RESEARCH AND THE COAL-TAR DYE INDUSTRY 247 



list ; the research is moreover of considerable importance as 

 being the first case where the scientific investigation of a dye 

 has led to the elucidation of its structure and so by logical 

 steps to the preparation of new colours related to it. 



Caro was also devoting a portion of his energies towards 

 the solution of the same somewhat academic problem, a fact 

 worth noting as showing " the close co-operation between 

 science and technology which also characterised Caro's later 

 life, and is the chief cause of the progress of chemistry, 

 particularly of coal-tar products, in Germany " (Professor 

 Bernthsen). 



In Germany also activity was beginning to be apparent from 

 i860 and onwards, and various works were started for manu- 

 facturing coal-tar dyes : in particular the company " Chemische 

 Fabrik Dyckershoff, Clemm & Co.," the nucleus of the great 

 " Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik " of to-day, was founded in 

 Mannheim in 1861 ; Meister, Lucius & Co. began in 1863 with 

 five workmen and one chemist ; Kalle & Co., of Biebrich, being 

 also founded in the same year. 



In 1863 twenty patents were taken out in Great Britain 

 for synthetic dye-stuffs by British firms (which is incidentally 

 the maximum number taken out by British firms in any year 

 up to date, the next highest number being fifteen patents in 

 1901 !), and by 1865 the British dye industry had reached the 

 zenith of its existence. 



Unfortunately, however, the necessity for continuous and 

 careful research work was as little appreciated in England 

 then as it is to-day, and the want of understanding as to the 

 value of scientific research shown both by the subscribers to 

 the Royal College of Chemistry and by the general public, 

 as also the open dissatisfaction expressed by some of the 

 former, seems to have made Hofmann feel that England could 

 no longer afford him a congenial atmosphere in which to carry 

 on his important investigations on coal-tar derivatives, and 

 in 1865 ne decided to resign his position as Professor at the 

 College and return to Germany, to the great detriment of the 

 British chemical industry. 



" Whatever may be the explanation, it cannot be denied 

 that the higher chemical industries have rapidly retrograded 

 ' in this country almost from the moment of Hofmann 's depar- 

 ture " (Prof. H. Armstrong). 



