Justus Liebig, Chemistry in
its Application to Agriculture and Physiology, 2nd English
Edition, 1842
In the 1840s, Justus Liebig complained that
“in botany the talent and labor of inquirers has been
wholly spent in the examination of form and structure;
chemistry and physics have not been allowed to sit in council
upon the explanation of the most simple processes.” He
had in mind applying physiology--the application of chemistry
to the study of vital processes. He did not restrict this to
the workings of individual organisms, but rather had a broader
perspective. Following Lavoisier and the organic chemists with
whom he had studied, he thought in terms of the carbon cycle
and believed that “the life of plants is closely connected
with that of animals in a most simple manner, and for a wise
and sublime purpose. Liebig’s work influenced a wide range
of sciences, especially agriculture, to which he devoted his
final energies. His large teaching laboratory in Geissen provided
an exemplar for an new style of large-scale experimental research. |