long remained the standard work on its subject. Besides, be jntrodueed a practical system for the classiticatijit of minerals. based on their physical properties, such as color, hardness, hard Palissy (c.1510-`49), considering worthless and ridiculous the efforts of alchemy, devoted himself to experimental research in ceramic art, invented a number of valuable methods of coloring and enameling articles of pottery. doha nn Rudolf Glauber ( 1604-6S) improved many processes of dyeing. and prepared a num ber of useful salts. sodium sulphate C(,latiber's salt'). the chlorides of zinc. tin, ar senic, copper, lead, and iron, the nitrate of monism, tartar emetic, etc. 11 _.c even succeeded in gaining some insight into the rationale of cer tain processes: but this did not prevent hint from adhering to the most fantastic absurdities of alchemy to the very end of his life. In con nection with the introchemical iferiod, reference must finally be made to the wonderful develop ment of the art of making articles of glass. and tcf the rapid progress of the liquor industry, which had only been founded toward the end of the Fifteenth Century—i.e. a short time before
the commencement of the period. As to scien tific pharmacy, we have already stated that its beginning coincides with that of iatrochemistry„ and it is hardly necessary to add that the latter enriched it with many new preparations, and with a knowledge of the medicinal properties of substances already known.
About the middle of the Seventeenth Century, iatrocheinistly came to a sudden decline. That this had to happen sooner or later is clear, if we consider that a true medical chemistry could toot possibly flourish before, on the one haml. chemistry itself was placed on a sound basis, and before, on the other hand, anatomy and physiology had attained a stage of serious de velopment. The iatrochemists had evidently misdirected their efforts, and if we should in our present structure of chemistry mark the parts established by them, we would find that their lasting contributions were very few. The his torical importance of the period is chiefly in the fact that with it came a revolution against tra ditional errors and a change in the direction of research.