~~Phosphorus is one of the most interesting of all the elements. Its peculiar property of glowing in the dark places it in a special and rare category. For some unexplained reason, man has always been intrigued by any substance with phosphorescent properties.
ТЪе history of phosphorus is no less interesting than the element itself. It was first prepared in 1669 by a German alchemist Hcnnig Brand, who like every other alchemist of his day, was searching for the elusive philosopher's stone. We can never tell you what gave him the idea that his magic stone could be found in human urine, but, nevertheless, he carried on a scries of elaborate experiments with urine. After much experimentation he could obtain a yellowish waxy substancc by distilling a residue from the urine. We can imagine how thrilled he must have been when he noticed that the strange substance glowed in the dark.
Brand kept the details of the preparation of this strange substance secret, but the news soon leaked out. He then sold his formula to other chemists, who also made the clement in secret. The method of isolating phosphorus was made known to the world in general only in 1737. It was soon discovered that the clement could be obtained from bones, and the unpleasant method of obtaining it from urine could be abandoned. It is truly remarkable that Brand could prepare phosphorus with very limited equipment and knowledge then available. Even today with all of our modern equipment, phosphorus is not isolated with ease.
Phosphorus may be fascinating, but is also intensely poisonous. It should never be allowed to touch the skin, as it causes painful burns which are extremely difficult to heal. We must always handle it with forceps and keep it under water when it is not in use.
Phosphorus has a garlic-like colour. Its fumes are poisonous too.
