In the course of the 18th century ,the compounds obtained from natural sources were classified as organic and inorganic as described above.At that time .organic compounds could not be prepared synthetically,while inorganic compounds could be prepared in the laboratory.It was believed that a natural agency of life,called vital force was responsible for the formation of organic compounds in the bodies of plants and animals.It was also taken for granted that since man could not control vital force,it was not possible for the chemist to prepare organic compounds in the laboratory.In 1828,a German chemist name WOHLER,performed a novel experimant in the laboratory .He heated ammonium cyanate which is purely an inorganiccompound and found that it was converted into compound ,urea which is an organic compound.
This gave him an indication that organic compounds could also be prepared in the laboratory .Hence ,according to him,there was no such agency as vital force.This finding of WOHLER changed the entire concept of the study of organic chemistry.It proved to be immensely useful and innumerable organic compounds began to be prepared in the laboratory such as dyes,fartilization,pesticides,drugs,explosive,perfumes,etc.
