Eduard Father 



HISTORY OF PHOSPHORUS 



The "cold light" produced by phosphorus caused it to be con- 

 sidered a miraculous chemical lor a long ti?ne after its discovery, 

 about 1669. During the intervening three centuries numerous 

 other chemical miracles have been found, yet phosphorus retains a 

 special aura of universal importance in chemistry. Many inves- 

 tigators have occupied themselves with this element and its diverse 

 chemical compounds. Further enlightenment and insight into 

 the ways of nature can be expected from these efforts. 



Not only is the story of phosphorus a ma for drama in the history 

 of chemistry; it also illustrates, in a spectacular example, the 

 growth of this science through the discovery of connections between 

 apparently unrelated phenomena , and the continuous interplay 

 between basic science and the search for practical usage. 



The Author: Eduard Farber is a research professor at Amer- 

 ican University, Washington, D.C., and has been associated 

 with the Smithsonian Institution as a consultant in chemistry. 



When phosphorus was discovered, nearly three 

 centuries ago, it was considered a miraculous thing. 

 The only event that provoked a similar emotion was 

 the discover) of radium more than two centuries 

 later. The excitement about the Phosphorus igneus, 

 Boyle's ley Noctiluea, was slowly replaced by, or con- 

 verted into, chemical research. Yet, if we would 

 allow room for emotion in research, we could still 

 be excited about the wondrous substance that chemi- 

 cal and biological work continues to reveal as \it.ill\ 

 important. It is a fundamental plant nutrient, an 

 essential part in nerve and brain substance, a de- 

 cisive factor in muscle action and cell growth, and 

 also a component in fast-acting, powerful poisons 



The importance of phosphorus was gradually rec- 

 ognized and the means by which this took place are 

 characteristic and similar to other developments in 

 the history of science. This paper was written in 

 order to summarize these various means which led 

 to the highly complex ways of present research. 



The Element from Animals and Plants 



It was a little late to search for the philosophers' 

 stone in 1669, yet it was in such a search that phos- 

 phorus was discovered. Wilhclm Homberg (1652- 

 1715) described it in the following manner: Brand. 

 "a man little known, of low birth, with a bizarre 



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Bl I 1 I.TIN 240: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OE HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



