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)

ence owes him the major radioanaiytical methods which were fully developed much before industrial-scale production of radioisotopes in nuclear reactors was started, and widespread application of the methods became feasible. Hevesy developed the isotope dilution method in Freiburg (Baden) in 1931, x-ray fluorescence analysis at the same university in 1932, and one of the most important and certainly most sensitive methods of modern trace element analysis, neutron activation analysis in Copenhagen, in 1935. In the same town he discovered (with Coster) in 1925 the since long searched element 72, the hafnium nominated after Copenhagens latin name. From the oustanding chemists of our century I mention further on only some names. Research work in organic chemistry began in Hungary relatively late, only at the beginning of the century. The leading personality of this domain was Géza Zemplén who made fundamental research in the chemistry of sugars. László Zechmeister, who died in the United States and László Cholnoky have elaborated the important method of column chromatography and have written the first monography, of this field published in the 30s in English and in German. Albert Szent-Györgyi has been rewarded with the Nobel prize 1933 for medicine and biology for his research work concerning vitamin C. As so many other Hungarian scientists he emigrated in the U.S. after the Second World War from before the communist dictature. In analytical chemistry László Szebellédy was granted a short life of 43 years only, he invented the coulometric and the catalytic methods of analysis, Elemér Schuleks and László Erdeys names are worldwhite known in this branche of chemistry quite like this of Aladár Buzágh many of whose contributions to colloid science. Finishing I mention two interesting chemists with some merits in our science but more famous for their role in Hungarian history. Artúr Görgey studied chemistry and worked 1848 as assistant in the department of chemistry at the University of Prague and discovered there the lauric acid in the domain of fattyacids. After the Hungarian revolution of 1848 he returned to Hungary with the hope of obtaining a professorship. In the meantime the Hungarian War of Independence began. Görgey immediatly joined the newly created Hungarian national army, there he distinguished himself as officer in different battles, rapidly he advanced through the ranks, 1849 he was named commander of chief of the Hungarian army, he defeated the Austrian army in many battles and reconquered the capital city of Buda. But after the intervention of Russians on the site of Austrians the situation became hopeles and he had to surrender himself and the rest of his army to the Russians. The second person is Ignác Martinovics. He was a franciscan monk and professor of physics and chemistry in Lemberg, he was one of the pioneers in the fractional distillation of crude oils. Convicted of organizing a Jacobin plot he was beheaded in Buda 1795, one year after Lavoisiers similar execution in Paris. To the best of my knowledge of history of chemistry, L. and M. are the only chemists to have been executed. One because he was a Jacobin and the second by the Jacobins. After all, truth and crime can be very different in the same time in different parts of our world. This to learn we had here in Hungary excellent possibilities during the past seventy years. After so many decades of war troubles and oppression we hope to have a happyer future before us, in freedom, democracy and, perhaps, perhaps at long last in wealths too.