Diethyl ether of vitriol" ("oleum dulce vitrioli")—the name reflects the fact that it is obtained by distilling a mixture of ethanol and sulfuric acid (then known as oil of vitriol)—and noted some of its medicinal properties. At about the same time, Paracelsus discovered ether's analgesic properties in chickens. The name "ether" was given to the substance in 1729 by August Sigmund Frobenius. Diethyl ether Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula , sometimes abbreviated as (see Pseudoelement symbols). It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid. It is commonly used as a solvent
Big Oil Big Oil Big Oil is a name used to describe the world's six or seven largest publicly traded oil and gas companies, also known as supermajors. The supermajors are considered to be BP plc, Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell plc, Total SA and Eni SpA, with Phillips 66 Company also sometimes described in the past as forming part of the group. The term, analogous to others, such as Big Steel, that describe industries dominated by a few giant corporations, was popularized in print from the late 1960s. Today it is often used to refer specifically to the seven