Bericht über die Entwicklung der Chemischen Industrie während des letzten Jahrzehends

Abstract

THE Imperial Commission of Germany for the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 have put the report on the third group, “Chemical Industry,” into the hands of Dr. Hofmann, of Berlin. Considering the well-deserved international position of Dr. Hofmann, his personal influence on the development of applied chemistry as well as of pure science, and the excellent official English report he wrote on the Chemical group of the London Exhibition of 1862, no better choice could possibly have been made. Wishing to give a more comprehensive work even than that of 1862, and to do so within reasonable time, Dr. Hofmann had recourse to a subdivision of labour, and a great number of practical and theoretical chemists of different nations have contributed articles for this work. Some of these contributors, such as Professors Frankland of London, and Wurtz of Paris, occupy eminent scientific positions; others are eminently fitted for the subjects they have treated by their practical pursuits. The report is intended to come out in three parts, containing the industrial applications of metalloids, of metals, and of organic compounds respectively. The first part, which has appeared, contains the following succession of papers:—“The Elements of Water,” containing oxygen, hydrogen, and also ozone and peroxide of hydrogen, by Dr. A. Oppenheim; “On Drinking-water,” by Dr. Edw. Frankland; “On the artificial production of Cold and Ice,” by Dr. H. Meidinger; “On Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, and Fluorine,” by Dr. E. Mylius; “On the Sulphur-industry of Sicily,” by Dr. Angelo Barbaglia; “The Manufactory of Sulphuric Acid,” by R. Hasen-clever, director of the Rhenania Chemical Works at Stolberg; “Ammonia,” by M. Seidel, manufacturer at Amsterdam; “Nitric Acid,” by Dr Ad. Geyger; “Protoxide of Nitrogen,” by Dr. O. Liebreich; “Phosphorus and its Applications,” by Dr. A. v. Schrötter (the discoverer of amorphous phosphorus); “On Carbon and Graphite,” by Dr. R. Biedermann; “On Sulphuret of Carbon,” by Dr. O. Braun, manufacturer at Berlin; “Cyanides,” by Dr. E. Meyer, director of the Koepenik Chemical Works; “Silicates,” by Dr. R. Biedermann. This enumeration shows that the variety of subjects treated on in about 350 pages is too great to allow of a detailed review, and we can only say that many of these papers offer an unusual interest.

Bericht über die Entwicklung der Chemischen Industrie während des letzten Jahrzehends;

im Verein mit Freunden und Fachgenossen erstattet von Dr. A. W. Hofmann. Autorisirter Abdruck aus dem Amtlichen Bericht über die Wiener Weltausstellung im Jahre 1873. (Report on the Development of Chemical Industry during the last Ten Years; in conjunction with friends and fellow-workers. Composed by A. W. Hofmann. Authorised reprint of the official report on the Vienna Exhibition of 1873. Vol. iii. Part I.) (Braunschweig: Fr. Vieweg und Sohn, 1875.)