New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-07-01
SPECULATIONs ABOUT RADIUM.

SPECULATIONS ABOUT RADIUN
One of the most startling suggestions which
have been evoked by the observed behavior Of
radium and some other recently discovered ele-
ments was offered by Sir William Crookes at
the international congress of chemists in Berlin
the other day. He imagines that all forms of
matter have one common basis; that everything
is gradually dissolving and degenerating into
the original ''protyle," and that the universe it.
self is lapsing back into primeval chaos. This
has long been pet theory of Sir William, but
he now thinks he sees fresh evidence of its cor
rectness. Other chemists, by the way, now
call suspicious entertained by Sir Norman
Lockyer after a Spectroscopic study Of the sun
and stars. That we'll known astronomer has
fancied that a conversion of one element into
another might be in progress in some of these
bodies Here indeed. is echo of the faith of
the old alchemists in the feasibility of trans
muting a base metal into gold 1t is not sur
prising therefore, to hear Philadelphia cleo
trcian of note, Edwin ]. Houston, declaring
that if ions can be separated from atoms and
recollected the manufacture of precious metals
is feasible
Two other highly revolutionary notions have
been advanced in kindred discussions IN the
last few months. Sir William Crookes, Sir
OIlNeF LOuSe ana one OF TWO OIner prominent
students of nature seem willing to ignore the
distinction between matter and force, and to
believe that sooner or later everything is to
be transformed into electricity. Substance they
appear to imagine, is an ephemeral phenome-
nor. Again, the difficulty of explaining immedi-
ately all of the forms of radiation which have
been noticed has led to the abandonment of, or
the temptation to abandon, the first law of
thermO-dynamiCs-tha of the conservation of
energy. Simply because a seeming inconsist-
ency cannot be cleared up promptly a dspo-
sition is shown to throw overheard a funda-
mental principle of physics
Talk of this sort could not go on long without
exciting protests, and already they have begun
TO be heard. T. w Richards, professor of chem
isry at Harvard, severely condemns the at
tempt to confuse matter and force and calls
Sir William and Sir Oliver "dreamers" Re
ferring to the proposed sacrifice of the theory
of conservation of energy. Engineering" re-
marked month or so ago that this wrench
to accepted principles seems unnecessary"
Even more emphatic language was employed
by THE Electrical World and Engineer" in
commenting upon certain cOnjectures of Pro-
fessor Rutherford, of Montreal From observa-
lions made with thorium, the Canadian thought
that perhaps radium had been only recently pro-
duced and is now in process of manufacture
in the solid rock. Coupling that proposition
with the suggestion that everything is in a
state Of dissolution, our contemporary de-
clares: "This comes as near to being tommy
rot as anything suggested since the demise of
1.-The late lamented Professor Kelley" That
periodical adds that the electrical part of recent
Investigations of the conduct of radium and
other rare elements forms only a small share
of the pending inquiry. and that some of the
non r1Y,e.Tr z,,.oI.z-1
improved assumptions
1t is natural that the discovery of new forms
of radiation and the fresh study Of other FORMS
known. but practically neglected, should give
rise to much speculation. Hypothesis of one
kind or another are helpful in Investigation as
they often prescribe the form of an experiment
which may clear up a mystery 1t cannot too
often be pointed out, though that speculation
is not science. One may lead to the other but
they arc not Identical Science, as the deriva
ton of its name indicates. is knowledge; and
knowledge is attained only by mental processes
like those adopted by court in judicial nro
ceedings. Intensely interesting as are some of
the attempted explanations of the phenomena
Of radiation, they remain at present in the
realm of the imagination. Nine Curie happlIv
defines the status of the matter when in this
weeks independent" she says: The study Of
the physical properties OF radioactive sub
stances is in course of evolution" No develop
ment Of the last two or three years has vet led
chemists and physicists as a whole to discard
their faith in the essential difference between
elements, the distinction between force and
matter or the law of the conservation of energy.
Professor Houstons utterances on transmuta.
ton will probably not hurt his reputation for
sanity, because he judciOusly introduces an i'm
portant If into his statement NeVartbaJosS
1t Is possible that even he has overlooked one
important fact Chemists find II much easier IN
take matter apart than to put ii together
Analysis is one thing, synthesls another. Anv
dictionary will tell you how many atoms Of
carbon, hydrogen and oxygen there are in q
molecule Of ALCOHOL but no one can produce n
from the constituents. All that man can do is
to isolate it when nature has manufactured u
by fermentation
DR. baa oh