The WiZard is In - 12-11-2010 at 10:37
It was a bold step when the great ceramic artist Bernard Palissy
(1499-1589 or 1510-1590), who had no command of Latin or
Greek, calmly and with no regard for the renowned ancient
philosophers, published in his “Oeuvers” (1557-1580) his own
views and ideas of Nature, based on his personal observations and
experiments. It was a new approach when he warned against the
so-called knowledge emanating from “cabinets a rune théorique
imaginative” or par imagination de ceux qui n’ont rien practique,”
and recommended instead the direct reading of the great book of
Nature, namely “practice,” i.e., experimenting and observation.
Palissy, an autodidact, proceeded by this experimental inductive
method. Through his own indefatigable studies he greatly enriched
technical chemistry (especially ceramic chemistry) an also
directed the attention of agriculturists to the importance of salts as
fertilizers.
Paul Walden
Rudolph Glauber
From: Bugge, “Buch der grossen Chemiker,” vol1,pp. 151-172
(abbreviated). Translation and additions by Ralph E. Oesper.
In:— Eduard Fraber Ed. Great Chemists (In two volumes)
Interscience 1961.
I do not recommend this book. Having sold all my children that I
can for medical experiments (my wife is getting suspicious) I will
have to wait until I hit the Mega Millions lottery before buying
Partington’s opus.
[Edited on 12-11-2010 by The WiZard is In]
Perkin — I immediately accumulated bottles of chemicals
The WiZard is In - 18-11-2010 at 11:47
Sidney M Edelstein
Sir William Henry Perkin 1838-1907
American Dyestuff Reporter, 45, 598-608 (1956)'
In — Eduard Farber Editor
Great Chemists
Interscience New York
1961