Over the past two centuries chemistry has developed from germinal speculations on the nature of gases and minerals to a highly complex discipline encompassing numerous areas of study. This authoritative and comprehensive volume traces the historical development of chemistry from its roots in ancient Greek theory to the revolutionary and explosive discoveries of the 20th century. The author, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and History of Science at the University of Wisconsin, places the role of alchemy as a "precursor" to chemistry and technological arts. This book also shows how discoveries concerning gases in the mid-18th century were pivotal in creating the foundations of chemistry as a modern science.Professor Ihde delves into many other fascinating aspects of chemistry's development as a science. Thus, this unique book:
• shows how the errors of alchemy were eventually divorced from chemistry• examines the numerous individuals who contributed to centuries of progress in the theory and application of chemistry• places important discoveries in the context of contemporaneous political, economic, and social development
• provides lucid explanations of important theoretical concepts
• demonstrates chemistry's central role among the modern sciencesMany historians of chemistry focus largely on the material philosophies of the ancient Greeks and the long period of alchemical activity. While including such essential aspects of ancient contributions, Dr. Ihde concentrates heavily on developments that occupied after Joseph Black laid the foundations of quantitative analysis in the mid-18th century. The discoveries of John Dalton, Justus von Liebig, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, and many others are examined in the context of their relationship to the development of organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and industrial chemistry.Its extraordinary thorough and lucid coverage of the myriad aspects of modern chemistry makes the moderately priced paperbound edition an ideal supplementary text for high-school and college-level courses, as well as a stimulating, highly readable book for the interested layman.
Unabridged and corrected republication of the work originally published by Harper & Row, New York, 1964.
From ancient Greek theory to the 20th century, this authoritative history shows how major chemists, their discoveries, and political, economic, and social developments transformed chemistry into modern science. An ideal supplementary text for high-school and college-level courses. 209 illustrations.
Authoritative history of chemistry from ancient Greek theory to 20th-century innovation. Covers major chemists and their discoveries. 209 illus. 14 tables. Bibliographies. Indices. Appendices.
PREFACE
I THE FOUNDATIONS OF CHEMISTRY
1. Prelude to Cheistry
ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE OF MATTER
THE ALCHEMICAL HERITAGE
THE MEDICAL HERITAGE
THE TECHNOLOGICAL HERITAGE
THE BEGINNING OF HOUSECLEANING
2. Pneumatic Chemistry
STEPHEN HALES
JOSEPH BLACK
HENRY CAVENDISH
JOSEPH PRIESTLEY
CARL WILHELM SCHEELE
II THE PERIOD OF FUNDAMENTAL THEORIES
3. Lavoisier and the Chemical Revolution
THE ATTACH ON THE PHLOGISTON THEORY
RISE OF THE NEW CHEMISTRY
SCIENCE AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
4. Chemical Combination and the Atomic Theory
RISE OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
AFFINITY CONCEPTS
EQUIVALENCES AND COMBINING PROPORTIONS
"HIGGINS, DALTON, AND THE ATOMIC THEORY"
BERZELIUS AND ATOMIC SYMBOLS
GAY-LUSSAC AND COMBINING VOLUMES
AVOGADRO'S HYPOTHESIS
5. Electrochemistry and the Dualistic Theory
THE DISCOVERY OF CHEMICAL ELECTRICITY
INVESTIGATIONS OF CHEMISTRY AND ELECTRICITY
BERZELIUS AND THE DUALISTIC THEORY
FARADY AND THE ELECTROCHEMICAL LAWS
6. The Period of Problems
THE ATOMIC WEIGHT PROBLEM
BERZELIUS' EARLY EFFORTS
THE LAW OF PETIT AND DULONG
THE LAW O ISOMORPHISM
DUMAS AND THE DETERMINATION OF VAPOR DENSITIES
EQUIVALENTS
PROUT'S HYPOTHESIS
CONCEPTS ABOUT ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS
7. Organic Chemistry I. Rise of Organic Chemistry
KNOWLEDGE OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN 1800
VITALISM
INVESTIGATION OF NEW COMPOUNDS
ISOMERISM
ELEMENTARY ORGANIC ANALYSIS
ATOMIC WEIGHT OF CARBON
GROWTH OF THE RADICAL THEORY
SUBSTITUTION AND THE TYPE THEORY
STUDIES OF POLYBASIC ACIDS
8. Organic Chemistry II. Organizaation
THE CHAOS OF THE 1840'S
THE ORGANIZING EFFORTS OF LAURENT AND GERHARDT
THE NEW TYPE THEORY
THE CONCEPT OF VALENCE
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF KEKULÉ AND COUPER
CANNIZZARO AND THE RETURN TO AVOGADRO'S HYPOTHESIS
9. Classification of the Elements
DISCOVERY OF NEW ELEMENTS
EARLY ATTEMPTS AT CLASSIFICATION
IMMEDIATE PRECURSORS OF THE PERIODIC TABLE
THE PERIODIC LAW OF MENDELEEV AND MEYER
SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS
III THE GROWTH OF SPECIALIZATION
10. The Diffusion of Chemical Knowledge
CHEMICAL EDUCATION TO 1825
DEVELOPMENT OF LABORATORIES
LIEBIG AND THE GIESSEN LABORATORY
EXTENSIONS OF EXPERIMENTAL CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL EDUCATION IN AMERICA
CHEMICAL PUBLICATIONS
THE RISE OF CHEMICAL SOCIETIES
11. Analytical Chemistry I. Systematization
THE PLACE OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
THE FRESENIUS LABORATORY
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
GRAVIMETRIC METHODS
ANALYTICAL BALANCES
ATOMIC WEIGHT DETERMINATIONS
VOLUMETRIC ANALYSIS
GAS ANALYSIS
INSTRUMENTAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS
ORGANIC ANALYSIS
12. Organic Chemistry III. Consolidation
THE PROBLEM OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
STEREOCHEMISTRY
DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS OF SYNTHESIS
COMMUNICATION
13. Organic Chemistry IV. Natural Products
CARBOHYDRATES
PURINES
PROTEINS
TERPENES
14. Inorganic Chemistry I. Fundamental Developments
GENERAL DEVELOPMENTS
DISCOVERY OF FLUORINE
MOISSAN AND THE ELECTRIC FURNACE
THE RARE GASES
THE RARE EARTHS
WERNER AND THE COORDINATION COMPLEXES
15. PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY I. ORIGINS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION
THE DEVELOPMENT OF KINETIC THEORY AND THERMODYNAMICS
DYNAMIC OF REACTIONS
THEORY OF SOLUTIONS
COLLOID CHEMISTRY
16. "Biological Chemistry I. Agricultural, Physiological, and Food Studies"
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
SOIL CHEMISTRY AND PLANT GROWTH
PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
RESPIRATION AND ENERGY BALANCES
FERMENTATION AND PUTREFACTION
PUBLIC HEALTH
17. Chemical Industry I. The Nineteenth Century
THE RISE OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
SULFURIC ACID
ALKALIES
BLEACHING CHEMICALS
FERTILIZERS
EXPLOSIVES
GASEOUS FUELS AND ILLUMINANTS
COAL TAR CHEMICALS AND THE SYNTHETIC DYE INDUSTRY
PHARMACEUTICALS
OTHER ORGANIC FINE CHEMICALS
GLASS
METALLURGY
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
IV THE CENTURY OF THE ELECTRON
18. Radiochemistry I. Radioactivity and Atomic Structure
SHORTCOMINGS OF THE DALTONIAN ATOM
GAS DISCHARGE TUBES AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES
RADIOACTIVITY
THE STRUCTURAL ATOM
19. Radiochemistry II. The Nuclear Age
TRANSMUTATION
ARTIFICIAL RADIOACTIVITY
NUCLEAR FISSION
NEPTUNIUM AND PLUTONIUM
EXPLOITATION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
PROBLEMS OF NUCLEAR STRUCTURE
20. Physical Chemistry II. Maturity
CHEMICAL THERMODYNAMICS
KINETICS
CHEMICAL BONDING
SOLUTION THEORY
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY (STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS)
SPECTROSCOPY
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
COLLOID CHEMISTRY AND HIGH PO