The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-01-09
: THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE.

lox Chemical Works, London, has in
formed the Glasgow Philosophical So
ciety that, after experiments since 1866,
he has succeeded in obtaining crystal
ized forms of carbon which Profs.
Tyndall and Smyth, and Mr.. Maske-
lyme, of the British Museum, do not
doubt are diamonds. In 1923 two ia
nous experiments were made nearly at
the same time by NM. Cagniard de La
tour and Gannal, both distinguished in
French science. M. de Latour pre-
sented his results to the Academy of
Sciences, Oct. 10, 1923, and those of
nj. Gannal were presented Nov. % in
the same year. Cagniard de Latour
sent to the Academy ten tubes contain
ing numerous light brown crystals, some
of which were of considerable dimen-
sions. They were brilliant, transparent,
and harder than quartz. Submitted to
intense heat in contact with the air the
crystals experienced not the slightest
change, proof sufficient in itself that
they were not of the nature of the dia-
mond. Besides, Notwithstanding their
unusual hardness, they were easily
scratched by the latter gem. The
Academical Swans concluded that they
were merely silicates, or artificial pre-
cious stones. The experiments of M.
Gannal gained more renown. Speci-
mems of his productions were sent to M.
Champigny, director of the work rooms
of the jeweler Petitot, who examined
them with care ;and having satisfied him
self that they scratched steel and could
be scratched by no metal, that they were
of pure water and displayed brilliant
luster, concluded that these little
bodies were nothing else but dia-
monds. This declaration, coming from
man well versed in the special trade,
created panic in the diamond bust
ness; for it is we'll known that any sud
den rise or fall in the value of precious
stones woald be attended by conse-
quences only second in importance to
sudden variations in the value of gold.
During the French Revolution the price
of diamonds was doubled in a few
months. The immense capital, which
in this form now lies dormant in royal
treasures, or in private hands, is little
suspected by people outside the trade.
At the time of Nj. Canals expert
ments the nature of the diamoI was
still imperfectly understood. The first
important fact about it was established
as late as the middle of the seventeenth
century by Boyle, who showed that I'M
der the influence of a great heat the
diamond disappeared. In 1894 Cosmo
III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, subjected
diamond at Florence to the intense
heat of the suns rays by means OF a con-
cave mirror. The diamond first split,
then emitted sparks, then disappeared
A hundred years later French lapi-
Diary named Maillard affirmed that
fire had no effect upon the diamond.
He took the bowl of a tobacco pipe,
placed three diamonds inside in the
midst of charcoal powder close
ly packed, closed the mouth of
the pipe with cover of iron, and then
shut up the whole in crucible filed
with chalk and covered with siliceous
coating. The crucible was now SUBJ
jected to a temperature such that at
the end of four hours it was completely
soft. Then the fire was slackened. AS
soon as the crucible cooled it was
broken open, the Iipe bowl was found
entire, with the charcoal in it as black
as at first, and in the midst of this
there were the three diamonds, in every
respect unaltered and uninjured.
The precious stone had always
disappeared when heated in the presence
of air. 1t had undergone no modifca-
ton when removed from the action of
the air by means of powdered charcoal
and lime. Upon this Sir Humphrey
Davy in England, and Lavoisier in
France, speedily solved the problem.
What is the diamond ?" asks Babinet.
"The most precious thing in the whole
world. And what is carbon? The
most common material that is known.
Yet the diamond and carbon are iden-
teal. Diamond is crystalized carbon
All doubts upon this question were dis
PEELED by the publication, in 1S41, of
the work of NM. Dumas and Staas.
nj: Canals crystals having been
shown to be worthless, the slrimbers of
jewel owners were again disturbed by
the experiments of M. Despretz. This
patient and persevering chemist fixed
cylinder of pure carbon to the posi-
tive pole OF a weak Daniel pile, and a
platina wire to the other pole; he then
plunged both poles into slightly acidu-
lated water. After two months the
negative wire or pole became covered
with black coating. The product OF
the experiment was sent to M. Gaudin
to test upon hard stones. He proved, in
the presence of M. Despretz and others,
that, mixed with little oil, the substance
which had enveloped the platina wire
sufficed to polish several rubies. As il
is known that the diamond is the only
substance that polishes the ruby, M
Gandin did not hesitate to consider the
su stance as the powder of the diamond
This conclusion was generally accepted
by men of science. "The question still
remains" says M. Dienlafait, SIS there
any reasonable probability that the dia
mond will yet be produced artifcially
This question we must answer III
the affirmative. When it is considered
how perfectly substances much more
complex in composition and complicated
in crystalline constitution have beer
artifcially produced; when it is consid
cred. too. what definite results were
furnished by the experiments of M
Desperation in such q case the size OF