The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-05-16

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unappreciated at the time. His dis
covery turned the manufacturing in
dustry of the world into new channels
and chemistry leaped to the front
rank Of the professions. That is why
the chemists of England, Germany and
the United States are now planning n
fitting memorial to celebrate the
fiftieth memorial of this remarkable
discovery.
Perkin is not to be memorialized
alone for his color discovery. The
knowledge of his use of coal tar
opened the way for other chemists to
bring their learning to bear, and In
rapid succession the world was given
artificial perfumes. favors, carbolic
acid, medicines and compounds en-
ployed in developing Photographic
plates. Chemists are now so well ac-
quainted with the properties of coal
tar that they can almost make color
to order. In perfumes their best
known product is ionone, which is the
basis of imitation violet; in medicinal
products acetanilid. sulphonal, phen-
acetlne, analgene and antipryine; and
the oil of bitter almonds and saccha-
rine are perhaps the best known of the
artificial favors.
Before Perkin created his sensation,
chemists from the beginning of the
nineteenth century, and even before,
had been working for these results.
Synthetic or constructive chemistry
was their subject, and the years they
put in on tedious research made them
a secluded, reserved class of men, who
to-day would be known as "grlnds." "
Their labors brought them little re-
turns, financially. The gay outside
world regarded them as hermits,
looked patronlzingly on, and wondered,
maybe, at the sacrifice.
But all this weary toll was not a
waste of time. Years later, profiting
by the studies of the pioneers, man
appeared who hit upon solution OF
the problem. Artificial color was the
result. The article he made had been
known to exist in indigo, and its con-
stituents We're known, but no one be-
fore had ever put them together in a
laboratory. The beauty and the cheap
ness of the color Perkin made excited
great admiration, especially among
those engaged in supplying the market
with fabrics, and development was
rapid.
Other products followed in quick sue
cession. and the manufacturing world
received an impetus such as it had
never known. Results of the chemists
research work still continue and each
to the records of science. There is nc
reason now why any organic body
should not be synthetically made il
chemists can find what its composition
and structure are. The only reason
they cannot make an egg is that they
do not know how to build the fabric.
They have each composite part, but
they cannot put them together, and.
as one chemist remarked to the
writer, Building the structure doesn't
properly belong to chemistry, any
way"
Synthetic quinine Is the aim of the
large body OF chemists engaged in re-
search work just at present. Others
are working to produce sugar. and the
men who find these formulae will
make their fortunes. A way to pro-
duce synthetic quinine has been found,
but it is yet too expensive for CONNER
cial purposes. Chemists have just be-
gun to be appreciated in this country.
Forty-five years ago, when the sugar
industry was begun here in the United
States, Professor Chandler, of Column
bia University, then a boy still at his
studies, was given q job by friend
in the storehouses over in Brooklyn.
The position was more to help the boy
through his scientific course than any
thing else.
"But what shall l do?" asked the
student.
"DoY his benefactor replied. ooh,
do anything, but keep out of the way
and don't ask questionsw
He who was some day to add his
contributions to science took the pat
ronlzing friend at his word and did
what he wanted to do without going
to a superior every day for permission.
The experiments and formulate learned
in class room and laboratory were put
into practical use and soon "the boy
out in the back room began sending
in recommendations to headquarters
as to savings here, expenditures there,
mass of economic detail that sur
purised the older heads.
That was years ago. To-day each
sugar plant in the country has lab
oratory and hundreds of chemists are
employed. They are being taken into
factories generally and put at research
work and analysis. In competition the
house that can produce the cheapest
and the best is the successful one and
here economy counts-therefore the re-
search chemist.
In Germany, where the profession is
farthest advanced. manufacturing es-
tablishments usually have group of
chemists. Maybe they will work for
years without accomplishing any re-
suits, still their pay continues. Then,
some day, the long-sought process or
solution is obtained, and thousands of
dollars saved. That is one reason why
the Germans and the English excel us
in chemical industry. They recognize
the chemists worth, and have forged
ahead through his ingenuity.
William Henry Perkin, f. X. s., LII.
D., Phi. d.. ID. &c., V. Pc. s., is still
alive, although this string Of abbre-