Abstract
ON Dec. 23 occurs the centenary of the birth of the distinguished French chemist Paul Schutzenberger, who was born at Strasbourg in 1829. The son of a professor of law, Schutzenberger took the degree of M.D. at Strasbourg, was for a short time assistant to Persoz (1805–1868), the professor of chemistry in the Paris Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, and for some years a professor at Mulhausen High School. Returning to Paris in 1865, he became assistant to Balard at the College de France, succeeded to Balard's chair 1876, and from 1882 was also Director of the municipal École de Physique et de Chemie. In 1888 he was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences in the place of Debray, and he died at Mézy, Seine et Oise, on June 26, 1897. The following year his bust was placed in the ficole de Physique. Schutzenberger paid particular attention to industrial chemistry, especially of colouring matters, and was known for his long researches on the constitution of alkaloids and the albuminoid bodies. He also prepared a new series of platinum compounds. His works included his book on fermentations (1875) and a treatise on general chemistry in seven volumes. Towards the end of his life he adopted the view that the elements had been formed by some process of condensation from one primordial substance of extremely small atomic weight; and expressed the opinion that atomic weights within narrow limits are variable.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
News and Views. Nature 124, 956–960 (1929). https://doi.org/10.1038/124956a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/124956a0