The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-11-06
miscellaneous.
HOW DID THEY DO IT?
MODERNS ASK THIS AS THEY CON
SIDER THE ENClENTS' WORK.

SIDER THE ENCIENTS' WORK.
Recipes Lost That Would BE of Value to
M.niind-Some of the Things They Did
In the Long Ago That Nineteenth Cen
fury Civilization Cannot Compass.
When we reflect that the ancients pos
scssed but very limited means for spread
ing knowledge of any kind, it seems some
what strange that so much of it should
nave come down to modern times. But
when it is taken into consideration that
even since the introduction of printing,
which is the greatest dissemination OF
knowledge that has ever existed, many Sc
crets of recipes have been utterly lost, it is
truly wonderful that the number of trade
recipes which the ancients used, and which
have been banded down to us, is not in
finitcly smaller than it is. But, then,
those that are lost seem to he by far the
most important-they are not merely of
interest TO the antiquarian and the differ
cnt varieties of "OlOriStS, - but would he
useful to those who earn their bread il the
everyday walks of life. To know, for OK
ample, how the ancient Roman made his
mortar would interest both the modern
builder and his pocket. Bat, unfortunate
" for poSterity, the modern builder can no
more make mortar equal to that of the
Romans than he can fly. If he could, there
would be IL chance that the buildings which
he makes would last for some thousands of
ycars-so long, in fact, as the stone lasts.
This is the case with tho mortar used by
the Romans. 1t is as firm now as it WAS Il
couple of thousand years ago, so hard that
file will hardly touch it, and so lasting
that the stones which it Cemontcd together
have begun to crumblc away, leaving the
mortar still intact.
Another secret which was known to the
Romans, or at least to one of them, was
one bout glass. The story, if we recollcct
rightly, is told by SucJonius. An artisan
brought to the Emperor Tiberius Il goblet
made of glass, IL substance then recently
discovered which, when thrown on the
ground or squeezed in the hand, did not
break, hut WAS as elastic as steel The
only goblCtS in those times were made OF
metal. The only ones used in Roman So
cicty were made of silver or gold. Consc.
quently the emperor thought that if the
secret of making glass gobletS which were
unbreakablc became generally known, the
trade of the gold and silver smiths of Rome
would be ruined, and he therefore ordered
the immediate execution of the artisan who
invented the method of producing mallca-
bic glass. The order, as were most of the
orders of an imperial dcspOt, was promptly
carried out, and the mans secret died with
him, nor has it since been recovered.
The Greeks 50 history tells us, were in
the habit of using in their naval battles Il
substance which, when thrown on to the
water, burned and set fire to the ships of
the enemy This substance went under
the name of Greek fire. but, unless ii
was the metal potassium modern scientists
do not know what it was, and even that
element would not answer tho purpose I'M
less used in very large quantities. If,
therefore, the famous Greek fire was po-
tassium, the Greeks must have been &c
quainted with Il cheap and easy method OF
obtaining it, and if they had that recipe,
it is lost.
The English of early times did not know
Il great deal that We do not know now.
But they certainly knew Of a drug or oil
something which would protect the skin
from heat. Editha, the daughter of God
win, plunged her arm into u caldron OF
boiling oil and brought out the "holy
stone" thercfrom. She could not have done
this without some such help. But although
tainly known to some of the eastern con
jurors of today, for a feat similar to the
above in every instance may be witnessed
i'll almost every country Of the orient The
Italians, and the ancient Romans, too, for
that matter, had /! method of mixing their
c0lors so as to render them imperishablo.
y glance at some of tho old Roman pic
lures in the British museum will show
that the colors OF pictures painted nearly
1900 years ago are almost as fresh, cS-
pecially the reds, as they must originally
have been. Raphael, NandykC, lihbonS
in fact, all the old mustcrS-pOSSeSscd Il
similar secret. What their recipe was is
not known, but certainly modern painters
cannot mix their colorS SO as to make them
stand the test of centuries. Fifty or 90
years ut the most is what they will stand
without showing IL marked deterioration.
Another class of old mastcrs-thc violin
makcrs-had a recipe which is lost forever.
1t was for varnish which, besides pre-
serving their Instruments, sank into the
wood and mcllowcd it In spite of repeated
efforts, however, the modern violin manu-
tacturerS cannot make Il similar Narnish.
and it is principally for this reason that
their Instruments though very good, can
not rank oven with Il mediocre ''Strad'' or
Amati. When COrtcs conquered Mexico,
he found the Aztecs IL civilized race. lie
found them masters of architecture and
skilled in metallurgy. He found, too, that
they were able to treat copper in such
manner that it could be hardened and tenn
pcrcd like steel. We have seen specimens
of this copper cutlery-which is pure cop
per, almost chemically purc-which are
equal in 1ineness of temper and hardness
IN, Z ,n fiunst Stnal rslplllpn, nv 1tlIlrh
Wanted scientific processes of today. Men
have worked for Il long time on this sub
jCct, forif copper of this kind could be pro
ducCd now it would be invaluable for
many purposes; but so far little or no sue
cess has attended their efforts and the rec
ipc remains Il secret The inlaying of
sword blades with gold, ut which the In
dians were at one time expert, is another
lost recipe, for even they cannot do it now,
and only II few examples of gold inlaid
swords and dagsers now remain 10 prove
that ut one time somebody possessed the
secret for thus identifying them without
damaging their efficiency. In the middle
of the las5 century there lived in Welsh
village Il blacksmith who possessed recipe
for welding steel without spelling its tenn
per. lie was ;!blu II weld Il sword blade in
half an hour il sUch Il manner that the
join WAS quito invisible, and the edge,
temper and brightness were as perfect ms
when the weapon first came from the fac
! tory. But he invariably worked alone and
would not even allow any one ncar his
forge while he WIS at work, and, although
he was offered large sums for tho secret of
| his recipe, he never divulged it, and it died
with him.-London Standard.
Every fisherman knows that fish bite
better just before a shower than at any