The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-07-12
A STRANGE ELEMENT.
The Importance OF NitroGen in All the Al.
fairs of Life.

The Importance Of Nitrogen In All the Al
fairs of Life.
There is a substance which Is in
visible. which has neither odor nor
taste. and in fact possesses no quail
ties of matter except weight and bulk
This: is the gas nitrogen. which con-
stituses four-fifths of the atmosphere
which surrounds US. 1t is apparently
. dead and inert form or manifestation
of matter. and yet l. is perhaps one OF
the most important and useful OF the
elements, and if it should vanish from
the universe, life would cease to exist.
This apparent paradox is explained by
the fact that by its combination with
other elements the remarkable char
acteristics of nitrogen are awakened
into action. The gas Is neither poison
Gus. corrosive. explosive. nutritious
nor medicinal; but combined with
carbon and hydrogen il forms the
deadly prussic acid; with oxygen and
hydrogen. the strong corrosive nitric
acid. with hydrogen alone. the
strongly basic alkali ammonia; with
carbon. hydrogen. and oxygen. the
| terrible explosive nitrO-glycerine; and
W tn the same elements in varying
proportions. it forms the albuminoids.
the gelatines the glutens. and other
strengthening elements of our food.
or the indispensable medicinal agents
quinine, morphine. atropine. strych-
nine. veratrine. cocaine. and many
others.
Although nitrogen is tasteless. it
forms an indispensable part of the
aavOrs of the peach. plum. apricot and
other delicious fruits as we'll as coffee
tea. chocolate and tobacco. Without
smell. it is found in many OF the most
powerful and delicious perfumes. as
we'll as in the most nauseating odors
OF putrefactiOn. Present in immense
quantities in the air. it furnishes little
or no support to vegetation. but COM
bined with other elements the amount
present in the soil determines its fer
tility and the amount of crops that
may be raised upon it. Colorless and
invisible. nearly every dyestuff Or
cOloring matter known contains it in
greater or less proportion. Harmless
and powerless by itself, when COM
bined with another non-explOsive gas.
chlorine. it forms the most powerful
explosive known. of which a ray of
sunlight is sufficient to arouse the
terrible destructive power.
And yet: Notwithstanding the pre-
eminent 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 us. but not a grain of
morphine Or theme, gelatine Or albu-
men, aniline or naphthaline can We
make from it. Only the mysterious
vital force working in the natural
laboratory of the vegetable and animal
organism can build up most of
these molecules from their ulti-
mate elements. and place the
atoms of NITROGEN in their proper
position like the beams or stones of a
building. Our wonder at the marvel
Gus powers displayed by these organ
ismS is none the less when we see what
simple. common and uncharacteristic
elements are used by them in making
up their .gOnderful products. and we
can only say that it is part of the
great and nnsoluble mystery of life
Neither can We explain satisfactor-
lily from chemical standpoint the
properties and reactions of this strange
element. BY itself it is nothing. but
united with other elements. some al
most equally inactive. the combina-
tions thus produced manifest the most
powerful and positive chemical and
properties. 1t is like the springing
into life Of dead matter. but there is
no system of chemical philosophy
which can give a 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
comprehension of the phenomena of
the universe. There are about as
many things in heaven and earth still
undreamt of in our philosophy as there
were in Shakespeare's time, and the
further We advance toward the end,
the more the field widens and appears
to be of illimitable extent. of
Chemistry.