/oss/taxonomy/term/904/all en /oss/article/technology-history/most-important-industrial-chemical-worldand-lesson-learned <p><span>The thick liquid used to be called "oil of vitriol," since it was originally made by the distillation of "green vitriol," or iron sulfate as we know it today.  It was so corrosive and nasty that the term "vitriolic" entered our vocabulary to describe language that was particularly disagreeable.</span></p> Tue, 03 Jul 2018 21:35:40 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7156 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-health-news-toxicity/vitriolic-attacks <p>In the Sherlock Holmes story, The Case of the Illustrious Client, a former paramour seeks revenge on the dastardly Baron Adelbert Gruner by splashing the Baron’s face with sulphuric acid, which at the time was commonly known as vitriol.  The effect was accurately described by Conan Doyle, which is not surprising, given that the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories was a physician: “The vitriol was eating into it everywhere and dripping from the ears and the chin. One eye was already white and glazed. The other was red and inflamed.</p> Tue, 09 Sep 2014 01:21:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2194 at /oss /oss/article/quirky-science-science-science-everywhere/bitterly-scathing-or-caustic-remarks-can-be-said-be-vitriolic-what-chemical-term-associated <p style="text-align:justify">Sulphuric acid, which has the traditional name, “oil of vitriol.” It is a nasty, corrosive liquid, making “vitriolic” an apt term for virulent language. At first it may seem odd that the term “vitriol” derives from the Latin meaning glass, since glass is an inert material. But there is a reasonable explanation. The earliest method of making sulphuric acid relied on heating naturally occurring minerals composed of sulphates. These compounds can exhibit quite different colors but they all have a decidedly “glassy” appearance.</p> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:17:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1888 at /oss