All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

6o All About Inventions first aniline green, and black. A tremendous sensa- tion was caused when Perkin, simultaneously with, though independently of, two other investigators, introduced alizarine, or turkey red. This was hailed as the greatest achievement in this field, second in importance only to the discovery of the first aniline dye, because for the first time the artificial was brought into direct conflict with the keenly demanded natural article. Up to this time the cultivation of madder had been conducted upon an extensive scale merely to furnish alizarine, which was obtained from its root. When the discovery was announced it was received with scepticism, if notjndifference, those interested in the natural article maintaining that it would never be superseded by the artificial production. There appeared to be ever}' reason to second this belief, because extreme difficulty was experienced in dis- covering the best and most efficient methods of aPPtying this dye—a task which occupied several years and called for incalculable patience. But at last success was recorded, and the doom of natural madder, which could not compete with the synthetic article in price, was sealed. All this time strenuous efforts were being made to produce an aniline indigo. But it appeared to baffle every effort. Twenty years were occupied in this one quest alone, and one firm expended as much as £20,000 to bring the process to success, but failed in the task. I he money which has been sunk in the endeavour to extend the number and character of essential dyes from the products resulting from the manufacture of coal-gas is tremendous, and in many instances not a penny has been received in