Technikatörténeti szemle 19. (1992)

KÖNYVISMERTETÉS - Papers of the First „MINERALKONTOR” International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Veszprém, 12-16 August, 1991)

the branches of chemistry are at work, together with a number of disciples, acting with the industry and assiduity characteristic of the German scientist. The meeting place of the Berlin chemists is the Hoffmann House, in its luxuriously furnished conference room the Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft has its meetings (nearly every second week). Here big and little of the chemists gather, partiy to give accounts on the results of their research, and partly to discuss the papers on the agenda. The symptoms of „rádium fever" appear here rather among the lay public, the scientist are cautious and waiting. Since the electric separation of radium/barium by Marckwald W. we, so-tosay, haven't heard anything about radium. The account of E. Buchner on his experiments into the disclosure of the nature of alcoholic fermentation was very intresting. As a result he pustulates that lactic acid plays an important role in sugar degradation, moreover, it is probable that this compound is formed as an intermediate. Magnesium derivatives are very popular in organic chemistry, and there is hardly a paper of recent date in which the Grignard reagent named after its inventor should not occur. This is a very nice reaction and facilitates the preparation of a vast range of organic compounds. In establishing low temperatures, liquid air has become a near to indispensable means. This has become feasible only because its price in Berlin amounts to 1 Mark and 50 Pfennig only" (26). However, the abstracting columns of the domestic journals gave much more information on the new events in chemistry all over the world and — as will be seen — mainly on the achievements of German chemists than such an occasional account. In order to present also the other side of the interrelations of Hungarian and Greman chemical associations and both communities of chemists, we shall take this time the section of chemistry of the Royal Hungarian Association for Natural sciences as an example. This was chosen as it existed throughout the period treated and went on publishing its own journal, the Magyar Chemiai Folyóirat (Hungarian Chemical Journal) from 1895 on. Perhaps this journal was the one that abstracted the chemical literature from abroad in the most accurate way. In the aims of the journal the conviction of the contemporaries, namely that the knowledge, of the Hungarian chemists is lagging behind the world is strongly reflected so are, of course, the aspirations of pupularization of the whole Association. Among their aims we can read as follows: „The main aspect will be, mainly at the beginning, that the journal take into account the scientific level and practical demands of the great part of the readers. According to this, particularity at the beginning, the focus should be not so much the selection of new subjects but rather of those which are very important, even if more ancient, and rise the interest of the readers... Thus, in the first years, didactical aspects have to be the guiding principle (27)." In order to organize abstracting, measures were taken as follows: ..Experts will be asked to read the foreign journals and to follow the most interesting papers in a way that during reading they might indicate the essential parts by mar-