GEORG LOCKEMANN RALPH E. OESPER University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
FEWchemists can look back over aa long a career fessor in this world-famous school. His extraordinary as Georg Lockemann. Though best known in this success was officially recognized by the award (1918) country for his aork in the history of chemistry, he of the title Geheim Regierungsrat. I n 192G he was has also made notable contributions to the analytical, commissioned to teach history of chemistry and organic and biological fields, and he has been a suc- pharmacy at Berlin. Reaching the age limit, he retired in 1937, but after the outbreak of the war he cessful teacher training numerous young associates. Born on October 17, 1871, at Hollenstedt in the was called back into service (1939) and continued until province of Hanover, he was educated at the Tech- October, 1945. Then, ill as a result of malnutrition, nische Hochschule in Hauover and then at Heidelberg, he left his bomb-damaged house in Berlin and returned where he completed his doctorate in 1896. In 1898 to his native province. A year later, he was sufhe went t o the University of Leipsic as assistant to ficiently recovered to resume teaching, and for three Ernst Beckmann,' and habilitated there as privat- semesters he held lectures in the University of Gi% dozent in 1904. His reputation was so well established tingen on the history of chemistry. He is now living that in 1907 he was called to head the chemical division in retirement, but not in inaction since he keeps his of the Robert Koch Institut in Berlin. Two years pen busy. later, he again habilitated a t the University of Berlin Professor Lockemann's scientific labors were many and after only one year (1910) mas appointed pro- and varied. Prominent among them are his improve See OESPER,R. E., THIS JOURNAL, 21,470 (1944); G . LOCKE- ments of the methods of detecting arsenic by the Marsh, Liebig, and Gutzeit methods. He was r e MANN, 2.angew. Chem., 36,341 (1923). sponsible for the manufacture of Kjeldahl flasks from arsenic-free glass for use in physiological studies. In 1924 a previously unknown disease broke out in the Frische Haff region. It was believed t o be due to the presence of volatile arsenic compounds in the atmosphere. A laboratory w.ts set up a t Pillau in the summer of 1925 to study tile etiology of this "Haff sickness" and Lockemann as an expert in the analytical chemistry of arsenic was the logical choice to head the "Haff Laboratory." He proved that arsenic was not involved and showed that the disease was probably due to the consumption of eels that had fed on the putrefaction products of sewage. Among his other contributions to analytical chemistry are: a method of detecting cyanogen in mixtures; gas analytical determinations of arsine; an apparatus for the determination of formaldehyde when rapidly evolved; a colorimetric method of determining small amounts of thiocyanogen, especially for physiological studies. His organic studies included isomeric phenylbydrazones and an investigation of the processes occurring in the reduction of nitrobenzoyl compounds. He discovered the potent germicidal action of cyanogen in the presence of hydrogen ions, and the spore-killmg s,rt,ionof alcohol-acid mixtures. He ~ r e ~ a r albumened free nutrient solutions for the culture of tubercle bacilli. His ~ ~ o rin l c the history of chemistry has been outstanding. Excellent examples are his essays on Cavendish, Priestley, Scheele, Icolbe, in Bugge's "Das Buch der grossen Chemiker." Professor Lockemann's latest rontribution (1949) in this field is his fine biography (262t pages) ~of R. W. ~Bunsen. ~ G~~~~ ~ ~ ~ l ~ ~ ~~~~~~~
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