Guthrie, Frederick

Guthrie Frederick (1833-1886) Brit, phys., studied magnetism, electricity, vibration, cryohydrates ( Elements Heat 1868) Haines Peter John (1934-), Brit, chem., thermomicroscopy, simultaneous TA, polymers (book Thermal methods of analysis 1965)... 

I. D. Blackburne, P. M. Fredericks, and R. D. Guthrie, Studies on unsaturated sugars with particular reference to the synthesis of 6-deoxy-6-fluoro derivatives, Aust. J. Chem., 29 (1976) 381-391. 

Frederick Guthrie (London 15 October 1833-21 October 1886) studied under Kolbe in Marburg (D.Phil. 1856), was demonstrator at Owens College Manchester (1857) and Edinburgh (1859), professor of chemistry in Mauritius (1861), and of physics in the Royal School of Mines (1869) and School of Science (1881) in London. He published on cryohydrates, discovered mustard gas by absorbing ethylene in sulphur chloride, and did work in physics (thermal conductivity of liquids) of little importance. 

MUSTARD GAS. An enduring but flawed name for the chemical fcw(2-chloroethyl)sulfide, a chemical warfare (CW) agent that causes blisters and bums. A preferred term is sulfur mustard. This substance is neither a mustard (in the sense used by chemists) nor, under ordinary conditions, a gas. The substance was discovered repeatedly and independently by chemists in the 19th century, and one of these chemists, Frederick Guthrie, remarked in 1859 that the chemical had an odor resembling that of oil of mustard and that it tasted like horseradish. In its pure state, mustard gas is a straw-colored liquid, although impurities can cause it to appear reddish-brown to black. In any event, the liquid bears little resemblance in color, odor, or taste to the condiment mustard. 

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