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Pioneering Ideas for the Physical and Chemical Sciences: Josef Loschmidt's Contributions and Modern Developments in Structural Organic Chemistry, Atomistics and Statistical Mechanics

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Review of `Pioneering Ideas for the Physical and Chemical Sciences: Josef Loschmidt's Contributions and Modern Developments in Structural Organic Chemistry, Atomistics and Statistical Mechanics' by W. Fleischhacker (Editor), T. Schönfeld (Editor)

Reviewer: Dr Bill Palmer

This hardcover book consists of a selection of papers from the proceedings of the Josef Loschmidt symposium held between June 25 and June 27, 1995 in Vienna, Austria, published by the Plenum Press. The conference was in honour of the chemist, Josef Loschmidt, who died in 1895. The volume is nicely produced and consist of thirty three chapters with a total of 320 pages which include an index and some appendices. The book divides the chapters into three sections; these are organic structural chemistry, physics and physical chemistry and biographical chapters.

Few of those not directly involved in the history of science are likely to have heard of the name of J. J. Loschmidt, an Austrian chemist who died one hundred years ago. A few older chemists may have used textbooks that refer to the Loschmidt number rather than the Avogadro number; this is because he was the first person to provide a reasonable estimate in of what we would call the Avogadro number. He was amongst the first scientists to unravel the structure of benzene and a number of historians of science consider that he should have precedence over Kekule. He was born into a very poor family, became a manufacturer of chemicals, but was unsuccessful as an industrialist. He was a school teacher for a while and eventually obtained a post at the University of Vienna as a lecturer. He was intensely modest and perhaps his modesty is why he is almost unknown today.

He deserves to be better known and this book contains a huge variety about Josef Loschmidt and his discoveries.

BILL PALMER