The Chemist 2. Roussin (1827-941 Now we rarely perpetuate the memory of a chemist by naming a compound after him, hut I wonder who would he aware

of the French chemist Raussin had he not given his name to two salts he discovered: Roussin's black and red salts. Both are nitrosyls of iron-sulfur clusters of formulas K[Fe4(N0)7S3] and K2[Fe2(NO)&]. Although these particular compounds are laboratorv curiosities. the" each contain an iron-sulfur cluster and such clusters are of ereat bioloeical interest. , ~~

Rwssm was born at &nda-hl"dins. llle-et-Vilnlnr on Scptemher fi. 1827. He studiri pharrnne;: in Hcnnes and wnq

for inoil t ~ f hii life a pharmacivt in the French army. He dlrd in Paris on Aprd A. 1891. In hi5 spare timc he carried <nut chemml re,earch, mnrnly on dyrstulfi although he was cdurhlind He w n s a150 employed hv thr Frrnrh gwernmrnr l u invert crate matters of public interest, such as the contamination of wine by alum.

He published a number of chemical papers, including a long account of the properties of the red and black salts mentioned previously. He appears to have had a problem with his initials. He was christened Fran~ois-Zaeherie, but modern authors have given his name as 2. (1,2), J. (3) and M. L. (4) Roussin. He generally referred to himself as Z. Roussin so Gmelin and Mellor are correct. J. Roussin must be a simple error. M. L. Roussin is mare of a puzzle because it is taken from a paper written by Roussin himself. (5).

With many papers puhlished in France during the first half of the last century the author's surname is preceded by le citoyen and no initials were given. By the middle of the century this had been changed to M., the abbreviation for Monsieur. Equally M. could he an initial, and so the situation is somewhat confusing. In a t least one paper (6) the author is given as M. Z. Rowsin. Thus, the M. of M. L. Roussin stands for Monsieru, but how did the L. arise? The earliest typewriters were not marketed by Remington, the gunsmiths of Ilion, New York, until 1874, and so Roussinmust have submitted his paper to the jwrnal as a handwritten manuscript. We fortunately have a copy of Roussin's signature, and it is easy ta see how readily

2 . f i M # " / the Z. is taken for an L. In the absence of typewriters the task of an editor cannot have been easy

Literature Cited I11 "Gmelin. Handbuch der Anorganisehen Chemie," Eisen, Teil 8, Verlag Chemie. Berlin, 1932. (2) Mellor. J. W.. "A Comprehensive Treatiseon Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry': Longmans. Green and Co. Ltd., London, I928. 13) Thomas, J. T., Robertson, J. H.. and Cox. E. G., d c t o Cryxloli., 11.599 (19581. (4) Chu. C. T. ,snd Dahl, L. F..lnarganir Chem.. 16.3245(19771. (51 Rousin,M. L.,Ann. Chim. Phy8.,52.285 (1858). I61 Roussin,M. Z.,Bull. Soe Chim. Fronee. 13811860).

Anthony R. Butler University of St. Andrews

St. Andrews. Scotland KY169ST

Volume 59 Number 7 July 1982 549