The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-01-17
VOL. XVII---NO. 81.
Alchemy and Its Good Results


The following interesting passage is from
an article on Alchemy and Alchemists in
recent number Of the Westminster Re-
view -
A'eneny was much nearer positive sci
~ ''"h were most Of the systems!of met
a?H!sics which have been deemed worthy
!he study OF our serious minds. IL sthrtsd
III cues oil an unattanab'e object. furnished
with very imperfect means but az Bacon
! pro'aundly saw, it carried with il unsuspec.
/ ted results far richer than the result II
I sought; and in this sense he compares Il 10
/ the ''husbandman in .Iisop, who being A.
bout to depart this life, told his sons that
he had left them a great quantity Of gold
buried in his vineyard, but did not remem.
Der the particular place who when they
had with spades diligently turnod up all tho
vineyard, gold indeed they found none
however, by reason Of their stirring and
digging the mould about the roots of their
vines. they had very great vintage tho
year following. So the strenuous pains and
mighty stir of chemists about making gold.
have opened the, to a great number Of
noble inventions ane experiments singular.
iy adapted ms woll to tho disclosing Of Ma.
ture as to the uses OF lifs." If in Bacon's
time 30 much was visible to his penetrating
eye, how much moro visible is the gran
deur Of the results to us who posses
chemistry theoretical and applied. compar-
el with whieh.the chemistry Of Bacon 3 day
is bat the inarticulatc babbling Of a child.
To transmu,e copper into gold wonld really
have been but small resnlt, although It
seemed 50 magnificent TO the Alchcmists:
but the syec'iic knowledge gained by "the
strenuous pains and mighty stir" Of these
gold makers, has enabled MS to multiply our
powers thousand-foli. Educated as we arc
with the results Of ages administered in our
primers, familiar,zed from childhood with
knowledge which the wisest Of cur forcflth-
ers had no clue to, we find it dnlcult to place
Ourselves at the proper poin. of view from
which TO estimote the labors Of the alchemist
who az preliminary, had to learn all those
properties Of bodies which we fihl register
ed in manuals. We can explain the process
Of a candle burning evrey schoo!hoy now
a-Iays is taught that il is the same phenom-
enon as u.c rustling of iron, or the bleach
ing Of linen but what centuries of labor
were given to the discovery Of this familiar
fact . And If the reader would realize tho
position OF the Alchcmists, let him imagine
himself without books, or previous instruc-
ton, placed in iab@t)ry and condemdcd
to lind out for msef the properties Of bod
is TO Invent his own III. thods Of ANALYSIS.
and to make his own instruments; he will
then see the enormous work accomplished
by the Alchom sts, and VIII understand why
it was necessary for them 70 be moved by
some powerful influence, lured by s1me
fascinating Object, before they could consent
70 the patient labor Of thus examining and
egsteiing the properties Of bodies Do we
not, all Of us, daily prss unmovsd amid
substances of which we take scarcely any
notice, because cur interest is no. power
fully excited by them? DO we examine
the TO k Oh which We walk, the ANIMALS
thrown upon tie shore, the weeds and wild.
flowers which grow along the lanes. until
some spcc.a! motive, iInVes Us AMI thed if
the process be Troublesome, how easily are
we scouras j, unless sustained by some
oJect! hhen once the scientific spirit ii
awakened, 1t becomes a suiiient stimulus TO
protflctel labor bat uat that exists, there
is need Of some powerful! external impulse.
The chemist Of today is willing to labor.
merely to detect som. undetected property
some slight mobilization due to n Slight
change OF conditions but you could not
persuade the Gnscicn;ifc man to give that
labor for that result. TIL him it will make
his fortune, that he may 'talle ou. patent
Tor ms discovery, which will inf4lli6ly en-
rich him, and you give him the impulse
which will determine him to work. An
impulse of this kind was the desire of trans
mlting metals. And as Liebig SAYS .'in
order to know tnst the philosophers 5 stone
did not really exist, it was Indispensable
that every substance accessible to study
and observation, should be observed end
examined in accordance with the scientific
resources ofthe time.