A Modern Visit to Liebig's Laboratory. By Clinrles J. Brmid, Nationnl Fertilizer .Association.-I n Nay, 182.1, tlic yoiriig cliciiiist Justus Liebig reported for duty a t tlic siiiall public uiiircrsity n t Gicsscn, ii plensant, wooded town iii the liill country in tlie fertile vnlley of tlic river Lrrliii. This town is about the size of Aiiri Arbor, Alicli., but its State Univcrsity even today Iiiis less t h n i WOO stntlents, wIiiIc the University of BIichignn has iiiorc thcin 12,000.
Liehig found n professor of cliciiiistry alrcndy on duty, but 110 lectilrc l i d or laboratory was available. Shortly afterwards he obtaiaed liis first lectirre room in sonic biirracks nindc wcniit by reinovnl of tlie lociil niilitiiry garrison, nnd. bcgan liis work Novcinbcr 7, 1824. Two years Inter lie obtnined ntlditioiinl laboratory nnd lecture spnce, and in 1835 nnd ngnin in 1839 his institute IVUS so enlarged ns to iicconimotlntc, inndequately, skidcnts from nll ovcr tlie world.
In July, 1937, the writer fortunntcly was nblc to visit Liebig's old Inborntory. it is kept up by I L fouiidation supported I)y 11 siiinll cnrlowiiiciit niid frec will gifts. It is prescrvcd in its originnl state, with the ojtlfnshionctl retorts, ovens, nir p i n i p , and otlicr nppnrntos. Tlic curntor of tlic ~iiiiseniii, ii woiii~ii, obligingly shows strangers tlirougli tlic vnrioiis Inl)orntorics niid otlicr roonis. Licbig's work on fiilniinates, h e t sugnr, pliosplioric acid, potash, niid nitrogen is always iiiciitionctl, but especiiil eiiiphnsis is lnitl 011 the fact tliirt lirvt of 1111 lie wns 11 grctrt touclicr who Inid tlic foundation for our wliolc present laborntory nicthod of instruction.
Tliu niciiioriul lnborutory building, with tlic words In meiiiory of lJicbig " nhove its fnptlc, liiis n somewhit clnssic front with n side cutratice. It is kept iii nn cxcellciit stirtc of rcpnir. In tlic public pnrlc nearby tlicrc is ti fiiic iiiorblc statue tlirit lins been crcctctl in Liebig's ilollour.