flasks and test tubes. comprehensibility of tinyness, to rediscover the process meth land invented the lucifer match, in 1827, science can now deal with concentra ods independently. Research continued and in 1780, did phosphorous become an important tions in the range of nanograms, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, a French commercial commodity. The match was picograms or even femtograms per litre surely an important stage in the indus - ranges so incredibly small that even nobleman and public official, demon scientists have difficulty remembering strated that when P was burned in the trial revolution - providing cheap, port air, it produced an acid which weighed able combustion-but who has ever heard what these prefices mean. Some have likened current analytimore than the original phosphorous. of its inventor? This almost literally exploded the prevelant theory that phosphorous consisted of phlogiston and an acid. But, while The ability to measure was in the part per ten thousand range his experiments were still in progress, when Dr. Wolman began his career. Then, instrumentation he was arrested and tried by revolution aries of the French Republic. and chemistry proceeded at a staggering rate. M.Lavoisier pleaded for two weeks' grace to conclude his experiments but the tribunal declared that the state has Chemical professionals - like their cal capabilities to an ability to distin no need ofchemists. His request denied, engineering colleagues - are largely guish one or two hairs from amongst the he was guillotined, dying in obscurity, unknown by the public they serve so heads of every human on earth. This is taking his valuable scientific knowledge well; their achievements are ignored by a fantastic achievement by the chemi with him. the news media who prefer instead to cal profession, yet its significance is not widely appreciated by the public. It is But while luminaries in medicine. record the antics of rock stars and junk
By Tom Davey 56
truly - after environmental engineering
bond dealers.
Yet chemistry has made fantastic
- the Second Invisible Profession. â?–
Environmental Science & Engineering, May 2002