A Campaign for the Second Chemical Revolution

What chemists of the 1850s referred to as Gerhardt s system emphasized the unity between inorganic and organic chemistry, and attempted to make use of 

Wurtz (1858) J espere que ce journal pourra contribuer a repandre les idees nouvelles.  

It is striking, and highly significant, that Wurtz waited to reveal himself as a Gerhardtian until the Societe chimique gave him an unobstructed editorial platform on which to do so.  

But there is no question that in the Societe chimique Wurtz had helped to create an important new organization with many allies in leadership positions, and an editorial platform from which to broadcast his views. No fewer than nine students of Wurtz became presidents of the Societe chimique - Philippe de Clermont, Charles Friedel (three times), Auguste Scheurer-Kestner, Edmond Willm, Armand Gautier (three times), Edouard Grimaux (three times), Joseph LeBel, Maurice Hanriot (twice) and Alphonse Combes and the society s editorial board was generally packed with members of his circle.  

---