Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-05-31
A Very Singular Sui stance


There is a substance which is invisible.
which has neIthsr odor nor taste, and il
fact possesses no q lalities of matter ex-
cept weight and bulk. This is the gas
nitrogen, which constitutes four -fifths of
the tmosphere which surrounds us. tits
apparently q dead and inert form of
manifestation of ma ter, and yet it is per-
maps one of the most important and use
tui of the elements, and If it should van
lsh from the universe, life would cease to
exist. This apparent paradox is explain
ed ty the fact that by It's combination
with other elements the remarkable char
acteristlcs of NITROGEN are awakened into
action. Tbs gas ls neither poisonous,
corrosive, explosive, nutritious nor medic
lnal; but combined with carbon and ny
drosen 1t forms the deadly prussic acid;
With oxygen and hydrogen, the strongly
basic alkali ammonia; with carbon, ny
drogen, and oxygen, the terrible ex plos
i've nltro-glycerine; aud with the same
elements IN varying proportions, it forms
the alouminoId7, the geiatines, the slut.
ems, aud other strength giving elements
of our food, or The indispensable medicin-
al agents, qulnlne, morphine, etropine,
sfrychnlne, veratrine, cocogine, aud many
others.
Although pitrogen is tasteless, it forms
an Indispensable part of the fiavors'of the
peach, plum, apricot, and other delicious
fruits, as well as coffee, tea, chocolate, and
tobacco. Without smell it is found in
many of the most powerful and delicious
perfumes, as well as in nauseRting odors
of putrefaction. Present in immense
quantities In the air, 1t furnishes little or
no support to vegetation, bat combined
with other elements the amount present
IN the soil determines its fertility and tn g
emouat of crops that may be raised upon
1t. COloriess and invisible, nearly every
dyestutf or coloring matter known con
talns 1t IN greater or less proportion.
Harmless and powerless by itself, when
combined with another non ex plosive gas,
chlorine, 1t forms the most powerful ex
ploslVe known, of which ray of sunlig hit
Is sufficient to r4ise the terrible destruu-
tive power.
And yet, not withstandiGg the pre- emf
nent Importance of this element in the
affairs OF life, there are but few of its
combinations which we can form directly.
Millions of tons of nitrogen are all about
az, but not grain of morphine or theme,
geietine or albumen, aniline or uaphtha-
line can we make from it. Only the mys.
FERROUS vital force working in the natural
laboratory of the vegetable and animal
organism can build up most of these
molecules from their ultimate elements,
and place the atoms of nitrogen in their
proper position, like the beams or stones
of a building. Our wonder at the mar
yelous power displayed by these organ
lens is none the less when we see what
simple, common, ard uucharscteIis5ic
elements are used by them in making up
their wonderful products, and we can
only say that it is a part of the great ana
unsoluble mystery of life.
Neither can We explain satisfact orily
from a chemical stand point the proper
ties and reactions of this strange element.
By itself it is nothing, but united with
other elements, some almost equally
inactive, the combinations thus produced
manifest the most powerful and positive
chemical and physical properties. 1t is
like the sprIngiDg into life of dead matter,
but there is no system of chemical phil
Usophy which can give reason why it is
SO. 1t is the part of the chemist to
observe and record the facts connected
with the properties of different forms of
matter, and in time we may from these
facts construct a rational theory, but we
are still long way from a clear compre-
hension of the phenomena of the universe.
There are about as many things in heaven
and earth still undreamt of in our phil
Osophy as there were in ShRkespeare's
time, and the farther we advance towards
the end the more the field widens and
appears TO be of illimitable extent.