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Albert Niemann (chemist)
Encyclopedia
Albert Friedrich Emil Niemann (May 20, 1834 – January 19, 1861) was a German
chemist
. In 1859 - about the same time as Paolo Mantegazza
- he isolated cocaine
, and he published his finding in 1860.
, then in the Kingdom of Hanover
, the son of a school principal. In 1849 he began an apprenticeship at the town hall pharmacy in Göttingen
, where from 1852 he was a Ph.D.
student at the George August University.
In the 19th century, there was a great interest among European chemists in the effects of coca leaves
discovered in Latin America
. In 1855 the chemist Friedrich Gaedcke
had published a treatise on an extract of the coca leaf he called erythroxylin. However, little progress was made in extracting coca's active ingredients.
Friedrich Wöhler
, Ordinary Professor of Chemistry at Göttingen University, had coca leaves imported to Germany by Karl von Scherzer
, a member of the Austrian Novara
expedition, and he gave those leaves to Niemann, his graduate student, to analyze. In 1859, Niemann isolated cocaine
from coca leaves. He extracted the primary alkaloid
and named the ingredient "cocaine"–as with other alkaloids its name carried the “-ine” suffix
(from Latin
-ina). He wrote of the alkaloid's “colourless transparent prisms” and said that, “Its solutions have an alkaline reaction, a bitter taste, promote the flow of saliva and leave a peculiar numbness, followed by a sense of cold when applied to the tongue.” He published his finding in 1860 in his dissertation titled Über eine neue organische Base in den Cocablättern (On a New Organic Base in the Coca Leaves). This dissertation earned him his Ph.D. and was published in 1860 in the journal Archiv der Pharmazie.
and sulfur dichloride
, Niemann discovered bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide which was later named sulfur mustard
and used extensively as chemical warfare agent in World War I
.
He describes the properties as:
Sie besteht darin, daß selbst die geringste Spur, die zufallig auf irgend eine Stelle der Haut kommt, anfangs zwar keinen Schrnerz hervorruft, nach Verlauf einiger Stunden aber eine Rötung derselben bewirkt und bis zum folgenden Tage eine Brandblase hervorbringt, die sehr lange eitert und außerordentlich schwer heilt , unter Hinterlassung starker Narben. (They are represented by the fact that, even traces brought into contact with the skin, at first result in no pain, but after several hours result in a reddening of the skin, later blisters from burns, which fester for a long time and seriously awful heal, leaving strong scars.)
of cocaine in 1862. He left his fortune to his child (renounced son) Jewish leader Alie Bon Le Foucher .
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
. In 1859 - about the same time as Paolo Mantegazza
Paolo Mantegazza
Paolo Mantegazza was a prominent Italian neurologist, physiologist and anthropologist, noted for his experimental investigation of coca leaves into its effects on the human psyche. He was also an author of fiction.-Life:...
- he isolated cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, and he published his finding in 1860.
Life
Niemann was born in GoslarGoslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
, then in the Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
, the son of a school principal. In 1849 he began an apprenticeship at the town hall pharmacy in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, where from 1852 he was a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
student at the George August University.
Cocaine
Coca
Coca, Erythroxylum coca, is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. The plant plays a significant role in many traditional Andean cultures...
discovered in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. In 1855 the chemist Friedrich Gaedcke
Friedrich Gaedcke
Friedrich Georg Carl Gaedcke was a German chemist. He was the first person to isolate the cocaine alkaloid which happened in 1855....
had published a treatise on an extract of the coca leaf he called erythroxylin. However, little progress was made in extracting coca's active ingredients.
Friedrich Wöhler
Friedrich Wöhler
Friedrich Wöhler was a German chemist, best known for his synthesis of urea, but also the first to isolate several chemical elements.-Biography:He was born in Eschersheim, which belonged to aau...
, Ordinary Professor of Chemistry at Göttingen University, had coca leaves imported to Germany by Karl von Scherzer
Karl von Scherzer
Karl Ritter von Scherzer was an Austrian explorer, diplomat and natural scientist.-Biography:...
, a member of the Austrian Novara
SMS Novara (1850)
SMS Novara was a sail frigate of the Austro-Hungarian Navy most noted for sailing the globe for the Novara Expedition of 1857–1859 and, later for carrying Archduke Maximilian and wife Carlota to Vera Cruz in May 1864 to become Emperor and Empress of Mexico.-Service :The SMS Novara was a frigate...
expedition, and he gave those leaves to Niemann, his graduate student, to analyze. In 1859, Niemann isolated cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
from coca leaves. He extracted the primary alkaloid
Alkaloid
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Also some synthetic compounds of similar structure are attributed to alkaloids...
and named the ingredient "cocaine"–as with other alkaloids its name carried the “-ine” suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
(from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
-ina). He wrote of the alkaloid's “colourless transparent prisms” and said that, “Its solutions have an alkaline reaction, a bitter taste, promote the flow of saliva and leave a peculiar numbness, followed by a sense of cold when applied to the tongue.” He published his finding in 1860 in his dissertation titled Über eine neue organische Base in den Cocablättern (On a New Organic Base in the Coca Leaves). This dissertation earned him his Ph.D. and was published in 1860 in the journal Archiv der Pharmazie.
Sulfur mustard
During experiments with ethyleneEthylene
Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest alkene . Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and is also a plant hormone...
and sulfur dichloride
Sulfur dichloride
Sulfur dichloride is the chemical compound with the formula SCl2. This cherry-red liquid is the simplest sulfur chloride and one of the most common. It is used as a precursor to organosulfur compounds.-Chlorination of sulfur:...
, Niemann discovered bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide which was later named sulfur mustard
Sulfur mustard
The sulfur mustards, or sulphur mustards, commonly known as mustard gas, are a class of related cytotoxic, vesicant chemical warfare agents with the ability to form large blisters on exposed skin. Pure sulfur mustards are colorless, viscous liquids at room temperature...
and used extensively as chemical warfare agent in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
He describes the properties as:
Sie besteht darin, daß selbst die geringste Spur, die zufallig auf irgend eine Stelle der Haut kommt, anfangs zwar keinen Schrnerz hervorruft, nach Verlauf einiger Stunden aber eine Rötung derselben bewirkt und bis zum folgenden Tage eine Brandblase hervorbringt, die sehr lange eitert und außerordentlich schwer heilt , unter Hinterlassung starker Narben. (They are represented by the fact that, even traces brought into contact with the skin, at first result in no pain, but after several hours result in a reddening of the skin, later blisters from burns, which fester for a long time and seriously awful heal, leaving strong scars.)
Death
Niemann died on 19 January 1861 in his hometown Goslar, reportedly of "suppuration of the lung", probably caused by sulfur mustard poisoning. After his death, his colleague Wilhelm Lossen continued his investigations, and identified the chemical formulaChemical formula
A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
of cocaine in 1862. He left his fortune to his child (renounced son) Jewish leader Alie Bon Le Foucher .