The record-union., 1899-02-27


Sir Robert Ball, Who possesses the
by no means common gift of uniting a
deep scientific knowledge with bril-
liant literary style, writes in the HUI
manitarian' on a subject of very real
interest. calcium Though lime, in its
many forms, is one of the most ordinary
substances met with on this earth,
says Sir Robert, yet the essential ele-
ment which goes to the composition OF
lime is not by any means familiar
body. AS is well known to every one
who has learned any chemistry, lime is
the result of the union between oxygen
gas and the metal calcium. This very
remarkable element calcium is, how
ever. never found in nature unless in
such intimate chemical union with some
other element like oxygen or chlorine
that the characteristic properties Of the
metal are disguised. To see calcium it
self you must go to the chemical lab
oratory, where by ingenious processes
the shy element is temporarily divorced
from its union with the oxygen or
other body for, which it has SO eager
an affinity.
Though most of us have never even
seen a particle of calcium, it may well
be doubted whether there is any ele-
ment more important to the economy
of this earth or more widely distributed
over it. Calcium abounds in every soil.
| Calcium is in the waters of the sea
! The cup of spring water owes much of
it's invigorating freshness to the cal
cium which it holds in solution. The
white cliffs which have given the name
| of Albion are but one of the many
| forms Of calcium.
| Try to imagine what this earth would
be like if calcium were withdrawn.
The birds could not lay eggs. The sea
could produce no shells. Man and other
animals would need to have bones very
| different from those which they at
present possess. Buildings would in
great part vanish Even the hills and
mountains would to a considerable ex-
| tent disappear. Probably a very large
part of the total mass of this earth
would be taken away if all the calcium
We're to be removed.
| Without calcium a world inhabited in
| the same manner as our present abode
would be clearly impossible. There are,
it may be, lowly organisms on this
earth to which calcium is apparently
| of no appreciable consequence, and it
| is conceivable that a world of living
| types of some kind could be constructed
without the aid of that particular ele-
ment which is generally so indispens-
able on our globe. But such a world
would be totally different from that
world which we know. Under present
conditions the significance and import
| ance of calcium in our economy can
hardly be over estimated.
| Attention has been drawn to the i'm
portance of calcium on the earth; we
have now to add that this same ele-
ment appearsA to be most widely dis
tributed among the various bodies of
the universe. Among the most remark
able features in the Photographic spec
trum Of the sun are two very broad and
dark and very conspicuous lines. IN
every photograph of the ultra violet
| light of the sun these lines stand forth
so boldly as to arrest attention more
than any other feature of the spec
| trum. 1t had been known that these
| lines were due to calcium, but there
were certain difficulties connected with
their Interpretation Some recent re-
searches by Sir William and Lady
Higgins have cleared away all doubts.
1t is now certain that the presence of
these lines in a spectrum demonstrates
that the remarkable element which en-
| tiers into the composition Of lime on this
earth is also in the sun. These same
lines have indeed been detected in the
1 Photographic spectrum of many other
| bodies. Thus the interesting fact is es-
tablished that this particular element
which plays part so remarkable on
our earth is not peculiar to our globe,
but that it is diffused far and wide
throughout the universe.
A correspondent sends the London
Chronicle" the following unique GER
tificate given by Welsh Coroner on