Phosphorus was discovered by a German, Hennig Brand, in 1669. Brand distilled and reduced 65 gallons of human urine to obtain a few hundred grams of a spongy red substance. He was fascinated by its stange luminescent glow and thought that a young woman who lived a few miles away would be intrigued by his new discovery. So, he put the lump of phosphorus in his pocket set out to walk to his lady-friend's house. Enroute, his clothes spontaneously burst into flames; luckily, the young scientist was able to extinguish the fire by jumping into a nearby river. A slightly less amusing description of the discovery of phosphorus is given by English painter Joseph Wright in his painting 'The Discovery of Phosphorus.'