Richard August Carl Emil Erlenmeyer made many contributions to the field of chemistry. His career demonstrates that being engrossed in a field leads to the invention of improvements in methods and organization of knowledge. Erlenmeyer improved the methods of chemistry by creating a beaker that now bears his name. The beaker is conical shaped which makes it easier for mixing substances. It is an invention that grew out of his recognizing a necessity. This recognition of the need is testimony to his many hours in the laboratory. In addition, Erlenmeyer endorsed and improved a new representational system for molecules. However, he is most remembered for his research in the synthesis and constitution of aliphatic compounds. From this work, he discovered previously unknown compounds and the "Erlenmeyer rule."

Erlenmeyer was born in Germany in early 1825. When he was twenty years old, he entered the University of Giessen as a...