On the Preparation of "Artificial" Urea
"I cannot, so to say, hold my chemical water and I must tell you that I can make urea without needing
to have kidneys, or anyhow, an animal, be it human or dog."
1828 -Wöhler to Berzelius
Artificial Urea.- It was a singular and unexpected result, obtained by Wöhler, with the cyanic acid, which we have already cited under his name.
Preparation.- By double decomposition, by muriate of ammonia [ammonium chloride] and cyanate of silver; or by single decomposition, by cyanate of lead and liquid ammonia. In this second process, the oxide of lead is liberated and a compound is obtained in colorless rectangular prisms. In their properties, they are identical with urea, and their composition is exactly the same; they give the same results in analysis as cyanate of ammonia, provided that 1 equiv. of water is supposed to exist in that salt.
Still the artificial urea, although from the mode of its formation it would appear that it contains only cyanic acid and ammonia, yields neither, by chemical agents."
(Silliman did not sound convinced.)