BEGINNINGS OF MODERN CHEMISTRY 



nant's discovery, but successful and practical bleach- 

 ing by a solution of chloride of lime was first made 

 possible by him and through Scheele's discovery of 

 chlorine. 



Until the time of Scheele the great subject of organic 

 chemistry had remained practically unexplored, but 

 under the touch of his marvellous inventive genius new 

 methods of isolating and studying animal and vegetable 

 products were introduced, and a large number of acids 

 and other organic compounds prepared that had been 

 hitherto unknown. His explanations of chemical 

 phenomena were based on the phlogiston theory, in 

 which, like Priestley, he always believed. Although 

 in error in this respect, he was, nevertheless, able to 

 make his discoveries with extremely accurate interpre- 

 tations. A brief epitome of the list of some of his more 

 important discoveries conveys some idea of his fertility 

 of mind as well as his industry. In 1 780 he discovered 

 lactic acid, 7 and showed that it was the substance that 

 caused the acidity of sour milk ; and in the same year 

 he discovered mucic acid. Next followed the discov- 

 ery of tungstic acid, and in 1783 he added to his list of 

 useful discoveries that of glycerine. Then in rapid 

 succession came his announcements of the new vege- 

 products citric, malic, oxalic, and gallic acids, 

 ele not only made the discoveries, but told the 

 world how he had made them how any chemist 

 might have made them if he chose for he never con- 

 ed that he had really discovered any substance 

 until he had made it, decomposed it, and made it 

 again. 



His experiments on Prussian blue are most interest- 



27 



