142 The Evolution of Chemistry. 



afford some idea of the subject let us scan rapidly a few of 

 the most important. Thousands of acres of land at one 

 time were occupied in the growth of madder and indigo. 

 This is nearly all relieved now for grain and other crops. 

 These dye-stuffs no longer come from their respective 

 plants, but are produced by the chemist in his laboratory, 

 adding materially to the world's wealth. Cocaine, the alka- 

 loid that enables surgeons to painlessly cut into the most 

 sensitive parts of the body, is now built up from what might 

 be waste products in its extraction from Erythroxylon coca. 

 Oil of wintergreen, so useful for flavoring candies and soda- 

 water, as well as for relieving rheumatism, is no longer pro- 

 duced from either wintergreen or sweet birch to the extent 

 it once was, but is synthetically prepared by the chemist. 

 Musk, the well-known costly perfume and flavoring ingre- 

 dient of candies, is likewise being made at lower rates by the 

 chemist. Bitter oil of almonds, another flavoring substance 

 and constituent of perfumery, the chemist makes. Cuma- 

 rine, the flavoring ingredient of Tonka beans, which is so 

 often used as a substitute for vanilla, is likewise synthetic- 

 ally prepared. Vanilline, the rich flavoring ingredient of 

 vanilla and constituent of some perfumes, is now made in 

 the temperate zone independent of the family Orchidacece. 

 Saccharine, a substance two hundred and eighty times 

 sweeter than sugar, and saccharine amide, a related com- 

 pound said to be sweeter still, are products of the laboratory 

 that beat those of unassisted Nature. Antipyrine, phenace- 

 tine, exalgine, acetanilide, and resorcin are products of the 

 laboratory pure and simple that in many ways excel as cura- 

 tive agents any product of the vegetable world, in spite of 

 the Scripture statement that " the leaves of the trees are 

 for the healing of the nations." These relieve the most 

 excruciating pains, check profuse haemorrhages, reduce 

 fevers, quiet unrest, relieve nausea, and stop the nervous, 

 irritating cough of pertussis (whooping-cough). Paralde- 

 hyde, somnal, hypnal, hypnone, chloral-amide, and many 

 other new substances are produced in the laboratory to 

 bring sweet, refreshing sleep to delirious and fever-excited 

 brains. 



The number of antiseptics for external and internal use 

 is large and constantly being multiplied by the busy chem- 

 ist. One of them, called salol, can pass the stomach un- 

 changed and arrest inflammatory processes below the duo- 

 denum. Fluoresceine has no rival in the vegetable world, 



