title: Social background of the discovery and the reception of the periodic law of the elements: recognizing the contributions of Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev and Julius Lothar Meyer.
abstract: The favorable and relatively rapid reception of Mendeleev's periodic table of the elements can be attributed, in part at least, to his social connections. These connections were evident in the recently organized Russian Chemical Society. In addition, Mendeleev enjoyed the support of the editorial board of the journal of the German Chemical Society.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, History of Science and Technology Group, Japan. mkaji@aqu.bekkoame.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaji