The Shocking History of Phosphorus – A biography of the devils element.(book review)

Title :-The Shocking History of Phosphorus – A biography of the  devils element.

By :- John Emsley

Published :- Pan Books (2001) Paperback (300 pages)

Outline;- The history of discovery (1676) from boiling down urine and later bones, was at a time when Kraft could use his discovered new element in public magic shows ( glowing etc). The first friction matches were made by John Walker (1827) in England, and they were made popular by others in 1830 as “lucifers”. Matches were made in village family cooperatives throughout Europe, and were one of the earlier industries to be transformed under the industrial revolution. Big owners became rich, and the expanding work force became poorer, but it was an only source of cash income. International trade wars happened over matches. Changes in the formula resulted in some manufacturing options involving poisons and danger of combustion, with parliament eventually getting involved. The war saw the phosphorous bomb and other military uses. Then phosphorus based poisons for rats became popular, and also popular for murder. The remnant phosphorescence in the victim’s became one of the very first elements for scientific evidence for criminal court cases, and bodies were dug up years later to convict criminals. More recently phosphorus is a base of many house hold cleaning products and soaps. Phosphorous is the only metal element in the double helix molecule of genes.

An excellent book for the popular science reader.