The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-13


very remarkable man has recently been made
known to fame. His name is Theodore Olan He is
a Swede by birth, but he lives at Washington, D. c.
Mr.. Olan is chemist, and he has recently made one
of the most important discoveries in the domain Of
chemical science that have marked the present gen.
Grafton.
1t is not in this respect for this reason by any
means that Mr. OIan is very remarkable There
are too many Of such men nowadays to warrant any
one of them being regarded as very remarkable
This Washington chemist has gained his claim to
contemporary fame by the extraordinary proceeding
on his part of giving the world the benefit of his
discovery without money and without price One
naturally inquiries learning of this remarkable cir
cumstance how long Mr.. Olan had resided in the
United States before making his discovery. The
world has not properly enough, shown enough in
teres III the personality of the man to have this u,1es-
ton generally answered 1t doubtless believes that
with the personality of such it ought to have
but little to do
MI CLANS discovery, he explains doubtless in
mitigation of his hopeless display of imbecy in CIV
ing it to the world gratis came by accident One
day. pursuing his chemical researches with the aid
of metal pot he discovered that the bottom of the
pot had become soft and pliable He was studying
Il peculiar lichen, or moss which grows generally IN
the country on rocks and the roots of trees which
had never before been subjected to chemical nyesti
CATION He at first thought the result on the bottom
OF his pot was due to certain other acids which he
was using in his experiments; but soon became con-
WINGED that it was due to acid derived from the
moss This acid he has given the name tauric acid;
and concerning its he says: "By placing gold
silver steel aluminium or lead in this acid 1 found
they became soft dough- so that they might be
worked with the hands into any shape or form AL
though steel softens readily when placed in a vessel
tam 10
no effect whatever on iron Tauric acid will DE of
great value to jewelers. in making designs in precious
metals. Designs may be nodded beaten to the
required shape without heat being applied at ALL"
Here is a discovery which is not unlikely to reyo-
utlonlze certain processes in in the useful arts
The amount of money which it would have made for
its author if he had held his tongue is simply in
calcuable. In the plastic arts its Use will be uni
versa and it will result in the saving of expense and
labor to extent that had its dscoverer but DOS
sessed himself for single year of the fruits of his
chemical researches, he would have been placed for
all time beyond the reach of want and might for
that matter have gone down to his grave million
aire
The almost incredible simplicity of this man cam
not be made palmer, his own foolish purpose be
advanced more easily, than by setting forth in his
own childike language the process by which he ex,
tracts the new acid. He says
My plan for bringing out the acid from the tauric
moss IS TO put in deep vessel layer chloride of
lime then layer of tauric moss, depth of two
inches and then layer of chloride potash of about
the same thiGkness This is water until
the lime Is Stacked After of
the lime the liquid Is drawn off. Of
TAR Is added until saturate solution results The So
Iulon Is pIecpltated with solution sulphuric acid
one part In ten After precipitation the supernatent
liquid is decanted and the residue found to consist
of pure tauric acid ~ ''
we are sincerely sorry for Mr. OIan. His case is
one OF the most grievous instances ever brought TO
the minds of a shrewd and discriminating people Of
scientific enthusiasm gone mad 1t is doubtful IN
deed whether such be said to have any
right to live after having made such serious mess
of his prospects in life The day may even come to
him when his laboratory fires may burn low for want
of the wherewithal to set them aglow: and vet he
takes no heed of himself nor thought of the great
gain to commerce which he might have wrought had
he hed him the street to the patent office with
his specifications, and thereupon founded the Inter
national Taurc Acid company, with himself as the
leading stakeholder.
Sad is the of this thoughtless chemist in thus
yielding up his worldly prospects in an hour, and
sadder is it still if he is under the delusion that he
will have bestowed him. a result the thanks of
single mortal for his foolish self-sacrifce