HISTORY OF CATALYSIS AND ITS UTILITY IN 

 SYSTEMIC PHTHISIS. 



By William P. McCartney, M. S., L. L. B.. (Univ. 111.) Manila, P. I. 

 I. HISTORY OF CATALYSIS. 



nPHERE were many reactions in chemistry which were known 

 ^ to take place and were made use of, but why they took place 

 in the way they did was not understood until catalytic action was 

 recogniaed as the important factor. 



Thus we have one-billionth part of soluble chromic chloride 

 rendering insoluble chromic chloride soluble; a little platinum 

 chloride enables us to dissolve tin in cold hydrochloric acid; a little 

 potassium permanganate will render soluble many insoluble or 

 difficultly soluble compounds. 



We find in organic chemistry many catalyzers, or substances 

 acting very similar to catalyzers, working a great many chemical 

 changes more or less essential to our existence; hydrolyzing the 

 starches to glucose and the proteins to amino acids, changing the 

 nitrogen of the air to nitrites and nitrates, and many other chemi- 

 cal changes necessary for the continuance of life. 



Next we learned that by means of high potentials we are able to 

 divide many metals so finely that they may be suspended in liquids 

 in such minute particles that they have the appearance of solutions 

 and require the intervention of animal membrane to separate them. 

 Such suspensions are called colloidal suspensions. Those of gold 

 are ruby in color; those of platinum, brown, and those of silver, 

 yellow. These suspensions have many of the properties of the 

 catalyzers and enzymes. They will liberate oxygen from hydrogen 

 peroxide. There are a number of chemicals which stop or restrain 

 this catalytic and ferment action; such bodies as corrosive sub- 

 limate, cyanogen iodide, carbon monoxide and arsenic. These 

 substances will restrain the action of ferments, catalyzers and col- 

 loidal solutions for some time. They are called paralyzers, and it 

 should be noted that the most deadly paralyzers to these catalytic 

 actions are the most dangerous paralyzers of plant and animal 

 life. So it was thought, since ferment action which is similar 

 to if not identical with catalytic action is so essential to life, that 

 a study of catalyzers should lead to further knowledge in the study 

 of the maintenance of life. 



(299) 



