The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-04-07
CHEMICAL Discoveries.
Conn oditIes Prodacibls from Purely In
organic Mat~rlaIa

organic Materials
II will be long time before the far
aner finds himself snppianted by the
chemical laboratory in the production
Of such commodities as sugar. tea,
alcohol. drugs and dye stufrs. though
sanguine chemists tell US that the re-
cent triumphs Of their science indicate
the probability that these and other
articles will some day DE profitably
produced from purely inorganic ma
terials. Synthetic chemistry. or the
forming Of compounds bY recombina-
tions Of chemical elements. is making
steady progress. and has already
affected agriculture.
Mr.. Robert Hugh Mills. in n recent
lecture, called attention to tho fact
that the cultivation Of madder has been
almost destroyed by the chemical dis
covery that its identical coloring mat
ter can be chcapiy produced from coal
tar. The production Of indigo is also
threatened by an artificial product
which the chemists have discoyurg Y
A while ago it was found that the e.
chona tree could be profitably pllut'.
in India, aud fine new field OF indus
try was believed 10 have opened for
the farmers Of that country. Scores Of
chemists, however. have been at work
upon the synthcsis Of quininc. and
their researches have advanced so far
that the pre- liciion is now confidently
made that tho Manufacture Of the prin-
ciple of Guininc will soon be COM
mercial success. and that cinch 4aa
planting will become n thin" OF IT,"
past These chemical reproductions ,i
the valuable principles inhcrc..t in
natural products are often easier to
handle and utilize than the products
from which they have hitherto been de-
rived, and thus the tendency Of manu-
features is TO substitute artificial for
natural sources OF supply.
The problem Of sugar-making from
inorganic materials has engaged some
chemists for number Of years. The
synthess Of glucose last year by Fischer
and Tafel, is said to promise an ample
supply Of this commodity without the
aid Of grapes or starch. Two years ago
some German chemists announced that
they had produced saccharose. the
equivalent of cane sugar, by passing
an electric current through mixture
of starch, sulphuric acid and water.
Nothing has yet been heard of the COM
mercal value Of this new product, and
there is no reason to think it will prove
"a dangerous rival to the sweets we
derive from the cane and the beet.
Some sugar growers, however. have
been prophesying for years that some
thing would happen to ruin the sugar
industry, and their alarm receives u
fresh impulse Mt every new discovery
like that of Remsen's saccharine. an
exceedingly sweet article produced
from coal tar. The day may come
when processes of sUgar-making by the
use of inorganic materials will seriously
affect the sugar planter. but there is
no reason rs yet to believe that his in
dustry will soon be imporilled.
Legislation has interviewed in some
places to protect the dairy farmer
against oleomargarine even where this
product is honestly sold as artificial
butter II is not to be expected that
in many cases where science supplies
us with desirable substitute for any
product, the law can be successfully
invoked to keep the world from reap
ing the benefit of increasing knowledge.
Future discoveries may compel the far
mer to cease raising some produce by
which he has thrired. or to change
and improve his methods of agricul-
ture but it is certain that the tillers of
the soil will continue 10 supply the
chief resources of food and apparel. -
". T. Sun.