The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-01-17
DANCERS OF CHEMISTRY.
Terrible Possibilities Of Combinations
Of Harmless Chemical lSx redfeUt. .--
Ihe Power over Nature and IA uman
Llfe " hfch chemistry Gives.

oil Harmless Chemical 1wx re0feut' -
4 the rOwer over Nature and human
Life " bieh chemistry Gives.
A most unfortunate accident which
has occurred at Prague recalls, in many
of its details and circumstances, the
quaint traditions that were once preva
lent in regard tn the medieval alchem-
lists. Professor Fischer, of the Prague
Gymnasium, u young man only twenty.
five years of age, and Of the highest
eminence in his professionalism of chem
istry-has come to an untimely end
under the most melancholy circum-
stances. No one needs to be told that
cyanide of potassium, drug largely
used in photography, is a poison of the
most deadly character. Its active in
gredient is prussic acid. Prussic acid in
its pure, or, as chemists would term it,
anhydrous form, is a substance too
dangerous to be kept, or even manufac-
tured. If glass capsule containing a
wine-glassful of pure prussic acid were
broken in the pit of theatre, those
amongst the audience who were nearest
the doors might escape, but the great
majority would be killed on the spot.
The prussic acid ordinarily sold, and oc-
casionally used for killing dogs and cats,
contains about a drop of pure prussic
acid to quarter of pint of water.
Pure prussic acid no chemist dare keep.
He might as well compress ton of dyn-
amite into single cartridge, supposing
such package TO be possible, and then
leave the deadly parcel lying loose on
the table.
Cyanide of Potassium is not, like
prussic acid, volatile. 1t is white pow
der, rather resembling -four or chalk.
1t is, however, 80 poisonous that mere
pinch of it, sprinkled over an open
wound or sore, will cause almost instan-
taneous death, that fragment almost
imperceptible to the eye will, if swallow
ed, prove equally fatal and that its
mere smell has before now produced i'm
mediate death. 1t was, it seems, the
ambition of Professor Fischer to discover
some means of rendering cyanide of
potassium harmless. We can do this
with gunpowder-although the analogy
is not strictly exact-the means employ
ed with gunpowder being mechanical,
while those for which Professor Fischer
sought were chemical. We know what
happens if light is applied to keg of
gunpOwder. If, however, We mix the
powder with four or Eve times its bulk
of sawdust, torch may be applied to it
with impunity. The mechanical resist
ance of the sawdust makes it impossible
for the explosion to at once spread to the
whole mass, and the consequence is that
sort of sputter ensues, like that Of a
squib or blue light. Professor Fischer
idea was that, If cyanide of potassium
were thoroughly mixed with sal ammo
MAC, il would be as harmless as gunpow-
der mixed with sawdust, but would still
remain equally available for all those
purposes of photography, for which it is
at present absolutely indispensable.
In the course of his researches Mr.
Fischer made mixture, of which in
his own mind he felt assured that it
would meet the conditions of his prob
lem. He compounded the cyanide with
some other substance, and then, turning
to bis laboratory assistant, said:
Science has now so far advanced as
to be even able to render harmless so
dangerous an agent as cyanide of potas
sum-"
With these words he tested the mix
ture, and was almost in an instant seized
with the most violent and excruciating
agOnies. He at once implored his assist
ant to send for medical aid. CyanogeD,
however, whether as prussic acid or
cyanide of potassium, kills almost in
simultaneously. in a few seconds Pro-
fessor Fischer was beyond help. We are
told that there is no possible reason 10
suppose that deliberate suicide had
been planned and carried out under a
mask of experiment. On the contrary,
there is every reason to believe that the
professor has met the fate which befell
only too many of the early chemists and
their predecessor the alcbemists.
We know not what will happen to any
experimentalist if he only dips blotting-
paper in nitric acid, washes it, dries it,
and then incautiously treads upon it,
What happened to the man who is be-
lieved-for his record persisted with him
to have first discovt red Eliminates of
silver is a matter of scientific record.
That he was engaged in researches upon
the Eliminates, and more especially upon
the Eliminates of the higher metals, was
well known. How it precisely came
about that he disappeared as he did will
remain matter of conf. cture. There
came one day puff, slight shock and 81
smart noise as if some one inflated a
paper bag and then burst it between his
hands Of the profes, or himself, Of hi-
laboratory, of hisapparatus, and Of much
less within radius of some yards, not
a vestige or trace was left.
so it used to be with the alcbemists
The heriiors Of the hidden wisdom OF
Bohne and Ro:er Bacon and Albertus
Magnus. They were always blowing
themselves up, or asphyx'ating them
selves with some noxious vapor. For n
man who knows nothing or next to moth
ing, of chemistry. it is a very dapgerou-
game indeed to mix tigether couple of
SUBJ tances of which he knows nothing,
and then burn them in m, rtar Com
mon sulphur is harmless stuff enough. 20
is charcoal, 20 is Ditre; but let AN igDo
rant man mix the three and apply light
e, them, and the result will much aston
ish him.
When of old an alchemist was re-
duced To fragments in this fashion our
ancestors had an easy explaration. He
was a magician, they ustd to say, and
the devil had come suddenly and had
o.vx;.d n; i'm Of Thara va. a ti,ua h..