5 2 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



impossible to conceive of any method by which our knowledge con- 

 cerning them could be materially enlarged. Recently, however, a 

 change has come over the scene, and now, in consequence of a very 

 simple scientific observation, a large number of chemists have turned 

 their attention to this field, and it looks as though the time is not far 

 distant when the chemist will be able to produce artificially in the 

 laboratory the alkaloids for which we have hitherto been entirely 

 dependent upon nature. How did this come about ? By carrying on 

 investigations on insignificant substances, simply for scientific pur- 

 poses, to learn more regarding these substances for the sake of increas- 

 ing our knowledge. 



In the year 1851 Anderson, a Scotch chemist, undertook the exam- 

 ination of the oil which is formed when bones are heated. We all 

 know the extremely disagreeable properties of this oil. Its odor would 

 be enough to prevent any but a bold man from undertaking its exam- 

 ination. It is a very complex substance also, and, at first, it seems 

 almost impossible to get from it pure and definite substances. An- 

 derson, recognizing the difficulties before him, went at the problem in 

 a large way. He distilled about two hundred and fifty gallons, or 

 more than a ton, of the disgusting bone-oil, and repeated this operation 

 over and over again. He was finally rewarded by the discovery of 

 some curious substances which he called pyridine, picoline, and luti- 

 dine. These substances have from time to time been met with since, 

 but they have played a very subordinate part in chemistry until very 

 recently. About two years ago a young chemist (and, as chance would 

 have it, again a Scotchman) tried an experiment which gave him the 

 startling result that from quinine there can easily be obtained a sub- 

 stance closely related to the pyridine of Anderson ; and, indeed, by a 

 further step pyridine itself was obtained. This gave the first hint as 

 to the chemical nature of quinine, and chemists at once recognized the 

 importance of the discovery. Immediately great activity showed itself 

 in the further examination of bone-oil or animal-tar, and our knowledge 

 of this substance was rapidly increased. At the same time it has been 

 shown that not only quinine, but many other alkaloids, are related to 

 pyridine and the other substances discovered by Anderson thirty years 

 ago. Every month we receive reports of rapid advances, and it looks, 

 indeed, as though we should not have long to wait before we hear it 

 announced that quinine and morphine, and perhaps a host of other val- 

 uable alkaloids, have been made from the offensive oil which is given 

 off when bones are heated. In view of many past achievements I do 

 not think that this is too much to expect. Look at the unpromising 

 coal-tar, at one time the bugbear of gas-manufacturers ! It has become 

 the source of many of the most valuable and interesting chemical sub- 

 stances. Nothing could less suggest the beautiful dye-stuffs, the deli- 

 cious essences, which can be and are obtained from it in quantity. 

 Surely, with the knowledge already in our possession we have a right 



