Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlvii. (1903), No. 0. 



VI. The Chemical Researches of Edward Schunck, 

 D.Sc, Ph.D., F.R.S. 



By W. H. Perkin, Junr., Ph.D., F.R.S., 



Professor of Organic Chemistry., Owetis College, Manchester. 



Read famiary 20th. Received March and, igoj. 



In endeavouring to give a brief survey of the work of 

 Dr. Schunck, I should like to call attention to the opening 

 sentences of a paper " On some of the substances con- 

 tained in the Lichens employed for the preparations of 

 Archil and Cudbear." This important paper was read 

 before the Chemical Society of London on January 4th, 

 1842, and is published in the first volume of the Memoirs 

 of that Society. It begins thus : "Our knowledge concern- 

 ing that department of organic chemistry which embraces 

 the colouring matters, and other principles nearly allied to 

 them, is of the most imperfect kind. Though many other 

 branches of organic chemistry have been so thoroughly 

 and accu'ately investigated, that little or nothing remains 

 to be known concerning them, this may be called an 

 unexplored field." These words and many other state- 

 ments in the same memoir are very interesting reading, as 

 they show that at that early date the particular section of 

 organic chemistry which deals with colouring matters 

 had special attractions for Dr. Schunck. And indeed this 

 investigation, which he states was commenced at Liebig's 

 suggestion and in the celebrated Giessen laboratory, may be 

 said to have had a fundamental influence on his life's work, 

 because we find that nearly all of the investigations which 

 he subsequently published deal with colouring matters, 

 and especially with the colouring matters which occur in 

 plants. 



April 2jrd, igoj. 



