Geologische Mitteilungen aus Mähren, published in Vienna in 1834, stands as the inaugural geological monograph produced in Austria. Authored by Carl Reichenbach, this work reflected his broad expertise as a naturalist, chemist, and engineer. Born in Stuttgart in 1788, he remained a citizen of the Kingdom of Württemberg throughout his life, eventually passing away in Leipzig in 1869.
Industrial Innovation and Chemical Research
Educated at the University of Tübingen, where he earned a doctorate in philosophy, Reichenbach shifted his focus toward the practical application of science in industrial settings. He toured manufacturing sites across France and Germany before establishing a modern metallurgical company. With forges operating in Villingen and Hausach in the Black Forest and later in Baden, he utilized his access to chemical works and iron furnaces to conduct large-scale experiments. Between 1830 and 1834, he identified several hydrocarbon compounds derived from coal and wood tar distillation. His discoveries included creosote, paraffin, eupione, phenol, and synthetic dyestuffs such as pittacal and cidreret. He detailed these findings in the Neues Jahrbuch der Chemie und Physik, noting the economic potential of these substances.
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Reichenbach integrated his empirical observations into wider scientific theories, particularly regarding the nature of the Earth. Expanding upon ideas previously proposed by Galileo Galilei, he posited that Earth's magnetism originated from magnetic iron present in meteorites. He argued that since planets and meteorites shared fundamental physical characteristics, the existence of magnetic poles within meteorites provided proof of a universal central force in space. This conclusion gained significant traction and was accepted as conclusive by the scientific community during the 19th century.
Metaphysical Investigations into the Odic Force
Following his retirement from industrial activities in 1839, Reichenbach transitioned into the study of the human nervous system. His research covered conditions such as neurasthenia, somnambulism, and hysteria. Influenced by the work of Franz Anton Mesmer, he sought to identify a connection between these conditions and environmental electromagnetism. He eventually proposed the existence of an imponderable energy emanating from most substances, which he labeled the Odic force. This concept, described as a life principle permeating living things, became the focus of his later publications, including the two-volume Physikalisch-physiologische Untersuchungen über die Dynamide des Magnetismus and his correspondence in Odisch-magnetische Briefe.
Fast facts
- Born: 1788, Stuttgart
- Died: 1869, Leipzig
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Württemberg
- Education: University of Tübingen
- Key Chemical Discoveries: Creosote, Paraffin, Phenol, Pittacal
- Notable Publication: Geologische Mitteilungen aus Mähren, 1834
- Member of: German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Questions readers ask
What was the Odic force?
It was a hypothetical energy force Reichenbach claimed emanated from living things and various substances, which he believed connected all life.
What industrial contributions did Reichenbach make?
He established early modern metallurgical companies and identified several chemical products from tar, including the first synthetic dye, pittacal.
Achievements
- Fields: chemistry
