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Justus von Liebig Quotes

Chemist

Justus von Liebig, a German chemist born on May 12, 1803, and died on April 18, 1873, is considered one of the founders of organic chemistry. He made significant contributions to the development of agricultural chemistry and food science.

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Famous Justus von Liebig Quotes

“But it must not be forgotten that ... glass and porcelain were manufactured, stuffs dyed and metals separated from their ores by mere empirical processes of art, and without the guidance of correct scientific principles.”

Knows Art Science Stuff Process Principles Knowledge Mere Forgotten Glasses Guidance Metals Porcelain

Book:The Development of Chemistry, 1789-1914: Familiar letters on chemistry

Source: The Development of Chemistry, 1789-1914: Familiar letters on chemistry

“There are various causes for the generation of force: a tensed spring, an air current, a falling mass of water, fire burning under a boiler, a metal that dissolves in an acid-one and the same effect can be produced by means of all these various causes. But in the animal body we recognise only one cause as the ultimate cause of all generation of force, and that is the reciprocal interaction exerted on one another by the constituents of the food and the oxygen of the air. The only known and ultimate cause of the vital activity in the animal as well as in the plant is a chemical process.”

“Since the discovery of oxygen the civilised world has undergone a revolution in manners and customs. The knowledge of the composition of the atmosphere, of the solid crust of the earth, of water, and of their influence upon the life of plants and animals, was linked to that discovery. The successful pursuit of innumerable trades and manufactures, the profitable separation of metals from their ores, also stand in the closest connection therewith.”

Source: Familiar Letters on Chemistry, in its relation to Physiology, Dietetics, Agriculture, Commerce and Political Economy: Edited by John Blyth