Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-09-12

the following June. In this he yss
aided by his father and brothers. By
the end of the year the new dye wss
on the market.
The second dyestuff to receive
Perkins attention was madden rec,
or alizarin. Graebe and Iiebermann,
the German chemists, announced a
method for artifciaIly producing this
color in 1858. PerEin Immediately
set about perfecting a process for
making it in large quantities and was
successful within year. The Ger
mans were not in a position to COM
pete with him in the manufacture OF
this, their own discovery, until four
years later.
The founding of the artificial per
fnme industry may also be attributed
to Perkin. since he discovered a
method for producing in the laboratory
coumarin, hitherto obtained from the
ton'a bean and sweet clover. This
odiferous compound is used in the
flavoring of tobacco. His work along
this line also aided materially later
in the manufacture of indigo artifici-
ally.
Following Perkins successful work.
chemists in France and Germany set
about the task of obtaining other
colors. The resulting industry has
become of vast Importance, especially
in Germany, where il is often spoken
Of as the one which may best be
called the national industry. Stats.
tics show that five of the largest firms
engaged in color manufacturing in
Germany have a combined capital of
about $24000000.
DR.. Perkin has devoted himself of
late years almost entirely to research
work, leaving business details in the
hands of younger men. Prior to Per.
kin's time no one had been able to man.
ufacture dye stuffs artifieially in large
quantities. Dyers depended entirely
on the natural colorings furnished by
plants and animals. Hoffman,, Per.
hn's master, taught the production OF
aniline from coal tar benzol, but 1t
was left for ferkin to realize the
color possibilities which lay in coal
tar.
The development of the industry
thus founded by Perkin is shown ia
the large establishments now devoted
to the manufacture of coal tar pro-
ducts. One of these factories en-
ployes $500 workmen, including las
graduate chemists, all having receiv-
ed their doctors degree, ITS engineers
and 500 clerks. This firm alone owns
1900 German and 1400 other patents.
The possibilities still lying dormant
L coal tar fire the imaginations of
chemists. One chemist concluded a
paper read before a body of chemists
in February as follows: what these
raw materials obtained through the
distillation of coal tar will furnish in
the future is a matter of conjecture,
but if you will permit me to prophesy
| think we will surely find remedies
which will cure consumption and
other diseases caused by bacterial in
lection. We will have perfume which
| will be stronger and more beautifully
scented than anything which Nature
can produce
I'VE shall find explosives which
will not endanger human lives in the
handling, but which viii be more ef-
fective than nitroglycerine and all
others known at present. We shall
be able to preserve materials of food
for any length of time without injury
to the health of the consumer"
It is in honor of the man whose re-
searches have made possible these
results that the jubilee this fan will
be held Those in charge of the a..
rangements n this country hope to
have DR.. Perkin present at Q ban.
uuet to be held in New York on
October 6. At this time a personal
token will be presented to DR. Perkin.
Besides this, it is planned to estab.
lish a Perkin medal to be awarded an
nually to an American chemist for
distinguished work in research. and
to establish the foundation of :. great
chemical library, with headquarters
in New York and travelling branches
extending out to cover the country.
1t is proposed to have this library
bear Or. Perkins name.
In England the suggested honors
include the presentation to DR.. Perlin
of an oil portrait Of himself the por-
trait to become the property of the
nation at DIR. Perkins death, the exc
cution of marble bust Of the chemist
to be placed in the rooms of the chen!i-
cal society in London, and the estah-
lishment of a Perkin research fund
for the promotion of chemical in