Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-29
ORIGIN OF GOLD AND SILVER.
Science Seeks Element From Which
Precious Metals Are Derived.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune
About two years agb Mr.. Frederick
Soddy. an English physicist. observed that
gas which proved to be hellum was
given off from radium under circumstances
suggesting that 1t was generated by the
disintegration of the latter element. Sub
sequently Sir William Ramsay made tests
which led him to the same conclusion
Since that time number of lines Of ex-
pertinent bearing on the possibility OF
transmutation have been opened. One of
these was designed to find out whether ra-
dunn was derived from uranium A second
is described by Mr.. Soddy In the latest
issue of Nature to reach this country. and
grew out of his suspicion that gold also
might be both product Of different ele-
ment and the parent of others.
The first step in such an inquiry, of
course, would be to accumulate suitable
amount of gold and confine 1t SO that If gas
Were evolved the quantity and character
could be determined. So rapid Is the trans
formation which radium undergoes that re-
suits can be had In a few days. 1nasmuch
as gold is apparently not radioactive
metal 1t would be safe to assume that IL 1t
dislntegrates at all the process must be ex-
tremely slow. Obviously, then, the more
raw material Mr.. Soddy is able to procure
to begin with the sooner he may hope for
appreciabe results; and he alludes en-
viously to the stores of 1t in the vaults OF
the Bank of England
Mr.. Soddy does not indicate just how he
would go to work to ascertain the origin
OF gold. Perhaps he has not yet formed
plan Of campaign. Here, again, he would
require a supply of what he believes to be
the proper raw material, and then would
need to provide the right conditions for the
change. He gives to the readers of Nature
no hint of the element from which he fan
cies that gold has been derived. His ST.
lence may be due to an unwilngness to
furnish a clue to other Investigators; but
it is more probable that he has not found
clue himself. The possible parentage OF
radium Is suggested by the fact that that
element has hitherto been discovered only
in association with uranium Gold on the
other hand, has variety of affiliations
The study of its genealogy, therefore, is be-
set with peculiar difficulties.
One cannot refrain from specializing,
however, on the probable consequences of
a revelation that it was derived from some
cheaper and more abundant metal. Ihere
is yet no reason TO imagine that the trans
formation could be promoted In any way.
What Mr. Soddy did in his other expert
ments was to watch the process of evolu-
ton and try to estimate the rate at which
Ii took place. He was more successful in his
observations of the generation OF helium
from radium than In those which sought
evidence of the production of radium from
uranium; but in neither case did he APP
pear to imagine that he could hasten the
change. He does not show any faith, either.
in the possibility of hurrying nature, even
cred. Hence, the only practical result of
the inquiries which he now proposes, sup
posing them TO be successful would prob
ably be to inform the world whether this
metal is being manufactured in the crust
of the earth fast as IL disintegrateS. 1t
not, gold would doubtless appreciate. If
production exceeded decay 1t would depre-
ciate. If there was no conspicuous differ
ence between the rates at which the two
processes went on the value of the metal
would remain unaltered.
The question whether not silver also Is
a dervative has recently been under dis
cussion by correspondents of Nature. DIR.
Donald Murray and DR.. Norman r. Camp
bell regard the association of that metal
with lead in galena suggestive of such
possibility. Unfortunately, the ratio be-
tween the amounts of the two elements
found in that ore varies enormously. 1t is
not uniform, like that between the guam
titles of uranium and radium In pitchblende.
Besides, silver, as well as gold, Is found in
q variety of combinations. These facts are,
perhaps, not absolutely fatal to the Muir
ray-Campbeli hypothesis, but they strongly
discredit 1t. Still, a guide TO further
research a hint of this kind is not without
value. Nor Is any great harm likely to en-
sue IL the men who adopt 1t have an exag
gerated idea of it's significance, and are I'M
duly sanguine about the outcome of at
tempts to test 1t. Hope is a great stimu-
liant to investigation, and If results should
be announced which were fallaciOus COM
petent critics would review them before
the public had been seriously misled.
Experiments relative to the origin and
not more promising, than those concerning
the nature of silver; and it is to be hoped
that Mr.. SodGy will find the means to con-
duct the research which he contemplates,
whether DR. Murray and DR. Campbell pro-
coed with theirs or not