Evening star., 1898-01-22
How Alchemists Studied on the An
cient Problem.
MODERN ATTEMPTS 10 SOLVE MYSTERY
Notable Instances of Oelusion and
Pitiful Failure.
A SERVANTS FUNNY PRANK

from
sensational announcement has been
made than an American chemist Of repute,
DIR. Emmens. tas discovered a method by
which he can turn silver into gold. He
claims that the cost of the process in
volved. though rather high, yet leaves q
balance sufficient to return an enormous
profit on the transaction. DR.. Emmens as
serts that IN the course of his inyestiga-
tions he has discovered a new element, to
which he has given the name argent-au-
rum. or silver-gold, claiming that 1t lies be-
tween gold and silver and he states that
he discovers this element to exist in silver.
ready to be made to undergo the slight
change which will turn 1t into gold by
means of his treatment-chiely great pres
sure. Sir William Crookes however. states
that he has submitted Emmens' gold sam
pie to spectroscopic analysis, and could
rot discover a single line which belongs to
an unknown element"
In 1855. King Henry vi granted patent
to an inventor who believed that he was
able to produce gold, and under his patent
was entitled to make gold enough to enable
the king to pay all the debts Of the crown
in real gold. The forge at which this at
tempt was carried on stood where is now
Pail Mall.
Queen Bess Deceived.
In Queen Elizabeths time there lived
celebrated astrologer and alchemist called
DIR. Dee. who seems to have been a clever
conjurer. He announced that he had found
out how to make silver from copper, and
invited Queen Elizabeth to visit his labora-
tory, where he showed her a copper frying
pan, from which piece had been cut out,
and then the piece exactly fitting the hole
turned into pure silver. The same exercise
that Dr. Enlmens asks from us today. There
was the silver undoubtedly; as to how 1t
came, There was where the faith was re-
Qufred.
Various deliberate impostures were car
ried out by different alchemists, by means
of which they pretended to make gold in
the presence Of other persons. In one case
II was found that the vessel in which the
alchemy was conducted was made with a
false bottom; the gold was hidden under
meath. The vessel could be inspected and
then the various mysterious compounds
were placed in 1t, and ultimately the gold
was found at the bottonl-the fact being
that the false metal above had melted
away by the application of heat. leaving
the gold visible. Again, hollow rods con-
tanning some gold, closed at the end invisi
bly, with wax, were used to stir the cruel
bles; the wax would melt and the gold run
out. to be found when the mixture cooled.
The object. of course, was to persuade the
pcssessors Of real honest gold in the shape
for the purpose of the perfection and COM
pletion of the experiments.
Two Cases.
But it is quite likely that several of the
alchemists who supposed or professed that
they had found gold were either mad or de-
ceived-
The cases of perhaps the two last of the
alchemists (before DIR. Emmens) present an
Instance of each mode of deception. On the
9Th of May, 1Is2, series of experiments
in making gold was begun by really IL
iustrious chemist named James Price,
FRS After some experiments that fail,
ed he at last announced that he had dis
covered powder that he found WAS capa-
bic of turning mercury into gold. He
called together on the 25th OF the same
month in which he had commenced his
experiments $50 quickly had he discovered
the great secret, as he believed. large
assemblage Of peers. chemists, lawyers and
clergymen. and in their presence he ap-
parently transmitted mercury into gold by
adding 10 the former a certain secret pow
der that he said he had discovered. Some
OF this gold was offered to. and graciously
accepted by, the king, George Ill. A SEN
sation was produced. The University of
Oxford offered the discoverer an honorary
degree. and the public eagerly bought up
two editions of a book that ne published.
But many Of his colleagues in the Royal
Society were not satisfied by the loose
tests applied by the mixed assempIaye be-.
fore which Price had operated, and they
asked MIN TO submit to a test arranged by
the society itself. After being much
pressed Price at last professed his willing
ness. at the end Of month, to satisfy
The Royal Society He returned to his
laboratory at Guildford and began opera
tions by distiIling quantity Of the deadly
poison of The laurel. He next made his
will. end though he was in perfect health
II began: Believing that | am about to
die
Before savants.
Six months then passed away, and at
last he issued his summons to the Royal
Society Three of its members attended
at his laboratory. He received them with
cordially, and pretended to be making
preparations for his experiment, but sud
denly put bottle to his mouth and drank
from 1t, and in few moments fell dying
at their feet. He had called them there to
see him drink the laurel water and die, as
his peEance for his deceit-conscious or
mistaken.
Many explanations were hazaried of this
strange affair. and a somewhat similar oc-
currenoe in Germany soon after that was
fully explained may perhaps supply the
real cue There q grave professor Who
mad announced that he had found the vav
OF procuring gold dn small quantities. GER
tainly. but II it can be done at all the
modus operandi for obtaining good ouanti-
ties Is only a matter of time and manage
ment) suddenly discovered that the gold
tnat. ne had boen used to find in his cruel
Die had turned into q mere sort of brass
the stun called Dutch metal" He wisely
called in the police to unravel the mvs-
tery' and they soon discovered 1t.
A Sly Helper.
The, good chemist had an old and at
tached servant. who. to save his master
from disappointment, had been In the habit
Of purchasing little gold leaf and slipping
II secretly into the mess in the crucibIei
But the old servant. being called away for
time, had intrusted his wife with the
money to purchase the gold leaf, and in
structed her to- put 1t in the crucible. and
this woman had used the money for ber
own drink. buying Dutch metar' tn non
In the crucible instead, With the shout
OF laughter that this discovery caused IN
ring throughout Europe Tin which the Dc.
eeiyed chemist had the sense to heartily
john the really scientific attempts at siaE
ing the thirst for gold by making mixturss
In crucible may be said to have Come 20
an end until the present moment
But so recently as 1923 Mr.. KeIlerman
OF Liliey, village between Luton and Tft
chin, was reputed to have found the s>raa.