The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-06-03
Scientific.
For The Cecil Wing |
Practical Applications Of
chemistry.

| NHfIllIHGiys
| If there is one peculiarity of the mental
type Of the present age, it is the Importance
attached to physical science. BY all classes
/ Of men it is recognized as the great agent in
advancing modern civilization. five were
deprived Of the steam engine. the power press
and the electric telegraph; it is manifest we
! should be thrown years back in the march OF
the species.
OF all the departments of physi al scienc 2
none has attracted more attention or more am
ply repaid its students and the public Il I
chemistry. SiXtyyears ago it could hardly b.
said to have an existence now it has becon c
an arbtcr in commercial transactions, a master
in mechanical pursuits a prime agent in the
advancement ofcivilZation, an Indispensable
assistant to the arts, a powerful conscrvator
public order. In short, without chemistry,
our present civilization would he impossible.
| Take, for example, the execution of the
laws. Murdcrers who wish to be secret and
safe in their operations almost always resort
to poison. Arsenic, a tastclcss oxide, sug-
gests itself to them as a safe and easy ethod
of getting rid of their intended victim. A
rapid and violent disease sweeps off the I'M
fortunate man, the earth covers him, and the
murderer enters upon the enjoyment of his
ilgottcn gains. No ghost, like IIamlcts,
comes from the grave to point out the MUIR
derer. But surer and sharper witness is at
hand Months may have interviewed since
INIT AZ tb., Iii
breath of suspicion, the chemist is ready to
enter upon his duties. He inspects the REM
nants Of the wretchcd body, the trappings Of
the grave, the earth even around the corpse,
if decay has done its thorough work. and from
these he separates and holds up to public
view the deadly drug. There can be no mis-
take about it. If miraculous ray had been
suddenly shed upon the cruel crime, and the
wrctched murderer been exposed to the sud-
den view of the gazing multitude in the very
act, no more positive certainty could have
been attained.
Indeed, the tests of this particular poison
have been brought to a wonderful degree Of
accuracy. The millionth part of grain can
course it requires no little skill for such deli
cate operations as this, and the inexperienced
observer can easily swear away the life of the
innocent.
So too, in our colors, whether for painting
or dyeing, chemistry has done nearly every
thing that has been done. New colors have
been invented, old ones have been rendered
more brilliant. The splendid hues of our
modern works are entirely due to the chem
list.
So too, in every department of art, the
chemist is the great economist. He allows
nothing to escape him. The odds and ends
Of the shoemakcr's swcepings, the parings of
the horses hoofs, the chips Of horn that fall
from the comb-maker, reappear in many form
among the m are the finest of our dark blue
pigments and dyes. The dirt of the streets
and the refuse Of the cow yard are carefully
collected by the same unwcaried hand, and
transmitted into ethereal tincturcs, furnish
the ssDreathing odors' which mark the path
of the belle Of the ballroom, as well as the
delicate tiavors which delight the palate Of the
lover of ices and confectionery. The old
bones which used to bleach disregardcd on
the commons are applied to thousand pur
poses. They tertilize our soils, supply the
glue which holds our furniture together, the
black which purifics our sugar, the matches
which strike an instantaneous light.
One of the most striking examples of the
q pf ri "a OF 10 tn hn
in the history or the manufacture Of vinegar.
This used to be, and still is, in many parts of
the world, a tedious and often uncertain pro-
cess. 1t was only procured by q slow fer
mentation of wines and other weak alcoholic
liquors. Chemists studied these changes and
presently discovered that the whole change
was due to the action of the air upon the al
cohol Of the compound. This led to the in
vcntion of the quick process, as it is techni-
cally termed. This consists simply in spread
ing stream of the liquid over very wide
surface in contact with the atmosphere, and
perfect modification takes place in as many
hours as the old process consumed months.
But this was not all. 1t was ascertained
that when dry wood was heated in an oven,
charcoal was formed, and among among other
volatile matters an acid distilled over. After
a while this was found to be identical with
acetic acid, the basis of vinegar. Here then
was another rapid and profitable mode of gen.
Grating this important acid. The wood was
distilled in this way, and charcoal, vinegar,
naphtha and tar were obtained from it. Even
the refuse dust of saw-mill, and the waste
exhausted chips Of the dycr's vat have been
used for the manufacture of vinegar and its
valuable collateral products.