Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 02.djvu/510

LEFT CHEMISTRY 446 CHEMISTRY and combining the constituents. Analysis between 1770 and 1794, reorganized much has been applied to almost all substances of the then known chemistry, and that exist on the earth, as well as to founded a system which still remains meteorites, and it has been found that the frame-work of the science. Berthol- they are all composed of about 80 con- let, 1787, contributed much to the doc- stituents which arc called elements. But trine of affinity, and made researches in of these only 12 enter largely into the chlorine, etc. Fourcroy and Vauquelin composition of the earth. advanced Organic Chemistry. Klaproth History.— The Egyptians, of all na- gave many contributions to Mineral tions of antiquity, appear to have had S^^^^^^^/y- Richter devoted himself to the greatest Amount of chemical knowl- J^e doctrme of combming proportion in edge They skillfully preserved dead ^he "lolecule afterward perfected by u J- / A « «/ ^«i r. ;^ ciM. Dalton. The discovery of galvanic bodies from decay, fixed colors m silk electricity by Galvani, and its advance- by means of mordants prepared many ^^^^. ^ y^^^ j^^ g-^ Humphrey Davy medicines and pigments, as also soap, ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ important researches in beer, vinegar, metals and metallic alloys, ^^le metals and gases. Gay-Lussac and common salt vitriol, soda, sal ammoniac, xhenard advanced the knowledge of or- glass, enamel^ tiles, and painted earthen- j^, substances and the chemical rela- ware. The Chinese were very early ac- ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ Berzelius made laborious quainted with the processes for dyeing researches in mineral chemistry, and and the preparation of metallic alloys, ^^ exactness to this department the fabrication of niter, sulphur gun- ^j^j^jj jg ^^^ astonishment to the chem- powder, borax, alum, porcelain, verdigris, jg^g ^^ ^^le present day. He was also paper, etc From the Egyptians the the author of the electro-chemical theory, Greeks and Romans derived what chem- ^j^j^j^ ^^g ^j^^jg^ perfected by the labors ical knowledge they possessed, but they ^^ Faraday, De la Rive, Becquerel, etc. added little or nothing; and at the migra- Organic chemistry advanced most rap- tion of the northern tribes, and the over- j^j ^^^^j^^, ^^le researches of Liebig, throw of the Roman Empire, a stop was ^ohler, Mitscherlich, Mulder, Laurent, put for a time to the advancement of ^„^j ^^^ ^^^^^ rg^ent years, Bunsen, Men- all science in Europe. The prosecution ^j^jg^f Ostwald, Van't Hoff, and many of chemical knowledge was taken up by ^^^^^^ ^^ numerous to mention, the Arabs before the 8th century, and /^i • j t ? * t i was carried on by them and by their ^. Chermcal ^ Nomertclature. — In early European scholars, calling themselves times chemical substances were named alchemists. The first germs of the real according to the fanciful theories of Al- science of chemistry appear about the chemy. Thus the name 'flowers of sul- end of the 17th and beginning of the phur" was applied to sulphur (sublimed), 18th century, in the speculations of which grew or sprang like a flower from Becher and Stahl. After this chemistry sulphur when heated; "spirit of salt," to rapidly advanced. In 1718 Geoffrey hydrochloric acid, the corrosive acid or brought out the first table of affinities; spirit obtained from common salt; and a in 1732 Boerhaave published many orig- multitude of other names had a fanciful inal experiments on the chemical rela- origin. In 1787 Lavoisier founded the tions of heat and light; in 1724 Hales, system of nomenclature still followed by and in 1756 Black, published researches chemists. At first it was intended that on the air and aeriform bodies, showing the name of a simple as well as of a that the carbonic acid evolved during fer- compound substance should be regulated mentation, respiration, and by the ac- by system, and that it should indicate tion of acids on chalk was different from the nature of its elementary constituents, atmospheric air. In 1754-1759 Margraff as well as the relative proportion in added to the then known earths — lime which they were present. Hence such and silica — two others, alumina and mag- terms as oxygen, the acid-producer, given nesia; he also extracted sugar from from the notion then held that no acid plants. In 1770 Priestley began to an- was without oxygen; and hydrogen, the nounce his discoveries of oxygen, am- water-producer, from the supposition moniacal, hydrochloric and sulphurous that hydrogen had more to do with the acid gases, etc. In 1772 Rutherford dis- formation of water than any other ele- covered nitrogen, and in 1773-1786 ment. The advance of chemistry, how- Scheele contributed chlorine, hydrofluoric, ever, so completely changed the opinion prussic, tartaric, and gallic acids; also of chemists regarding the simpler bodies baryta, phosphoric acid from bones, etc., that such names were found to mislead; and gave the first hints regarding a new and thereafter, though such as had been doctrine of combustion. About the same given on this system were retained, their time Bergman and Cavendish enlarged meaning was discarded, and the system- our knowledge of the gases. Lavoisier, atized nomenclature restricted to com--