REMARKS ON LOSCHMIDTS BENZENE FORMULA

A widespread legend concerning the famous Austrian physicist Josef Los chmidt claims that he proposed the cyclic structure of the benezene nu cleus five years before August Kekule. However, we point out, as did o thers before us, that this claim is not supported by the very detailed and precise account Loschmidt provides for the assumptions underlying his benzene formula, and that the origin of the legend must be due to a difficult to understand misinterpretation of this formula.