Thus was discovered by mere chance the chemical element phosphorus. Its name is from the Greek for "light-bearing" or "light-bearer." Phosphorus is the main component of many luminous compounds. Do you remember the famous Hound of the Baskervilles that Sherlock Holmes hunted for so long? Its mouth was smeared with phosphorus.

No other representative of the Periodic Table possesses such a unique property. The valuable and important properties of phosphorus are legion. The German chemist Moleschott once said: "Without phosphorus there is no thought." This is true, because cerebral tissues contain many complex phosphorus compounds.

But neither is there life without phosphorus. Without it respiratory processes would be impossible and muscles could store no energy. Finally, phosphorus is one of the most important "bricks" of any living organism. As a matter of fact, the principal component of bony tissue is calcium phosphate.

Now is this not just as good as the "philosopher's stone", seeing that it animates the inanimate? And lastly, why does phosphorus glow? There is always a cloud of phosphorus vapours over white phosphorus. These vapours become oxidized, evolving a large amount of energy. The latter excites the phosphorus atoms and this causes the glow.

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