L1EBIG, JUSTUS BARON VON, a distinguished living chemist. One of the most prominent features in the history of the science of the 19th century has been the rapid progress of organic chemistry. Although the initiative of this remarkable period cannot be given to any one chemist more than another, the name of Liebig must ever be most intimately associated with this brilliant passage in the history of modern science. Very early in the progress of his investigations his attention was directed to those compounds which throw light on the mysterious processes which give life to plants and animals. His subsequent position at the head of a national laboratory, with com petent assistants to repeat the experiments of others, and make those suggested by himself, gave him an opportunity of generalising that few other chemists possessed, and which resulted in those works on vegetable and animal chemistry which astonished the world by giving an explanation of processes which, had hitherto been deemed beyond tho reach of science.
Justus Liebig was born at Darmstadt on the 8th of May 1803. He received his early education in the gymnasium of his native town. His love of natural science induced his father to place him in an apothecary's establishment, where he got the first insight into that science of which he has become so distinguished an ornament. Here he remained ten months, and was afterwards transferred to the Uni versity of Bonn in 1819. He subsequently studied at Erlangen, and took his degree of Doctor of Medicine. In 1822 he obtained a stipend from the Grand Duke of Hesse Darmstadt, which enabled him to visit Paris, where he remained for two years. Here he studied with Mit scherlich, the distinguished professor of chemistry at Berlin. During his residence in Paris he devoted himself to the science of chemistry. His attention at this time was especially directed to the composition and nature of those dangerous compounds known by the name of Fulminates. These bodies are composed of an acid consisting of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, combined with a base. The salts thus formed are so easily decomposed that a slight touch causes their decomposition ; a violent explosion follows, and a new series of compounds are formed. It was the nature of these compounds that Liebig investigated—thus indicating the bent of his genius towards the investigation of the chemistry of those four elements, which, on account of their universal presence in plants and animals, have been called organic.' In his subsequent writings he often alludes to the
fulminates as instances of unstable chemical combination, illustrating the nature of some of the changes which the organic elements undergo in the compounds which form the tissues of plants and animals. Although the existence of these compounds had been discovered by our countryman Howard in 1800, yet their true chemical constitution was not explained till the youthful Liebig read his paper on them before the Institute of France in the year 1824. The subject of the fulminates has since frequently occupied his attention.
The reading hia paper at the Institute of France brought Liebig in contact with Baron Humboldt, who was at that time residing in Paris. At the moment he was unknown to Liebig, and on hearing his paper read he invited him to his house. Liebig unfortunately forgot to ask his name and address, and not till a subsequeut occasion did he learn the name of his great friend, who from that time interested himself warmly in his success. Humboldt introduced him to Gay-Lussac and the circle of French chemists, and afterwards used his influence to obtain for him the post of extraordinary professor of chemistry at Giessen. At the early age of twenty-one Liebig entered upon his new duties at Giessen. In 1826 he was appointed ordinary professor in the university. It was now that he commenced the establishment of a laboratory for the teaching of practical chemistry. This was the first institution of the kind that was established in Germany, and soon, under the influence of the ardour and genius of its youthful super intindent, succeeded in attracting the attention of the chemists of Europe. It was in this laboratory that not only Liebig himself worked, but his assistants, Hofmann, Will, and Freseniva, who, by their researches, have obtained a name only second to their master. The system of instruction pursued here has since become the model of a large number of similar institutions all over Europe. The Royal College of Chemistry in London, which is now attached to the Govern ment School of Mines, resulted from the success of the Giessen labora tory, and Dr. Hofmann, Liebig's able assistant, was placed at the head of it. The laboratory of Giessen was the resort of students from all parts of the world, and many of our British chemists, as Lyon Play fair, Johnston, Gregory, and others, were students there.