102 
Every cultivated mind in Lancashire ought to be acquainted 
with each step made in the artificial production of this dye, 
owing to the immense capital involved in the cultivation of 
the madder plant in the working of it up in this country, 
as well as the revolution it will effect in our commercial 
relations and the important new branches of manufacture 
it will create. 
It was well known to the members of this Society that 
about 12 months ago Messrs. Graebe and Liebermann had 
discovered a method of producing alizarine from a coal-tar 
product which up to that time had attracted very little 
attention, even in the scientific world, viz., anthracene C u H l0 
and that by oxidation they transformed it into anthraquinone 
C 14 H 8 0 2i which in turn was changed into bibrom-anthra- 
quinone C 14 H G B 2 0 2 , this being converted into alizarine C 14 H 3 0 4 
by the addition of 2 equivalents of oxygen and the formation 
of 2 equivalents of Hydrobromic Acid. 
It was felt by all chemists that this discovery was one of 
great importance, though it was too complicated to be com- 
mercially useful, but the Gordian knot, being now cut the 
commercial production of artificial alizarine was merely a 
question of time, and what he would now relate showed the 
marked progress which had been made toward this end. 
There were already three patents published, and one 
process, the details of which are kept secret, is being 
worked by Messrs. Meister, Lucius & Co., of Hoechst, near 
Frankfort. The patents are those of Messrs. Brsennan and of 
Gutzkow, of Messrs. Caro, Graebe, and Liebermann, and Mr. 
W. H. Perkin. It was curious to notice that the patent of 
Messrs. Caro was dated the 25th of June last, and Mr. Perkin's 
the 26th of the same month ; and that all these patents effect 
the same purpose by simply employing different oxidizing 
agents. Messrs. Braennan and Gutzkow oxidize the anthracene 
into anthraquinone by means of the nitrate of protoxide of 
mercury, Messrs. Caro by peroxide of manganese,' and Mr. 
Perkin, I believe, by bichromate of potash, and then all 
by further processes converting this substance into alizarine. 
