396 B. H. Woodivard — Notes on Chemistry and Physics, 



of science, and thus, perhaps, to induce them to devote a little time 

 to the perusal of those works which treat of the modes of action, 

 and correlation of the physical forces, the result of the researches 

 of Joule, Mayer, Faraday, Grove, Tyndall, Herschell, Whewell, 

 Becquerel, Sorby, and others, who have devoted their lives to the 

 investigation of these great problems. 



During the last few years our ideas de rerum naturd have altered 

 very considerably, indeed, have undergone a complete revolution. 

 Through the researches of modem chemists the barrier separating 

 inorganic from organic chemistry has been annihilated. 



In a comparatively recent chemical text-book, we find it stated 

 that " organic chemical compounds are those directly or indirectly 

 derivable from organized bodies. They cannot, except in very rare 

 instances {e.g. urea and cyanogen), be formed by bringing their 

 elements together, but must either be derived ready -made from plants 

 and animals, or must be prepared from such ready-made substances." 

 And it gives us examples of these organic bodies, sugar, alcohol, 

 and acetic acid, stating that, although we know that all these are 

 composed of but three elements, namely, carbon, hydrogen, and 

 oxygen, in difi'erent proportions, " yet we cannot, in the laboratory, 

 unite these three elements so as to form either of the above com- 

 pounds, though we can obtain the two latter from the first by 

 fermentation or chemical action." 



It was then supposed that the elements of these organic com- 

 pounds could only be built up in these proportions through the 

 agency of " vital force." 



Now sugar, alcohol, and acetic acid can be produced synthetically, 

 i.e. can be built up by the direct combination of their elements. 



It is found that, at a very high temperature, carbon will combine 

 with hydrogen, producing acetylene. This is effected by producing 

 the voltaic arc between carbon-points in an atmosphere of hydrogen, 

 (by means of a very powerful battery), whereby the most intense 

 heat with which we are acquainted is obtained. 



By treating this acetylene with a copper salt, cuprous acetylide is 

 formed ; from the latter, by means of nascent h3'^drogen, ethylene is 

 generated, and, by acting on ethylene with sulphuric acid, alcohol is 

 produced. From alcohol it is easy enough to get, by chemical action, 

 acetic acid. 



Thus we have traced out the formation of two of the best known 

 of the so-called organic compounds from their ultimate elements, 

 simply by the action of heat, and the aid of compounds, like 

 sulphuric acid, that have never had the slightest claim to be con- 

 sidered organic. 



Acetic acid can also be formed from the carbonic disulphide, 

 and starting with the acetylene before produced; but, acting on it 

 with other reagents, succinic and tartaric acids, also benzol can be 

 obtained, from which, by easy steps, we reach aniline and toluidine, 

 the bases of the coal-tar colours. 



If it were desirable we might easily extend our list of the sub- 

 stances formerly considered to be organic, but which we can now 



