Chemical Revolution: A Contribution to Social Technology (Classics in the History and Philosophy of Science)

This important book examines the early chemical industry in transition from an economy dependent on wood and water to a manufacturing powerhouse based on coal and iron. Beginning with the first chemical works for producing sulfuric acid in 1749, the historical survey culminates with James Beaumont Neilson heating the blast supplied to iron surfaces in 1830. Between these events are perspectives and accounts that will fascinate chemists and historians alike.