The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-04-28
Alchemy.

1t may take some readers by surprise to
learn that there have been true believers in
alchemy in our days. Dr. Price Is generally
set down in popular journals as "the last of
the aIchemists;" be died in 1888, in his twen-
ty-fifth year, by taking draught of laurel
water rather than repeat bis experiments be-
fore committee of the Royal Society, on pain
of expulsion.
At the beginning Of the present century
some persons of eminence in science thought
favorably of alchemy Professor Robinson,
to James Watt, February IL, 1860, says !:
"The analysis of alkalies and alkaline earth
will presently lead, l think, to tie doctrine of
a reciprocal convertibility of all things into
all; " and expect to see alchemy re-
ceve and be as universally studied as ever. /"
Sir Walter Scott tells us that "about 1901
az adept lived, or rather starved, in the me-
tropolis, in the person of an editor of an eve
ming newspaper, who expects to compound
the akalies, if he could only keep his mate
rails digested in his lamp furnace for the space
of seven years" Scott adds, in pleasant BAN
ter. "the lamp burnt brightly during six years,
eleven months, and some odd days beside, and
then, unluckily, it went out. Why it went
out the adept could never guess; but he was
certain that if the flame could only have
burned to the end of the septenary cycle his
experiment must have succeeded"
The last true believer in alchemy was not
DIR. Price, but Peter Woulfe, the eminent
chemist, and fellow of the Royal Society land
one who made experiments to show the ma
ture Ct Mosaic gold. Little is known of
Woulfe's private life. Sir Humphrey Davy
states that Woulfo used to afix written pas
sages and inscriptions of recommendations
of his process to Providence. Woulfe lived
many years in chambers in the oldest portion
of Barnard's Inn, Holborn, where his rooms
were so filled with furnaces and apparatus that
it was difficult to reach his fireside. Dr. Bah
ington told Mr.. Brande 1.-THE venerable chem
list who died last month"; that he once put
down his hat and never could fnd it again,
such was the confusion of boxes, packages and
parcels that lay about the room. Woulfe's
breakfast hour was in the morning: few
of his select friends were occasionally invited,
and gained entrance by a select signal, knock
ing number Of times at the inner door Of the
chamber.
He had long vainly searched for the Elixir,
and attributed his repeated failures to the
want Of due preparation by pious and chart
table acts. Whenever he wished to break an
acquaintance, or felt himself offended, he re-
seRted the supposed injuries by sending
present to the offender, and never seeing him
afterward. These presents sometimes con-
sisted Of an expensive chemical product o.
preparation. He had a heroic remedy 70.
illness. which was a journey to Edinburgh
and back by the mail coach; and colo
taken on one Of These expeditions terminated
in inflammation Of the lungs, Of which hsdied
in the year 1906. Of his last moments we
\ tlA following account from his exc
Woufes desire, rs ahdt Up II
chambers and left him, but returned at mid
night, when Woulfe was still alive; next
morning, however, she found him dead I! His
eountenance was calm and serene, and ap-
parently he had not moved from the position
In his chair in which she had last left him.