Description: Robert Angus Smith (1817-1884) was a Scottish chemist and a leading investigator into what came to be known as 'acid rain'. This study of his life and work sheds light on the evolving understanding of sanitary science during the 19th century and of the need for regulation and enforcement of the chemical industries. It offers a fascinating insight into the changing landscape of British politics and is essential reading for historians of science, technology and industry in the nineteenth-century, as well as environmental historians seeking background context to the twentieth-century environmental movements.
Review Quotes: 'The focus on the life and works of a single individual makes the book accessible ...A wide range of readers should find this book a useful and interesting read.' Environmental Chemistry Group Bulletin 'The book will have wide appeal, but I particularly recommend it to those interested in the history of the chemical industry or the history of environmentalism.' Chemistry World 'This book ably succeeds in providing an in-depth analysis of Robert Angus Smith's crucial role in developing the regulation of air pollution in Britain... It will be of interest to all historians of nineteenth-century science, technology and industry... Its broader appeal to those interested in environmental concerns is highlighted anecdotally by the number of people who on enquiring about the book I was reading, eagerly wanted to find out more about the man who first used the phrase 'acid rain'. There aren't many books on nineteenth-century chemistry that I read which provoke such an enthusiastic response!' Royal Society of Chemistry Historical Group