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The Quest for Aqua Vitae

The History and Chemistry of Alcohol from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
Artikelnummer: 978-3-319-06301-0
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Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is one of the most ubiquitous chemical compounds in the history of the chemical sciences. The generation of alcohol via fermentation is also one of the oldest forms of chemical technology, with the production of fermented beverages such as mead, beer, and wine predating the smelting of metals. By the 12th century, the ability to isolate alcohol from wine had moved this chemical species from a simple component of alcoholic beverages to both a new medicine and a powerful new solvent. Of course, this also began the long tradition of production of liqueurs and strong spirits for consumption. The use of alcohol as a fuel, however, did not occur until significantly later periods. This volume presents a general overview of the early history and chemistry of alcohol production and isolation, as well as a discussion of its early uses in both the chemical arts and medicine.

"This brief monograph is part of the 'SpringerBriefs History of Chemistry' series (a subseries of 'SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science'). Rasmussen (North Dakota State Univ.), a recognized historian of chemistry, is also the series editor. ? The book is well documented with copious footnotes that include brief biographies of many of the figures involved in this history, and full references. ? Summing Up: Recommended. All general, academic, and professional history of chemistry collections." (H. Goldwhite, Choice, Vol. 52 (5), January, 2015)

"The book is well written, extensively referenced, and covers a range of scholarly material on ethanol production from several disciplines. The result is a convincing and erudite study of the early history of this most attractive of compounds, and one that I recommend highly for all chemists and their libraries." (John Nicholson, Chemistry World, December, 2014)


Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is one of the most ubiquitous chemical compounds in the history of the chemical sciences. The generation of alcohol via fermentation is also one of the oldest forms of chemical technology, with the production of fermented beverages such as mead, beer, and wine predating the smelting of metals. By the 12th century, the ability to isolate alcohol from wine had moved this chemical species from a simple component of alcoholic beverages to both a new medicine and a powerful new solvent. Of course, this also began the long tradition of production of liqueurs and strong spirits for consumption. The use of alcohol as a fuel, however, did not occur until significantly later periods. This volume presents a general overview of the early history and chemistry of alcohol production and isolation, as well as a discussion of its early uses in both the chemical arts and medicine.

"This brief monograph is part of the 'SpringerBriefs History of Chemistry' series (a subseries of 'SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science'). Rasmussen (North Dakota State Univ.), a recognized historian of chemistry, is also the series editor. ? The book is well documented with copious footnotes that include brief biographies of many of the figures involved in this history, and full references. ? Summing Up: Recommended. All general, academic, and professional history of chemistry collections." (H. Goldwhite, Choice, Vol. 52 (5), January, 2015)

"The book is well written, extensively referenced, and covers a range of scholarly material on ethanol production from several disciplines. The result is a convincing and erudite study of the early history of this most attractive of compounds, and one that I recommend highly for all chemists and their libraries." (John Nicholson, Chemistry World, December, 2014)


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VerlagSpringer
EinbandKartonierter Einband (Kt)
Erscheinungsjahr2014
Seitenangabe120 S.
AusgabekennzeichenEnglisch
MasseH23.5 cm x B15.5 cm x D0.7 cm 195 g
ReiheSpringerBriefs in Molecular Science
AutorRasmussen, Seth C.

Alle Bände der Reihe "SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science"

Über den Autor Seth C. Rasmussen

Seth C. Rasmussen is a Professor of Chemistry at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo. A native of the Seattle area, he received his B.S in chemistry from Washington State University in 1990, before continuing his graduate studies at Clemson University under the guidance of Prof. John D. Petersen. After completing his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry in 1994, he moved to the University of Oregon to study conjugated organic polymers as a postdoctoral associate under Prof. James E. Hutchison. He then accepted a teaching position at the University of Oregon in 1997, before moving to join the faculty at NDSU in 1999. Attaining the rank of full professor in 2012, Prof. Rasmussen also spent the spring of 2018 as a Fulbright Senior Scholar and visiting professor at the Centre for Organic Electronics of the University of Newcastle, Australia. Active in the fields of both materials chemistry and the history of chemistry, his research interests include the design and synthesis of conjugated materials, photovoltaics (solar cells), NIR photodetectors, organic light emitting diodes, the history of materials, chemical technology in antiquity, and the application of history to chemical education. As author and editor, Prof. Rasmussen has contributed to books in both materials and history and has published more than 140 research papers and book chapters. His most recent monograph was The Origins and Early History of Conjugated Organic Polymers: Organic Semiconductors, Synthetic Metals, and the Prehistory of Organic Electronics (Oxford University Press, 2025). He was named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 2021, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2022, and a Fellow of the History of Chemistry (HIST)division of the ACS in 2023. In 2025, his work in history was recognized with the Joseph B. Lambert HIST Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry. Prof. Rasmussen served as the Program Chair for HIST from 2008 to 2017, and the HIST Chair in 2021-2022. In addition, he continues to serve as the series editor for the book series Springer Briefs in History of Chemistry and Perspectives on the History of Chemistry, and as an advisory board member for the journals Chemical Science and Substantia: An International Journal of the History of Chemistry.

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