Acid Rain and the Rise of the Environmental Chemist in Nineteenth-Century Britain: The Life and Work of Robert Angus Smith
With increasing levels of industrialisation and awareness of pollution in nineteenth-century Britain, new competencies were needed over a relatively short period of time to fulfil the demands by legislators, industrialists, and the general public for knowledge in this field. In his newly-published book published by Ashgate, Acid Rain and the Rise of the Environmental Chemist in Nineteenth-Century Britain: The Life and Work of Robert Angus Smith, Peter Reed brings the rise of the environmental chemist during this period to life. The book forms part of Ashgate Publishing’s Science, Technology and Culture, 1700-1945 series.
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Rather than providing a comprehensive account of the role and influence of environmental chemists in the 1800s, the author focuses on the role of environmental chemist Robert Angus Smith. Although not widely recognised nowadays, Smith had a notable impact on the field and played an important role in the rise of the environmental chemist. At key instances, the author recounts the wider context in which Angus Smith was operating, particularly in relation to the British chemical industries and environmental movements.
The book starts with a biography of Robert Angus Smith from his early days in Scotland to his death from complications related to pernicious anaemia in 1884. Subsequent chapter focus on such topics as the influence of other scientists on his career; how his life in Manchester in the mid-1800s shaped his interest in sanitation, air and water quality; and the increasing role of civil scientists in society. A limitation of the way the author has shaped the book is that particular aspects of his life are discussed repeatedly over a number of chapters. The final chapters give an overview of Angus Smith’s legacy; an extensive bibliography of his manuscripts, books, reports, and journal articles; and a bibliography of key texts on Angus Smith and environmental chemists in nineteenth-century Britain. |
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At the start of his career, Smith’s interaction with other leading scientists of the period, namely Thomas Graham, Justus von Liebig and Lyon Playfair, had a crucial impact on his interests. After moving to Manchester in the mid-1800s, he acquired first-hand experience of a city undergoing increasing industrialisation and the associated reduction in environmental quality and sanitation, largely as a result of sub-standard housing, inadequate fresh water and coal burning.
As his public and professional profile rose, Smith became increasingly sought after in matters related to air and water quality, sanitation, and disinfection within Britain. After he had reviewed the operation of an alum manufacturer, Smith was requested to testify in court proceedings initiated against the manufacturer. This experience enabled him to excel further in his later role as an inspector with the Alkali Inspectorate, which was key to changing British regulatory frameworks to safeguard the environment and human health (see this issue, pp 16-17). Improving manufacturing operations included acid tower improvements and better means of sampling and analysing air quality to allow for objective assessments. New regulations were also implemented, elements of which remain in place today, such as the requirement to implement the “best practicable means.”
The focus on the life and works of a single individual makes the book accessible to a reader not looking for an academic text on the history of environmental chemists, but aiming to obtain a better understanding of the history of environmental chemistry. Those interested in more information will find the suggestions for further reading and citations to relevant texts helpful. A wide range of readers should find this book a useful and interesting read.
Acid Rain and the Rise of the Environmental Chemist in Nineteenth-Century Britain: The Life and Work of Robert Angus Smith,
Peter Reed; Routledge, Science Technology and Culture 1700-1945, March 2014, ISBN: 9781409457756, doi: 10.4324/9781315565507
As his public and professional profile rose, Smith became increasingly sought after in matters related to air and water quality, sanitation, and disinfection within Britain. After he had reviewed the operation of an alum manufacturer, Smith was requested to testify in court proceedings initiated against the manufacturer. This experience enabled him to excel further in his later role as an inspector with the Alkali Inspectorate, which was key to changing British regulatory frameworks to safeguard the environment and human health (see this issue, pp 16-17). Improving manufacturing operations included acid tower improvements and better means of sampling and analysing air quality to allow for objective assessments. New regulations were also implemented, elements of which remain in place today, such as the requirement to implement the “best practicable means.”
The focus on the life and works of a single individual makes the book accessible to a reader not looking for an academic text on the history of environmental chemists, but aiming to obtain a better understanding of the history of environmental chemistry. Those interested in more information will find the suggestions for further reading and citations to relevant texts helpful. A wide range of readers should find this book a useful and interesting read.
Acid Rain and the Rise of the Environmental Chemist in Nineteenth-Century Britain: The Life and Work of Robert Angus Smith,
Peter Reed; Routledge, Science Technology and Culture 1700-1945, March 2014, ISBN: 9781409457756, doi: 10.4324/9781315565507
