532  Clemens  Alexander  Winkler.  (SmbeJiS' 
CLEMENS  ALEXANDER  WINKLER. 
By  Cari,  G.  Hinrichs,  Ph.C. 
On  the  8th  of  October,  in  Dresden,  the  most  distinguished  inor- 
ganic chemist  of  Germany  passed  away.  Born  in  Freiberg,  the 
celebrated  mining  district  of  Saxony,  December  26,  1838,  son  of  the 
well-known  chemist  and  member  of  the  superior  mining  council  of 
Freiberg,  Kurt  Alexander  Winkler,  it  is  not  surprising  that  he  took 
up  the  study  of  chemistry.  He  studied  in  the  Bergakademie  of  his 
native  town,  and  graduated  as  Doctor  of  Engineering  in  1861.  He 
then  accepted  the  position  of  director  of  the  Pfannenstiel  Prussian 
Blue  Works.  In  1864  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy  was  con- 
ferred upon  him. 
During  the  6o's  many  practical  papers  came  from  his  pen.  He 
studied  the  difficult  separation  of  nickel  from  cobalt,  separation  of 
lanthanium  from  didymiura,  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  then  newly- 
discovered  element  indium,  and  many  other  papers  appeared  in  the 
Journal  fur  Praktische  Chemie. 
In  1873  he  was  called  to  the  chair  of  chemistry  in  his  alma  mater, 
which  for  thirty  years  he  filled,  adding  lustre  to  this  well-known 
school.  In  1903  he  retired  from  active  work  as  a  teacher.  This 
position  enabled  him  to  thoroughly  study  the  many  chemical  phases 
of  the  chemical  and  metallurgical  industries.  We  find  him  again 
taking  up  his  earlier  studies  on  the  Gay  Lussac  tower,  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  find  him  elaborate  the  first 
technical  preparation  of  sulphuric  anhydride  by  the  contact  process, 
doing  away  with  the  costly  lead  chambers. 
The  preparation  of  large  slabs  of  ductile  nickel  and  cobalt  was 
first  solved  by  him  in  the  early  70's.  His  untiring  examinations  of 
many  alloys,  new  minerals  and  the  like,  found  its  reward  in  the  dis- 
covery of  a  new  element.  Swelling  with  pride  that  he  had  dupli- 
cated the  achievement  of  the  French  savant  Boisbadron  of  1876, 
when  he  discovered  gallium,  he  patriotically  named  his  new  element 
after  the  Fatherland — germanium.  When  we  recollect  that  this 
germanium  is  found  only  as-^a  rare  complex  sulphide  mineral,  in 
minute  quantities  as  an  incrustation  on  rich  and  rare  silver  ores  of 
the  Himmelsfuerst  mines  near  Freiberg,  the  almost  microscopic 
examinations  made  by  this  chemist  of  Saxon  minerals  become 
patent  to  all. 
