The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-03-10
What is Chemistrya

what IS Chem1SCry:
8 If we open dictionary, an encyciope-
.dia, or a school book, we shall find deh-
milton of chemistry, tracing the word oack
to the Arabs and utterly confounding us
with the profound knowledge of the learn
ed pnndits who have endeavored to en-
tighten the world on the subject. Some
Low, after reading all their wisdom, we
are about as much in the dark as we were
before. We therefore propose to let the
Arabs alone this time, and also to say
nothing about Albertus Magnus, Paracel-
,susx and the rest of them, but to speak Of
chemistry as it appears to us in this year
of grace 1870. 1t is very different
science from what it was fifty years ago !;
it is not the same thing it was ten years
ago and, if it keeps on growing atthe
same rate for the next fifty years, it ap-
pears destined to absorb host OF other
Sciences and to become master of the.slt-
nation. The popular notion is that crea.
ting a few unsavory smells, producing loud
explosions, effecting marvellous changes in
color, and amusing small children, is what
we call chemistry. Hence in the minds
of such people it is unworthy a place in
school of public instruction. 1t is about
time that more correct information on the
subject should be promulgated, and on
this account we have selected it as text
for few editorial remarks.
We used to say that it was the business
of the chemist to investigate everything
under the sun; but this statement ne
longer holds good, as the sun itself and
all of the heavenly bodies, have been
brought down to earth by means of the
spectroscope and are made objects ofstudy
in the chemical laboratory.
We must now amend the saying by
stating that every thing in the universe is
fair object fer the study OF the chemist.
This would appear to afford ample occu-
patton for the most ambitious person, and
II would seem at first glance to be hope
less task. 1t is not, however SO difficult
as it appears upon first presentation. The
number of compounds in the. world is
large, butthe number of simple elements
composing them is small. There are q
great many words ir- our language, but
these are made up Of twenty-five letters.
If we are instructed how to handle these
letters we know how to spell, and as soon
as we can spell we try to attach the
words together to make sentences, and If
we are skilfu in forming sentences we
may write book.
The world, to the chemist, is o big book
made up Of sentences and words written
in sixty-ive characters which he calls
clements. As soon as we are able to re-
cognize these characters on all occasions,
we can read tho work of nature and un'
derstand it. We shall find that certain
elements are rarely used--that, in tact
the number of letters in natures alphabet
is not greater than we constantly employ
in ours. This view Of the case materially
lessons our task, and we can go courage
ously to work to study the composition OF
the globe. WHAT'S, therefore, chemistry !?
Itis the science Of forces that act at
insensible distances between the~atoms OF
different kinds of matter All of the
forces of chemistry act in contact and the
result is new body. In physics the for
ces operate at great distances, often with
out any permanent change in the body
electricity around piece of soft iron con-
verts that iron into a magnet; but the
iron weighs no more, nor is it any longer
or broader than before; and as soon as
the electricity ceases to pass, the iron is
no longer a magnet. This is called q
physical operation, but if the same bar
of iron be heated in contact with sulphur,
it unites with sulphur and produces bo-
DIV very different from either of its con-
stituents, this is called chemical action.
The chemist studies contact forces. He
splits up everything into its elements, and
then observes the behavior of these ele-
ments when they are brought in contact
with each other. BY exchanging one ele-
ment for another, a new and different
compound is formed, just as moving let
ters about will give US different words and
sentences.
1t is only by experiment that we can
derive any knowledge Of tue kind of COM
pound tho bringing together of elements
will produce, and hence chemistry is an
experimental science. The more VIC study
the behavior of elementary bodies, the
more we are struck with the fact that
nearly all Of the phenomena of nature
Gun be- traced to chemical forces. When
atoms, are brought in contact we always
have heat, frequently light, and probably
generally electricity, and thus the forces
we call physical really belong to chems'
try. This is what we meant when we
said that chemistry was destined to absort
many other sciences.
1t is common habit to speak OF mathe
matics as an exact science, or TO intimate
that chemistry has no claims to SIMILAR
honor, but recent investigations have
gone far to place chemistry among the
exact sciences. The forces acting in ii
are well understood, the results are con-
slant, the laws capable of precise state.