Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-12-24
THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE.
/ Basis For Belief In Its Reality May
Perhaps he Found In Radium.

Basis For Belief In Its Reality May
Perhaps be Found In Radium.
Paracelsus. the arch magician of the
dark ages. announced that there
abides in nature II certain form OF mat
ter which. being discovered and brought
by art to perfection. converts to itself
proportionally all imperfect bodies that
II touches" Following this definition
Of the philosophers "stone" came pc
Rod of mysticism and charlatanry,
swaying the world with the belief that
the baser metals might be changed to
gold. 1t is strange therefore, that the
formula Of Paracelsus should express
with precision the conclusions adopted
by modern chemist no less skeptical
and distinguished than Sir William
Ramsay, who in Harper's Magazine
makes known his opinion that the
stone may actually have been found
In the piercing and transmitting cleo
irons of radium.
This opinion is not yet a belief. and
the conclusions are but tentative. Pro
lessor Ramsay assures us, however,
that they constitute q working hypoth-
esis. In 1863 NJ. Jansen, the French
astronomer. discovered an unknown ell
ement. afterward named helium, In the
chromosphere Of the sun during an
eclipse. Ramsay In 1895 found and
identified this element on the earth.
Only lately he has ascertained, with
the aid of other scientists, the aston
ishing fact that the electrons Of the
element radium-which are exceeding
ly minute particles, shot Off with enor-
nous velocity-whcn acting upon glass
change. disintegrate and build up"
new atoms of similar radio active ele-
ments. notably helium. II is q legiti-
mate inference. declares Sir william
Ramsay. that IL the atoms Of ordinary
ergy they would undergo change Of a
constructive and not Of a disruptive
nature" II. rs looks probable. he
maintains. the action Of the electrons.
themselves the conveyors Of enormous
energy. OIL such matter as glass II to
build up atoms which are radio active"
and III It be found that the particular
matter produced depends on the ele-
ment" on which the electrons fall and
to which they impart their energy
then the transmutation of elements
no longer appears an Idle dream" He
says further:
The philosophers stone will have been
discovered. and II IL not beyond the
bounds of possibility that Il may lead to
that other goal Of the philosophers OF the
dark ages. the elixir vitae for the ac-
ton OF living cells Is also dependent on
the nature and direction Of the energy
which they contain. and who can say
that Il will be impossible TO control their
action when the means of imparting and
controlling energy shall have been 1nves-
tigated?
Transmutation appears to be fact
In at least one instance. 1t is almost
certain that radium. itself an element.
changes into various other elements.
Moreover. Its life in its present form
Is a comparatively short one, and 1t
must therefore be in course Of forma-
ton. else the amount would be exhaust
ed in about $500 years. The infer
ence may not be resisted that not this
element merely. but several elements,
are undergoing a spontaneous change
into other forms Of matter, themselves
highly energized, and themselves un-
stable. Men already control the proc
ess Of transmitting radium. Have they
indeed penetrated the secret ut the
foundation of the forms Of matter aud
life?-New York Times.