Prof. Wanklyn on the Synthesis of Organic Bodies. 301 



ultimate particles held together by mere dead forces, sugar, alcohol, 

 &c. were regarded as being held together by vital forces, as being, 

 in short, in some subordinate way, alive. 



Now no more positive refutation of this notion can be imagined 

 than the artificial construction of substances in every respect like 

 those obtained from the animal and vegetable kingdoms ; and hence 

 some of the philosophical interest attached to the problem which 

 forms the subject of this discourse. 



The first definite example of the construction of an organic body 

 from inorganic materials was given by Wohler in 1828, when he 

 made the organic base urea from cyanate of ammonia. 



Let us trace the steps of this process. Cyanide of potassium — a 

 body which can exist at a red heat [some cyanide of potassium was 

 exhibited in the form of tabular masses which had been fused], and 

 which can moreover be formed directly from its constituents (carbon, 

 nitrogen, and potassium) — was oxidized by means of peroxide of 

 manganese at a low red heat, and so cyanate of potash was obtained. 

 The cyanate of potash was next converted into cyanate of ammonia 

 by double decomposition with sulphate of ammonia. Thus cyanate 

 of ammonia was produced from its elements "by a process which, 

 although indirect, still did not involve the action of either a plant or 

 an animal. Cyanate of ammonia becomes urea, when its solution in 

 water is simply evaporated to dryness. 



It was curious that the first organic body to be constructed should 

 have been a nitrogenous compound. 



In 1831, three years after this important discovery of Wohler's, 

 formic acid — the first term of the fatty acid series — was obtained from 

 inorganic materials by Pelouze. The process was this : — Hydro- 

 cyanic acid, a body capable of being obtained from inorganic mate- 

 rials, was heated either with strong alkalies or acids, and was so 

 made to react upon the elements of water as follows : — 



CNH + 2H 2 = NH 3 + CH 2 2 



Hydrocyanic Formic acid, 



acid. 



and yielded formic acid. 



It does not appear that this research of Pelouze's attracted that 

 attention which it deserved. This we must attribute to the circum- 

 stance, that at this period the position of formic acid in the organic 

 series was not recognized. 



The next step of importance in organic synthesis was taken by 

 Kolbe in 1845. It was the synthesis of acetic acid, the second term 

 of the fatty series. Kolbe's process was this : — Sulphide of carbon, 

 obtained by the direct combination of carbon with sulphur at a red 

 heat, was submitted to the action of chlorine at a red heat, by which 

 means certain compounds of carbon and chlorine were obtained. One 

 of the compounds, C 2 Cl l , was then acted upon by chlorine in the 

 presence of water, and trichloracetic acid resulted. 



Having thus got trichloracetic acid by thoroughly inorganic means, 

 Kolbe availed himself of the observation which had been made by 



