History of Chemistry, Volume 1 (of 2) From the earliest time to the middle of the nineteenth century
CHAPTER XI
THE FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 154
Nicolas Lemery divides chemistry into its two main branches of inorganic and organic chemistry. State of knowledge of products of organic origin during the early years of the nineteenth century. Animal chemistry. Doctrine of vital force. Wöhler’s synthesis of urea. Organic chemistry is the chemistry of the carbon compounds. Early attempts at organic analysis by Lavoisier, Berzelius, Gay Lussac, and Thénard. Liebig. Discovery of _isomerism_ and _allotropy_. Cyanogen. Theory of compound radicals. Etherin theory of Dumas and Boullay. Memoir of Liebig and Wöhler on oil of bitter almonds. Benzoyl theory. Investigation of alkarsin by Bunsen. Cacodyl. Discovery of zinc ethyl by Frankland.