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14 September 2001

Chemical Technology—19th Century Style

Wagner, Rudolph. Wagner's Chemical Technology 1872. William Crookes, trans. Lindsay Publications, 1988. 745 pages, plus index. Illustrated. ISBN 0-917914-99-6.

Reviewed by Sheldon Greaves

The wonderful thing about subjects like chemistry and physics is that the essential facts don't expire like old fruit in the fridge. Hydrogen was the lightest of the elements in the 1800's, and still is today. Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atoms still make a water molecule, just as they always have.

Therein lies the advantage of older books on chemistry and physics; they age gracefully. If you are willing to endure some antiquated terminology one can sometimes glean some choice nuggets of information in the form of tips and techniques that were once widely practiced, but fell into disuse as technology improved. But the old techniques still work.

Wagner's Chemical Technology 1872 is a marvelous discussion of the state of practical chemistry in the latter part of the 19th century. Available as a reprint by Lindsay Publications, the scope of this book is remarkable. Metallurgical chemistry, electro-metallurgy, industrial chemistry, glass and ceramics, plant fibers, animal substances, food, brewing, dyes, lighting applications and fuels... you get 745 pages of chemical information and techniques that still work. The books contains many illustrations rendered as beautiful engravings

Obviously, not everything in this book is going to apply to backyard projects; you won't want to create a gaslight when a 100-watt incandescent bulb will do just fine. But if you are involved with certain kinds of fabrication or just want to know more about how certain types of materials are made or used, this book can teach you a lot. It will add greatly to your technical and intellectual bag of tricks.