The record-union., 1897-08-14

made This mineral was extremely
rare. and found in but few countries,
Chiefly in Persia, and its market value,
weight for weight, was greater than
that of gold. This fact led the chem
lists to attempt to analyze and recon-
struct i in the laboratory. To an
alyze it proved easy; it was found to
be composed of such familiar elements
as silica, alumnia prominent constitu-
ents Of common earths and rocks),
soda, iron and sulhpur. But a knowi-
edge of its constituents gave no clew
whatever to the beautiful color of the
lapis lazuli, nor did there seem to be
any way in which the constituents
could be put together in imitation of
the natural mineral. The less progress
sive chemists gave it up in despair,
saying that the processes of nature
could not be duplicated in the labora
tory. Others, however. went ahead with
the experiments, and presently they
were rewarded with success. They had
but to put together the elements in
proper proportions, and subject them
to certain conditions. and behld! an
artificial lapis lazun as brilliant in col
or and in all respects as useful as the
original. So to-day this mineral which
few years ago was literally worth its
weight in gold is supplanted by its du-
plicate made in factories by the ton
and sold for - cents a pound.
Then, again, about a century ago
the great French chemist, Lavoisier
learned that the wonderful gem known
as the diamond is really composed OF
the same material as charcoal, namely,
carbon. At once it was suggested that
it might be possible to make dia-
mOnds out of coal. But most chemists
secuted the idea-the diamond was
natural mineral, and natures processes
could not be duplicated in the labora
tory. Sc for about a hundred years
no very extensive efforts were made TO
learn how to manufacture diamonds.
Notwithstanding the great value of
these gems. Recently however, NJ.
Moisson has taken up the subject, and,
as is well known, has actually succeed
ed in making diamonds in his forge.
The gems thus manufactured are very
small, it is true, but the principle has
been found and who can doubt that its
application will be extended until gems
of any desired size are made at will
1t would be nothing surprising if with
in the next generation or two dia-
mOnds equal to the finest crown jewels
were to be turned out from factories
by the ton and sold at so many cents
an ounce instead of so many dollars
a caret.
Yet again, think of the multitudinous
and varied commercial products that
are now manufactured from the black,
offensive liquid known as coal tar,
which until recently was considered
waste product in the manufacture OF
gas from coal. From this apparently
noXious liquid are produced a great
variety of ethers, which do service as
true fruit syrups" at most soda foun-
tains, a host of beautiful and brilliant
dyes and pigments and numerous valu-
able drugs.
In truth, what has been done is but
a mere beginning. 1t is new work in
an untried field. Already chemists are
in sight Of greater achievements than
any of these. In Germany even now
there are factories where they hope
in the near future to be able to make
the invaluable drug quinine; and when
this is accomplished the making of
morphine and all similar drugs inde-
pendently of natures laborat atory-the
plant-wiu surely follow. This would
mean the death blow to such great
commercial interests as the cultivation
Of the Peruvian bark tree and the pop
py; industries that are as important in
some tropical climates as the cultiva-
finn Of ale n a fo
1t is reported from the chemical labor
atories that the synthesls of sugar is
imminent. IN other words, that the
time is probably at hand when this uni
versal staple may be manufactured,
perhaps from coal tar in the labora-
tory. This would mean an utter revo-
luton in the agricultural and CONNER
cial status of entire nations. But if su-
gar is to be manufactured, why not
starch also, which has almost the same
chemical composition? Why, indeed,
may not all the vegetable foods be sub
stituted by laboratory products, MAX
ing the occupation of the tiller of the
soil only a reminiscence? Such a sug-
gestion, with all it's revolutionary cor
Ollaries, takes liberties with the future,
il is true, but with a part of the future
that seems to live barely beyond the
horizon of the present.
All this, it must be admitted, is some
what afield from the subject of gold
making; for gold is an elementary sub
stance, whereas the various substances
just mentioned are compounds of the
same elements carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen) variously put together. But the
difference is apparent rather than real,
for the modern chemist is disposed to
regard the so-called elements" as
themselves composed of yet more ele-
mentary substances; indeed, it is this
belief that justifies the hope of making
gold from other metals. The presump-
ton is that the atom of gold, which is
very heavy is composed of several
lighter atoms, and it is believed that
conditions will some time be discovered
under which the elementary atoms of
some lighter metals may be decomposed
and made to unite again, not as they
were before. but in such proportions as
to form atoms of gold. In making such
an effort, the chemist of to-day may
work. so to speak, with his eyes open.
He knows the atomic weights of the
different metals. and he can form
Judgment in advance OF his experiments
as to what ones are of right weight pos
sibly to produce the desired combina-
ton. The old-time alchemists who
wore out their lives over the same
problem had no such clew- They knew
nothing of atomic weights, or for
that matter of atoms themselves, and
they worked utterly in the dark with
no prospect of success. That they failed
is no nroof that the chemist of the