As a student absorbed in the story of chemistry, William Perkin succeeded in entering Royal College of Chemistry in 1853, at the age of 15. At the time of Perkin's enrolment, the college was headed by the famous German chemist August Hofmann. Perkin's scientific gifts soon caught Hofmann's attention and, within two years, he became Hofmann's youngest assistant. Not long after that, Perkin made the scientific breakthrough that would bring him both fame and fortune.
During his vacation in 1856, Perkin spent his time in the laboratory on the top floor of his family's house, attempting to produce quinine, the only workable medical treatment for malaria（疟疾）at that time. Despite his best efforts, however, he did not end up with quinine. Instead, he produced a mysterious dark sludge（淤渣）. Luckily, Perkin's scientific training and nature inspired him to investigate the substance further and he finally produced a deep purple solution（溶液）. Perkin saw the potential of his unexpected find.
Historically, textile dyes（染料）were made from such natural sources as plants and animals. The purple colour obtained from a snail（蜗牛）was once so expensive that in society at the time only the rich could afford it. It was against this backdrop that Perkin's discovery was made.
Perkin quickly grasped that his purple solution could be used to colour cloth, thus making it the world's first synthetic dye. Realising the importance of this breakthrough, he lost no time in patenting（申请专利）it. He asked advice of Scottish dye works owner Robert Pullar, who assured him that producing the dye would be well worth it if the colour remained fast (i.e. would not disappear gradually) and the cost was relatively low. So, in spite of the fierce objections of his mentor Hofmann, he left college to give birth to the modern chemical industry. The company received a commercial boost from the Empress Eugenie of France, when she decided the new colour amazed her.
Although Perkin's fame was achieved and fortune assured by his first discovery, the chemist continued his research. Artificial dyes continue to play a crucial role today. And, in what would have been particularly pleasing to Perkin, their current use is in the search for a vaccine against malaria.
