Video: What is the "Tin Plague", and did it really destroy the great army of Napoleon?
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Tin is a ductile, lightweight, silvery-white metal that has had a tremendous impact on the history of mankind, because its alloy with copper is called bronze. However, when in the Middle Ages people were able to separate from impurities and began to use pure tin, unexpected troubles began to overtake them. There is a legend that it was thanks to the "tin plague" that the Napoleonic army was defeated.
Beautiful products made of pure tin, which were highly prized in the old days, were subject to a strange "ailment". As soon as such a bowl or jewelry was held in the cold, gray spots appeared on the shiny surface of the metal. They gradually increased, the tin in these places seemed to disappear. Moreover, it seemed to people that by touching a "sick" object, healthy people could also "get infected", therefore the strange phenomenon described by the alchemists was called the "tin plague". Scientists were able to find the reason only in 1899, when, using X-ray analysis, they examined the crystal structure of a capricious metal. It turned out that tin has several allotropic modifications. The most common - white tin - is stable above +13 degrees Celsius, and upon cooling, a gradual transition to gray tin begins, which simply crumbles into powder. At minus 33 degrees, such a transformation occurs as quickly as possible.
However, in the Middle Ages, people could not find an explanation for this phenomenon, and only residents of northern countries met with him, so not everyone knew about the mysterious "disease" then. Only this can explain the fact that for many hundreds of years, tin continued to be massively used, although this sometimes led to unpleasant situations and even tragedies. For example, a huge cargo of tin bars sent from Holland to Russia at the end of the 19th century literally "turned to dust". On this occasion, even a police investigation was carried out, because a huge train loaded with rather expensive metal cost a lot, and when the cars were opened, only gray dust was found there.
Similar incidents happened even at the beginning of the 20th century. A real scandal once erupted in the military warehouses of St. Petersburg when it turned out that tin buttons had disappeared from all sets of uniforms. Warehouse workers were saved from the court only by the fact that by that time the achievements of science had already explained this "plague". However, one of the most famous legends associated with the unusual metal says that it was the tin buttons on the uniforms that caused Napoleon's defeat. Faced with the Russian frosts for the first time, the French troops allegedly lost the opportunity to fight, since it is almost impossible to shoot when your pants fall off. Scientists today are not inclined to confirm this famous historical anecdote, but the fact that the "tin plague" brought many troubles over the centuries is an indisputable fact.
It is believed that it was this attack that killed the British Terra Nova expedition led by Robert Scott at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1911, polar explorers moved across the Antarctic ice, trying to reach the South Pole. The hike was long, and along the way, the explorers left supplies of food and fuel to use on the way back. In fact, historians today call this expedition "the polar race" - the British, led by Scott, tried very hard to bypass the rival team of Roald Amundsen, because it was a question of bringing the honor of this accomplishment to the British Empire.
In 1912, the courageous polar explorers conquered their goal, but they were not the first - the Norwegians overtook them by a month. The expedition began a long journey home, but getting to the "caches", exhausted people more and more often found empty fuel cans. Modern historians believe that the most plausible cause of this misfortune is the "tin plague." The soldering of the seams at that time was still made from this unreliable metal, and, most likely, in the polar frost conditions, the canisters leaked. By the way, Amundsen's team also suffered from this phenomenon, but their expedition was better organized, and the loss of some of the kerosene did not become critical. But for the British, it all ended badly. The lack of fuel became a real disaster for them, and in March 1912 the courageous polar explorers died, unable to overcome the way back from the pole they had conquered.
After these few cases, pure metal was no longer used for household items, and scientists began to actively seek a cure for the "tin plague". It turned out that it is impossible in principle to solve this problem, and there is no need - it is much more convenient to use its alloys instead of pure tin, which are not subject to such trouble. At that time, for example, the famous "Pewter" was received - it consists of 95% tin, 2% copper and 3% antimony. Golden and quite durable, it is used today in the manufacture of various jewelry and household items. So, for example, it is from this alloy, with gold plating, that the most famous cinematic awards - the Oscar statuettes - are made.
The most famous alloy containing tin is bronze. An entire epoch in the history of human development is associated with it. The durable metal is able to convey to us the traces of civilizations, even after millennia. So, for example, in the 80s of the last century were found the bronze giants of China: Traces of a mysteriously vanished civilization much older than Rome.
Recommended:
"Secret" and the twists and turns of fate by Maxim Leonidov: Why did the musician leave for Israel, what he did in the cinema and how he found happiness
Music fans perceive creativity of the singer Maxim Leonidov differently. Some consider him an interesting and talented musician, while others - eccentric and incomprehensible. Indeed, Leonidov's repertoire contains weak and transient songs, but there are also bright, memorable ones, with good lyrics and melody. And Maxim not only sings them, but plays them on stage. By the way, this is the great merit of the creative group "HippoBand", with which the singer has been performing for more than two decades. And it all began
Did Hitler live during the Great Patriotic War in Ukraine and where else did he manage to visit in the USSR?
Many people know that during the war years Stalin did not leave Moscow. Even when the Germans were already on the outskirts of the city, and the evacuation began in the capital, the leader did not even think about running away. But Adolf Hitler traveled, and not only in his country, but also in the occupied territories. Moreover, he visited not only the capitals of European countries, but also came to the USSR. For what purpose did Hitler visit the country of the Soviets, what objects he chose and why it was not customary to advertise it
Why the personal life of the great Generalissimo Suvorov did not develop, and How did his strange marriage end
We know Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov as a great, invincible commander who owns a large number of victories of the Russian army. When his name was mentioned, people said with admiration: "This is a great warrior." But fate decreed that this respected person constantly lost fights in love. Why did this happen? Read in the material about how his father married Suvorov, how his family life developed and how this strange marriage ended
How many duels did Pushkin have, and why did the great poet shoot himself even with his own uncle?
Pushkin often described duels in his works. He took many details from his personal experience, as he was an avid duelist. Everyone knows that the great poet fought with Dantes. This was his last duel, but not the first. During this showdown, common in the old days, at the hands of Pushkin, no one died. Read what kind of shooter Alexander Sergeevich was, why he called his own uncle to the barrier and what saved Georges Dantes from death
How did the serfs of the great Suvorov live, and to whom did the commander give the "father's capital"
When the surname Suvorov is pronounced, everyone remembers his feats of arms. Yes, Alexander Vasilyevich was a great commander - he did not have a single lost battle. But not everyone knows that the brilliant military man was also a large landowner who owned large territories with many serfs. Some researchers argue that Suvorov treated his peasants like slaves, others write that he took care of them. How did the peasants of the landlord commander live?