October, 1927
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
1205
In the line of purely chemical products there have appeared from time to time in recent years Formidine, an antiseptic powder; Dibromin, an organic bromine compound of powerful antiseptic properties; Neo-Silvol, an antiseptic colloidal compound of silver iodide and a protein; Proposote, a compound of creosote and phenylpropionic acid; Stearodine, an organic iodine Research Developments compound; Apothesine, a local anesthetic; Mercurosal, an orAs increasing research work and extending business mutually ganic compound of mercury for use as a spirocheticide; and reacted to the expansion of both, more adequate facilities for various other compounds. many types of scientific work and the prosecution of research The men responsible for scientific jurisdiction are E. hl. became increasingly necessary, so in the fall of 1902 there was Houghton, director of biological and medical research laboracompleted a new building for this purpose. This building and tories, associated from the beginning with the biological work; equipment were far in advance of any other laboratory devoted F. 0. Taylor, chief chemist, successor to J. M. Francis whose to research on medicinal preparations and fostered by commercial work contributed much to the high standards of the business; interests, and even today, with the rapid development of re- and Oliver Kamm, director of chemical research. search in all phases of industrial life, remains an outstanding The publications emanating from the medical and chemical example of research equipment in any industry. research staff mount into the hundreds. Books that have been One phase of work that deserves especial mention is that upon, written by members of the staff or t o which they have congland products. In 1893 “desiccated thyroid gland” was first tributed are numerous. In short Parke, Davis & Company supplied. In 1895 the first commercial preparation of supra- has counted i t a duty and a privilege to assist, through their renal glands appeared, “saccharated suprarenal glands,” and scientific representatives, in the development of the IJ.S. Pharin 1899 announcement was made that Dr. Takamine had isolated macopeia, the National Formulary, and the work of many the pure crystalline base, adrenalin, the exact chemical structure scientific societies whose aim is to promote scientific achievement, of which was determined by T. B. Aldrich the following year. foster education, and aid industry. These things have been In 1909, pituitrin, an extract containing the active principle done in the belief that financial rewards will be adequate if of the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, was placed on the true motives, high standards, and sound policies are maintained, market. At the recent convention of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL to the end that human health and human welfare may be enSOCIETY in Detroit announcement was made by Kamm, Aldrich, hanced. Grote, Bugbee, and Rowe of the discovery and separation of two F. 0. TAYLOR distinct active principles.
Space limitation prevents all but this extremely brief indication of the extensive activities of a large staff of biological workers over a period of many years, whose contributions t o scientific progress in biological medication have been noteworthy and are reflected in the character of preparations marketed.
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES J. B. Francis Herreshoff
I
T WAS the late summer of 1888 that I first had the privilege
and joy of meeting Francis Herreshoff. He was then thirtyeight years of age, and I, less than twenty-two, seeking for a start in the chemical industry, had a definite appointment and clear-cut instructions from William H. Nichols to come to an understanding one way or another. Herreshoff impressed me tremendously, and I have never ceased to respect and admire his simple sincerity-a sort of guilelessness, with a complete absorption in his profession. We talked for two hours a t the old Pierrepont Hotel in Brooklyn, where he was living while his family were away for the summer; and now that I know him so much better, there is no doubt t h a t he would have talked for many more hours, for he was interested in the young Scot and wanted to get a new point of view if pos.;ible. That was characteristic of him. He has always been alert and ready to forget time, if he could rehearse with a n interested listener the ideas that were afloat in his mind but not yet safe to deliver. He would think and talk and get a little clearer in his own mind until conviction possessed him, and then the listener would begin to discern t h a t his genius was carrying him a little in advance of the world. The endless discussions that were beginning to look verbose and futile were not in vain-the Teutonic thoroughness and tenacity of purpose, though slow in process, mere absolutely sure in accomplishment. At this first meeting I rose to take leave, as a longer interview was likely t o expose my inexperience and betray my limitations. Herreshoff stood up, his back to the wall, his head thrown backa perfect Apollo in physique-handsome as a dragoon, and while he stood there he continued expressing views and asking ques-
tions. I left, exhilarated and satisfied that the combination of William H . Nchols and Francis Herreshoff had all the qualities of success in admirable proportions. And there the matter dropped and nothing developed until the following February. Time meant nothing to Herreshoff until he saw exactly how to attain the object. Then he became positively impatient to construct, complete quickly, and operate efficiently and economically without further rehearsal or discussion. All the preparation was past and apparently forgotten long ago, though the details were still in the drafting office unfinished, while bricklayers, carpenters, and mechanics were ready to proceed on orders. He was christened John Brown Francis Herreshoff, and invested with the honorary degrees of b1.A. and D S c . by his Alma Plater. He had been deterred from completing his course a t Brown University. He was the youngest of a large family and did not wish to put his parents to the expense of putting him through college. However, he found that he could accomplish his object without expense by becoming an instructor of analytical chemistry a t Brown for three years-1869 to 1872. He then went into the laboratory of the Habirshaw Company in Pearl Street, doing analytical work until 1876, when William H. Nichols heard of his unusual qualities and ability, and decided to take a chance and have him direct the Laurel Hill Chemical Works, hoping that the rule-of-thumb methods could be superseded by scientific standards. Very little was accomplished in the first year of his control a t Laurel Hill. He wanted t o learn from the foremen, mechanics, and process man how to produce sulfuric acid industrially. It was not the chemical reaction in itself that gave trouble in work:
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I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Vol. 19, No. 10
i t was the repairs and incidentals. A lot of nitrate of soda, confirmations-all disposed of by trials, experiments, and anawhich theory showed could all be recovered, was largely lost. lytical studies. Day after day, endless and fatiguing to all He therefore conceived new designs, using three quite short but Herreshoff, the work proceeded until another step in advance Gay-Lussac towers instead of one long one, and gave such atten- resulted and something was accomplished that had hitherto tion t o packing and acid distribution t h a t the nitrate of soda failed, and no one was more ready to accept and adopt it than consumption for a whole year was soon reduced to the lowest the Germans. record known. Herreshoff has lived only in chemical designs and engineering, The Glover towers were then rebuilt, following the same and has always been instantly absorbed in any novel development general principles, with only six feet of packing, and the entire if only it showed study and merit. He has been intolerant of make of pyrites acid was concentrated to about 63” Be. The premature ideas or, if false premises were accepted, charged __ tower proved t o be practically indestructistupidity and ignorance to the unfortuble and the denitration nearly perfect. nate who submitted them prematurely. He was constantly on the job, testing He has no interest whatever in failure. the sulfur dioxide going in and out of the The collapse of an old plant with its dischambers, as well as analyzing brown acid, appointing efficiency was too negligible an incident to divert him for a moment from and always maintaining a constant flow and stock in tanks so t h a t the fluctuations commencing the new design that he had could, as far as practicable, be eliminated. already mentally planned. At such a time Special hydrometers were designed, permithis home and meals were quite forgotten ting the process man to use pipets and apuntil a naturally huge appetite asserted itself and aroused him to life’s necessities. paratus t h a t had previously been excluThen, when refreshed, he would renew consively chemists’ work. Everything was sideration of every minute detail with a refined and simplified until the workmen zeal determined to improve and simplify learned t o control the chambers better each step to eliminate losses and introduce than any chemist could with other rea new efficiency. sponsibilities t o distract him. It is a rare quality t o design smoothThese works were perhaps the first in working plants with each piece of apAmerica t o use only pyrites, and the eighty paratus functioning with effective coorditons of cinder produced daily carried just nation so that the grouping and output of enough copper t o pay for recovery. Coneach will result in a workable whole. But sequently, labor saving was a necessity, Herreshoff can, with great rapidity, crysand smelting was next undertaken, the retallize the true objective and then draw a sulting copper matte being of uncertain complete mechanical picture of a fine way quality and the furnace frequently breakto accomplish the result. It is the mastery ing down a t critical moments. Herreshoff J. B. Francis Herreshoff of minute details that most concerns him, designed a new forehearth with waterand he never rests until they are brought jacketed breast t h a t was soon generally into a n operating harmony with the adopted. The copper matte then ran close t o 50 per cent copper and was entitled to a premium, but the Oxford more fundamental steps. Copper Company were not ready t o concede this advantage. The Herreshoffs were Rhode Island boat-builders for genAs they were the sole pioneers in this industry, copper refining erations, but they were more than that, for both John Brown and was next taken up for consideration. Bessemerizing had re- N a t had the same gift of design, which made them worldcently been introduced at the Parrot Mines, Butte, Mont. renowned “cup defenders.” Francis has the natural gift of Electrolytic copper refining from “blister” ingots was proving assembling all components with a perfect harmony, with no a possibility in Italy, so a new interest was incited in Herre- member too insignificant for study and development. From shoff’s life and career. He talked electricity for months-of a roof truss to a platinum injector nothing escapes his thoughtful direct and alternating currents, anodes and cathodes, rates of attention, for in his early career chemical apparatus was not on deposition, circulation of electrolyte, etc.-while keeping the market as i t is today, and each piece had t o be specially the laboratory busy with tests and estimates until assured of wrought. practical results. Then the Nichols Chemical Company made Throughout his active life, this has been his principal method appropriations for a small plant which was built and put in of work. operation in 1890-the forerunner of an output of a million HENRYWIGGLESWORTH pounds of refined copper per day, which was reached about 1900. George Martin Luther, the enthusiastic prophet, always encouraged and implored Herreshoff to improve and enlarge until Motor Gasoline More Volatile the goal was reached. The Herreshoff fines ore burner was a The motor gasoline being marketed in the United States this mere incident in a busy life, though hundreds of these fursummer is slightly more volatile than t h a t sold a year ago, naces were sold in Europe and the type adopted as the world’s according t o the Bureau of Mines, which recently conducted its standard. sixteenth semiannual motor gasoline survey. The general The contact sulfuric acid process took Herreshoff to Europe tendency toward the marketing of a standardized product, noted as a result of recent motor gasoline surveys, continues to in 1900-the first and only time. He came back greatly im- be manifested. Until recent years there has been a distinct pressed but convinced t h a t the great horizontal compressors difference between summer and winter gasoline, that marketed and Knietsch system, admirable in design and conception, were during the summer being the less volatile. This year the differnot suited to the comparatively small American works necessarily ence between summer and winter gasoline is shown only in the end of the distillation range, while the upper end is more so widely scattered to economize on distribution costs. He lower volatile than for last winter. The results of this survey are had a clear picture on his return which was systematically de- given in Serial 2827, copies of which may be obtained from veloped with the same unremitting discussions, refutations, and the Bureau of Mines, Department of Commerce, Washington
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