The incredible ""glowing"" history of the ""Devil's element ""phosphorus Discovered by alchemists, prescribed by apothecaries, exploited by ninth-century industrialists, and abused by twentieth-century combatants, the chemical element phosphorus has fascinated us for more than three centuries. It may even be the cause of will-o'-the wisps and spontaneous human combustion! Now John Emsley has written an enthralling account of this eerily luminescent element. Shining with wonderful nuggets-from murders-by-phosphorus to a match factory strike; from the firebombing of Hamburg to the deadly compounds derived from phosphorus today-The 13th Element weaves together a rich tableau of brilliant and oddball characters, social upheavals, and bizarre events.
- | Author: John Emsley
- | Publisher: Wiley (TP)
- | Publication Date: Jan 01, 2002
- | Number of Pages: 352 pages
- | Binding: Paperback or Softback
- | ISBN-10: 047144149X
- | ISBN-13: 9780471441496
