The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-05-03

Invisible Sllytr.

IL n piece OF silver bo put into nitric acid
IA ci0ur and colOrless liquid-it is rapidly
dissolved, and vanishes iIons tho sight -
Ihe solution OF silver may be mixed with
water. and to appearance no ttfrct what
ever is produced; thus in pail of water
We dissolve and render invisible moro than
ten pounds worth of silver, not n particle
of which can 10 seen. Not only silver. lead,
ana iron, but every other metal, can be
treated in the same way, with similar results.
When charcoal is burned, when caudles
arc burned, when paper is burned. these
substances all disappear, and become in.
visible. In fact, every material which is
visible eau, by certain treatment. DO rendered
invisible. Matter which in ono condition is
perfectly Opaque, and will not admit tho
least ray of light TO pass through it, will in
another form, become quito transparent.
The cause Of this wonderful effect cf the
condition of mnttor is uttctly incxplcablo.
Philosophers do not even brnach theories
upon the subject, much less do they en-
deayor to explain it, Tho substances dis.
solved in water or burned ia tho air are not.
however, destroyed or lost; By certain we'll
kuuwn means they can DO recovered. and
again be rendered visible somo in OK ,ctly
the same state as thcv were before their
invisibiity; others though not in tho Same
state. can DO shown IN their elementary CON
dilion; and thus it can bo proved, that
matter having once existed, never ceases to
exist, although it can change its cotdi,ion,
liko tho caterpillar, which becomes II chrys.
alis, and then a gorgeous butterfly. 1t II
pailful OF tho solution of silver bc cast into
the stream, it is apparently lost by its dis.
pcrsion in tho water; but it nevertheless
coutinurs to exist. So whom hushei OF
charcoal is burned in a stove It disappears
in consequence OF tho gas produced being
mixed with the vast atmosphere; but vet
tho charcoal is still in tho air. On the
brightest and sunn,st day, when every
otjrct can bo Distinctly seen above the
horizon, hundreds OF tons OF charcoal in an
invisible condition pcrvado the air. Glass
is beautiful illustration Of tho transparency
of u compound, which in truth is nothing
but mixture of tho rust of throe metals.
This power of matter to change its condi.
tions from solid opacity to lmpid trans.
parency. causes some rather puZzling pho.
uomena. Substances increase in weight
without any apparent cause; for instance,
plant goes on increasing in weight hun.
dred fold for every atom that is missing
from tho earth in which it is growing. Now
tho simple explanation of this is, that the
leaves of plants have tho power of with.
drawing tho invisible charcoal from the at
mosphero. and restoring it to its visible
state in some shape or other. Tho lungs of
animals ard n smokeIcss furnace change
matter from it's visible to ifs invisible state.
Tho gills of fishes and the leaves of plants
reverse this operation, rendering invisible
or gaseous matter visible. Thus tho balance
of nature is maintained, although tho con
tinual chango has been going on long prior
to the creation of tho "cx,inct animals =
Piesses LaJerateryof Chemical FonGcrs.