_The "cold light" produced by phosphorus caused it to be
considered a miraculous chemical for a long time after its
discovery, about 1669. During the intervening three centuries
numerous other chemical miracles have been found, yet
phosphorus retains a special aura of universal importance in
chemistry. Many investigators have occupied themselves with
this element and its diverse chemical compounds. Further
enlightenment and insight into the ways of nature can be
expected from these efforts._
_Not only is the story of phosphorus a major drama in the
history of chemistry; it also illustrates, in a spectacular
example, the growth of this science through the discovery of
connections between apparently unrelated phenomena, and the
continuous interplay between basic science and the search for
practical usage._
THE AUTHOR: _Eduard Farber is a research professor at American
University, Washington, D.C., and has been associated with the
Smithsonian Institution as a consultant in chemistry._
When phosphorus was discovered, nearly three centuries ago, it was
considered a miraculous thing. The only event that provoked a similar
emotion was the discovery of radium more than two centuries later. The
excitement about the _Phosphorus igneus_, Boyle's _Icy Noctiluca_, was
slowly replaced by, or converted into, chemical research. Yet, if we
would allow room for emotion in research, we could still be excited
about the wondrous substance that chemical and biological work continues
to reveal as vitally important. It is a fundamental plant nutrient, an
essential part in nerve and brain substance, a decisive factor in muscle
action and cell growth, and also a component in fast-acting, powerful
poisons. The importance of phosphorus was gradually recognized and the
means by which this took place are characteristic and similar to other
developments in the history of science. This paper was written in order
to summarize these various means which led to the highly complex ways of
present research.