TABLE OF CONTENTS Those interested in the history of analytical chemistry owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Ferenc Szabadvary, whose comprehensive history of the subject first appeared in Hungarian in 1960, and in English translation in 1966. The book is still of considerable value, especially for the history of classical methods. It had been out of print for many years, and therefore the appearance of a reprint in 1992 was a welcome event. [1a] Translations have also appeared in Russian and Japanese. [1b,c] A serialized account describing the development of analytical chemistry from the latter part of the eighteenth century until the mid-twentieth century has as been published in German. [2] A general schematic overview of the historical evolution of analytical chemistry has been given by J. A. Perez-Bustamente. [3] The same author has emphasized the strong link between the discovery of the elements and analytical chemistry; a new analytical technique or an improvement in analytical methodology having on several occasions resulted in the discovery of new elements. [4]
An article by Laitinen describes the emergence of analytical chemistry as an independent scientific discipline. [5] Laitinen has also studied the history of analytical chemistry in the USA. [6] After referring to some of the individuals who were responsible for advancing the discipline in the United States in the nineteenth century, such as S. M. Babcock, E. F. Smith, H. W. Wiley and E.
