KARL FREIHERR VON REICHENBACH (1788-1869) Investigation of ParafJin (1'830) and Wood Tar (1830-33)' MORITZ KOHN2 The University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (Translated by H e n r y M. Leicester)
KARL
Here Reichenbach lived in the summer, and, after he had given up his activity in Blansko, he spent the winter in Vienna. In the years from 1830 to 1833 Reichenbach published in Schweigger's Journal fur Chemie und Physik 18 contributions under the title "Contributions to the knowledge of dry distillation of organic substances" which resulted from his work in Blansko. In the very first of these papers was announced the important discovery of paraffin in beech-wood tar. On the basis of his detailed studies Reichenbach had given this substance the fortunately chosen name "paraffin" from the Latin words parum, "little,"' and aflnitas, "affinity." The name "paraffin" expressed the extremely low reactivity of the substance--its indifference to the strongest chemical agents such as strong acids or strong alkalies. Reichenbach clearly recognized its practical usefulness. He wrote: "It promises to give table candles a satisfactory new material. It can also give better service than any previously known substance in covering materials and vessels which must be rendered acid resistant. It is the base for a good lubricant." He could even show a sample of his paraffin a t the Natnrforscher und Arzteversammlnng in Hamburg (1830). He thought that this was an individual substance. This work of Reichenbach had attracted the attention of Berzelius. Berzelius said: "This work is a detailed and very excellent study and the analysis of this substance will undoubtedly give very important results from a theoretical viewpoint." Factory scale production of paraffin first succeeded in England. James Young built a large paraffin factory in Glasgow in 1850 after he had shown that Scottish coal gave better yields of paraffin than beech wood. Riechenbach first learned of this in 1854 and could in the same year publish this fact, so gratifying for him, with full recognition of the great service of Young. Later Reichenbach reported on the results of his investigations of the alkali-soluble part of beech-wood tar. He isolated an oily substance boilmg above 200' which he called creosote. He characterized it as follows. "A small amount dissolved in water kills LPrraented at the 126th Meeting of the American Chemical mall animals, is the mummifying principle of Society, New York, September, 1954. pyroxylic acid. Flesh dipped in the water solution no 1 prewnt address: 536 West 113th Street, New York25, N. Y.
REICHENBACH is counted among the Austrian chemists. He was born in 1788 in Stuttgart, but for many years he lived in Austria and all his scientificwork was carried out there. Not only did he make a name for himself as a chemist in science and industry, but he was also a n investigator of unusual originality, versatility, and productiveness. I n Austrian scientific and industrial circles there was a strong demand for a memorial to Reichenbach (1913). This monument was set up in 1917 in the Technical Museum for Industry and Trade in Vienna. Until now, however, there has been no evaluation of the life and work of this world-famous man in any chemical journal, although 86 years have passed since his death (1869). Reichenbach studied a t the University of Tiibingen. From 1814 t o 1816 he undertook an extended trip through the Austrian Empire, Saxony, the Rhineland, and Alsace-Lorraine t o study the especially interesting industries, the iron works, and the wood-coking plants. From this trip he discovered how to establish a better method of coking by a modification in the construction of the ovens. He hoped to make possible the treatment of a greater amount of wood so that a t the same time it would be possible to obtain a good yield of harder charcoal and of the liquid products of the dry distillation. In his method the wood underwent dry distillation in fire resistant stone chambers heated by iron pipes. The introduction of this process in conjunction with an already existing iron works in Germany had indicated its usefulness. Count Salm, who operated large iron works and coking plants a t Blansko, in Moravia, learned of this. Reichenbach was called by the Count t o modernize the Blansko works, and was active there from 1822 to 1836. Under his direction manufactures rose sharply, and the iron foundry soon became the greatest in Austria. Reichenbach obtained a considerable fortune from the resulting industrial activity and he used part of it for the purchase of several large estates. I n 1835 Reichenbach also bought the Reisenberg property near Vienna. The mountain which is now called the Kobenzl belonged to this.
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longer spoils. There is no doubt that it will find me- Doctor of Science,after he had already in his youth obdicinal uses." He believed it was the preservative of tained the Ph.D. from the same university. meat in smoke. Creosote has found a place among the valuable drugs of medicine, dentistry, and veterinary THE "OD-LIGHT" medicine. Sollman, in his "Manual of Pharmacology,"' Reichenbach had also begun, in 1844, to carry on says: "It is more strongly antiseptic and antipyretic investigations of psycho-physical and psycho-physioand rather less irritant than is phenol." logical phenomena. These can be described here only In 1834 F. F. Runge (1795-1867) discovered in coal very briefly. Reichenbach published a great number tar a substance very similar to creosote. Runge named of papers in this field, and several books, some of which it carbolic acid, shortened from coal-oil acid, that is, were translated into English. He was an excellent an oily acid prepared from coal. Laurent later (1841) writer who was inspired by thesubjectonwhich he wrote, showed that pure carbolic acid is solid, and Gerhardt and he knew how to inspire his readers. These studies gave it the name phenol (1841). Reichenbach be- had their beginning in the observation that some people lieved his creosote was identical with phenol. The could perceive the appearance of light in a dark room work of Hlasiwetz (1858), H. Mueller (1864), and Gorup when others could not-rays of light emanating from Besanez (1867 and 1869), however, showed that creo- the poles of an electric magnet, from the edge of a large sote is actually a mixture of creosol (4-hydroxy-3- rock crystal, and from the surface of some plants. methoxy-1-methylbeusene) and guaiacol. This light he called the "Od-light." He believed that According to Reichenbach's observations, beech- an all-pervading power of nature, a "world force" which wood tar also contained a higher boiling (285')fraction. he called "Od" had been discovered. His papers a t This was oxidized by Reichenbach, yielding two in- first aroused great interest. Liebig published in the teresting dyes, cedriret (1834) and eupilton (eupittonic 53rd volume of the Annala (1845) a long paper by acid). Cedriret forms dark, steel-blue needles. C. Reichenbach in this field, and Berselius, who met Lieberman, who called this dye corulignon, indicated Reichenbach in the summer of the same year at Karl* that is is tetramethoxydiphenoquinone (1873). Eu- bad, advised a complete investigation of the okserpitton is orange yellow; its beautiful blue alkali salts vations. However, the basis of the Od studies soon were named pitakall by Reichenbach (1833). The became shaky. Finally, seven outstanding Berlin study of A. W. Hofmann (1878 and 1879) showed that professors, among them G. Magnus, Mitscherlich, eupitton is hexamethoxyaurin. A. W. Hofmann wrote: Poggeudorf, and G. Rose, in a statement published "It is known that Reichenbach, nearly a half century in the Vienna newspaper Presse, attacked the existence ago, in the course of his admirable work on beech-wood of the Od as an independent force of nature. This sealed tar bad called attention to the formation of a blue the fate of the Od studies. We must ask how a man material which he called pitakall." who had shown such sharp critical understanding in science could wander so far in the field of fantasy. Yet MEl'EORITES the history of science gives many examples of such errors During his activity in Blansko, Reichenbach ob- by men of great mental capacity. served the fall of meteoric stones (1833) while a t the Reichenbach was called the learned sorcerer of the same time a blazing meteor appeared in the sky. This Kobenzl in Vienna. People in the neighborhood told event aroused his interest in the highest degree and he how Reichenbach, clad in a long wide mantle, sometimes decided to take up the study of meteorites. As a was seen to leave his castle in the hours of the night. result of this work there appeared in Poggendorf's With a thoughtful mien he went down the mountain to Annalen der Physik und Chemie, from 1850to 1865, 28 the cemetery of the near-by village of Grinzing t3 seek contributions, some of them very extensive. Rich for the Od-light. factual material is contained here, unusually valuable Reichenbach endured not only the breaking up of for both chemist and mineralogist. In his work Reich- his studies of Od, but also the loss of a great part of his enbach had needed the free use of the mineral col- fortune and his estates owing to unlucky business and lection of the Vienna Natural History Museum. He industrial activities. Death took him in 1869 in Leipcomplained, however, that he was hindered in this zig, to which he bad moved in the summer of 1867. by the head of the mineralogical division, the famous We must regret that Reichenbach did not remain in mineralogist Haidinger (1795-1871) who himself chemistry as he had originally intended and in which worked on meterorites. Haidinger was filled with his best work was done. Many great honors were given petty jealousy toward the private scholar Reichen- Reichenbach. We only mention that the city of bach. Reichenbach's work on meteorites disturbed Stuttgart made him an honorary citizen and the ImHaidinger. However, Reichenbach knew how to help perial Vienna Academy of Sciences in 1848 elected him himself. His great wealth made it possible for him to membership. Though he came from the class of to build up a large and costly collection of meteorites. poor citizens, he was raised in 1830 to the state of a Reichenbach donated this collection to the University baron. Yet the highest honor for Reichenbach came of Tiibingen (1858) which thereupon made him a through himself. He has inscribed his name in eternal letters in the book of the history of chemistry. a 1942, p. 658
