The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-05-11
EVERY METAL HAS A SMELL
GIVES OFF CARNATIONS WHICH
ARE NOT OF ITS SUBSTANCE.

AXE NOI VI u SUBJ AWE.
Strange Effects of Heating and Cool
ing as Recorded by Herr Gruhn-
Smells Isolated Behave Like Dis
charges From Radioactive Bodies
He Says.
Herr Gruhn, Of Berlin, gives the
following details of his latest expert
ments il connection with his dlsco'-
cry that metals have smells. Ihrcugh
daily observations he shows that eacn
metal has a characteristic smell.
Many treatises contain the statement
that these bodies are absolutely III
odorous, as metals do not lose any
thing of their weight.
The theory SO far adopted In re-
gard to the origin of odors, viz, tnat
volatilized atoms mixed with atmos-
pheric air penetrate into the organ
of smell, does not, in fact. satlsfactor-
lily account for the phenomena. In the
first experiment of Herr Gruhn 1t was
shown that a piece of copper, alumni
UNI, tin or other metal possesses a
slight smell, which many persons
were unable to detect. In the second
experiment the same pieces or metal
were heated above a lamp to moder-
ate temperature, when they were
found to give Off very strong smells
which were readily distinguishable by
anybody.
From the experiments so far 1t
lvould seem that the condition. either
pure or oxidized, Of the surface of the
metal does not exercise any influence
On the quality or intensity OF the
smell The third experiment showed
that if a piece of metal be heated
for about an hour its temperature be-
ing kept constant. it as first gives OIL
a very strong smell, which gradually
decreases in intensity until it is just
equivalent to its smell in cold state.
If. however. the heating is Glscon-
tinued and the metal cooled it no
longer shows the least trace OF smell.
Another heating Immediately after
ward will produce only slight smell.
The cdor Of the metal thus appears to
have become we'll nigh exhausted. II
the same increase of temperature is
impaired to another sample of the
same metal the stronger effects OF the
fresh metal become especially strik-
in.
These phenomena always occur in
exactly the same manner. From them
it is inferred that the matter vapor-
lied during heating is not identical
with the metal itself. In fact it would
be disicult to understand why the
varorization of the metal should
eventually cease IN case OF prolcr 5ed
heating.
1t certainly could be objected that
prolonged heating would result in the
production OF layer OF oxide on the
surface, putting an end to vaporiza-
ton. The experiments, however, show
that the layer of oxide in no way IN
from the heated metal.
The phenomena described in the
fourth experiment afford striking evil
dence of Herr Gruhn's hypothesis. A
piece of metal being deprived of its
smell was kept in cold state for two
or three hours and then heated anew.
It was then found to have been re-
stored to it's previous power. smelling
as strongly as a fresh piece of metal.
The experiment can be repeated any
number of times. 1t should be re-
membered that the temperatures con-
cerned were by no means excessive.
A temperature Of so degrees cent?
grade is quite sufficient.
From his experiments Herr Gruiln
draws the conclusion that metals con-
tinually give out emanations of case
GUS matter, composed not of atoms OF
metal but rather Of the product OF
transformation from these atoms.
Metals possess the power of storing
this odorous matter in the same way
that carbonic acid is stored in water.
The experimenter finally succeeded in
separating and isolating in a vessel
the odors given off from metals. The
emanations in question then behave
exactly in the same way as the emana-
tons given off from radioactive
bodies.-Berlin correspondence of the
New York Sun.
MAN WITH "A REAkD