Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-30
ARTIFICIAL GOLD,
Modern Scientific View of the Trans.
mutation of Metals.

From the London Standard
The disclaimer recently issued by Sir
William Ramsay, in which he definitely
contradicts the rumor that he has re-
ported favorably on a process for manu-
1acturing gold. shows that spectators
are already taking advantage Of the fact
that modern scientific opinion regards the
uansmutat1on OF metals as an open pos
sibility. Tho gradual disappearance OF
skeptictsm In this matter was explained
to one OF our Representatives by an emf
ment scientist.
The absurdity Of a transmutation OF
metals was adopted as a scientific dogma
IN the eighteenth century," he said, but
since 1859 certain things that have been
discovered have shown that the dogma
was premature, just as 1t would stu be
premature to say that transmutation will
ultimately be achieved. In 1863 the Rus
sian chemist Mendeleeff arranged the
elements in the order OF their atomic
weight, and from this arrangement con-
celved the hypothesis that they had all
been evolved from some common original
supstance, Tor the elements thN1 ar
ranged fell into families, each member
having similar but accumulated properties
as the atomic weight increased. and
therefore the old. idea that the simple
elementary substances stood absolutely
apart one from another had to be aban-
doned. The hypothesis that an unknown
substance or element, Professionally called
'protyle.' underlies their differences was
suggested to account for the affinties.
Now, this was a considerable revolu-
ton In opinion. The discovery OF oxygen
in IVA had overthrow many conceptions
previously entertained by scientists. and
1t had come to be supposed that the
search for the transmitting philosopher 8
stone, which occupied the medieval al
chemists, was an entire delusfon. This
philosophers stone meant some sub
stance by means of which the elements.
and indeed everything, could be turned
int Yr11
deal Of honest research was undertaken
In connection with the idea, all sodts Of
frauds accompanied its exploitation.
But since the whole method OF medic
ed-whether accompanied by honest or by
dishonest experiments-the revival OF the
Original substance idea in 1869 was a
very considerable revolution In opinion.
not have entered the minds Of modern
spectators at all seriously II radium
had remained undiscovered. But 1t was
found that radium undergoes sort OF
spontaneous decomposition. and that
among the emanations which it gives on
a totally different element, namely,
helium, is included. Here, then, within
the last decade science has been brought
to admit by facts that spontaneous
transmutation Of elements does take place
in nature Therefore scientists can no
longer deny that the transmutation OF
such elements as lead. gold copper.
nickel platinum, silver, mercury. CAD
MUM and so on. and even the creation OF
artificial gold, are possibilities Of future
experiment.
However. I think one may say that
scientists still maintain the improbabuity
Of this achievement, although the state
of scientific knowledge as II stands at
the moment seems to oppose no insuper-
able barrier to 1t. But one may speculate
whether a universal method OF TRANSMIT
tation would be discovered. 1t appears
to me that we shall conceivably be able
to note aff1nities between certain elements.
and even to transform one into another.
But the idea that gold will be the first ar
tificial element to be constructed is proba-
bly, a delusion, even II It is not fraudu..
lent delusion. A universal process OF
transmutation would throw our whole
economic life into the most extraordinary
ouandary, and the difficulties created by
the discovery of way to make gold ar
tificially would alone be very disastrous:
But the other minor transmutatfons, not
bearing SO directly upon our standard or
values, might be scienti &c benefits with
out becoming the basis OF too prontapie
eXploitatiOns.