Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-11-15
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it has ofteu been stated, and With
truth, that modern chemlstry 70 Indebted
Cor much Of lie knowlehge TO the al
chemists of old, whose experiments Tor
the purpose of making goi BY artihce
wers certainly extraordinary ia the nj
most point ol absurdlty. Some Of them
actually attempted To lmprIson the suns
rays, which they tried 10 cAlclnr aud
powder, the rays being supposed to con-
slst Of pure golden sparks. Others
sought To obtais the philosophers stone.
~hIch Was 10 transmute all other metals
luto gold, from honey, sugar, vine,
blood, and even rain water. Dead bodies
we're dug up from their graves aud salt
peter was extracted from them tn serve
as an ingredient. Sill others believed
that gold grew from seed, other metals
merely furnishing q fruitful coll In which
the yellow ger,ns developed like plants.
In q work now rare, called the "Iiis-
tory Of Ancient Pharmacy" 10 IL men
toned that Raymond Nully VAS said To
have transformed s0,00 pounds of mer-
curry Into gold for the Enslish King
Edward ri, aud from this supply OF the
yellow metal the hrst rOse mobiles wcrr
coiucd. The credlblllty of the story ls
somewhat diminished, however, by the
circumstance that tile ssine monarch was
.oou after Obliged 10 coin money from
hls own aud the Qucen's crown aud from
the golden vessels ~ churches aud
cioisiers. Il !. gravely recorded that
the Emperor frc,ieric III, on June u,
1915, at Prague, changed thrr~ pounds
Of meryury Into two and one-hslf pounds
of gold by mean. of Que grain of lead
,ower given to him by man named
sichtsusen. Tie created this man B'ron
Of Chaos, aud from the gold = medal
~ss made which bore an inscription ~
fcrring Ia hs artificial origin. This
medal Was long preserved In the vienna
treasury. q.
In i.o5 . Saxon lieutenant named
rsykull was taken prisoner by Charlie.
XII nj Warsaw aud condemned 10 death
lie promised % make si,OD,0D worth,
10 gold each year " his life Was sTarri.
Ia the presepces of witnesses Tsykull
changed six ounces of Iced Into goli by
means of q tinciure which contained an-
timony, sulphur. snd .slipetsr anon.
other ingredients. Out ~ this gold
medal. were stamped but raykuil must
have failed la subsequent attempt. be-
cause he was afterwari exccuted. "
this goose had been able Ia lay real
golden esas Il IL "a bc presumed that be
would not have met With so melancholy
q fate.
The business ~ manufacturing gold Ia
those days seems to have been an ex'
irmely dangerous one, commonly bring
Ing persons Who pursued IL toa violrut
death. George lIonsner promised 20
transform 400 weight 10 Iron Into gold
Tor the priecc ~ wurtsml~rs. Tbs
prince detected boy. who had ieen con-
c-slsd In the laboratory. IN the act oi
paiiing gold Ia the cruyibl-. lie there
upon ordered an iron g,lloss Ia b. CON
.truct.d. from which Ga. impruicn'
fakir va. hsnge'i la lGo,, Two o,lr
gold makers were likesi.c hanged FROM
TIL. .sm. gsllows at stuttgart In lGsi
sud la. respectively.
II Ga iG.. q man named krohnsmsnn en-
tered th. service of th. Marquis ol
lir.ndeuburg With the rank of Colonel
lie soon Won reputation AZ . golim,kci
snd ~as given charge Of the mint al,
mines. subsequently, d. was su.p"ct-t
of fraud, aud on hi. Trial u WAS proved
tina, b. had stolen gold sni silver frou
the treasury ~ the Mir.rs,c for a.e Ia
the iccep'ion. lie was condemned Ia Il
hanged.
A qusck nsmei Daniel Supplied ltsl
ian sI.oth-,ari.. With q wonderful gold
powder called ''u.ufur." which MAS -up
Io.-i to have astonishing me'iiCins
value. Pretending that IN. AFT of com
pounding TIL. u.ufur, With other drug.
~asa my strry known oniy 10 himself
b. directed his patients not Ia permit, th'
spoihccsric. Ia mix the ingredients ri
III, prescriptions. hut to buy th'm, In
Guiding the u.uiur, aud bring th-m q
him for patting together. lie mixed th'
drug., emitting the u.ufur, In vhici
manner %. .uccce,iei In having Restores,
To- him the gold powder, previously sold
10y him at high price Ia the si'o'h"
csfies. The powder .oon hscim'
famous, aud the qa.ck unslly offered e.
teach bake Co.mo. u of florcnc- th'
att % making gold. III. bake psh
Daniel 5000 ducst. for the s-vrct ant
ih. .windler n-d to franc. With tia
money.
Count CsIetsn In i,0S 10 the prrs.nc'
10 Frederick of Prus.i,, changed on'
pound of merrury into gold by ncsns al
a red tincturc. subsequently, h. prom
led Ia make e6,0D,Oy, worth 10 gold Ia
six weeks. hut, falling Ia keep bi. word
he VAS hanged, drsped In gold leaf
which b.,sme th. customary meihOd ol
dealing With aichcmi.t.. III. tri,e al
slchemi.ts 4. not YET entirely extinct
In iss0 an American named Wise duped
member Of the l,ohsn family snd q
collateral descendant 80 the "Necklscs
Cardinal" whom Caglio.tro dsc-i'-'i b,
pretending To make gold. Wise got q
considerable sum 81 money from Rohsu
sud decamped. Only few day. sg,
the writer picked ups It'll. pamphlet
on q bcok.tall In New York which con
tsibed several pages ~ ADVERTISEMENT
Of u substance for transmitting Other
metal. Into gold, the price being only -
4 lady Who had been instrumental In
getting up musical service. Ia q churci