The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-02
? = =. = = : VI = =
The AGE OF CHEMISTRY

Come True.
/ BY JOHN RAYMOND.
THE AGE OF CHEMISTRY
Within the last few years the world
has been electrified by the vast strides
made in the field of science by the cre-
lative chemist. Indeed. within a genera
ltion the influence exerted upon the en-
tire fabric Of our civilization from
within the laboratory has been SO
enormous that we are prepared at last
to accept the oft-repeated statement
that we have passed beyond the age
of machinery and have entered into the
more mysterious age of chemistry.
What this new era is to bring forth
lin the way of scientific discovery rests
upon conjecture, but certainly, the mir
acles performed in. the last half CEN
fury have been sufficient to warrant
almost any expectancy.
America has heard that Germany's
chemists saved her from an early dis
astrous defeat, both in the field and in
the matter of obtaining supplies. With
out the tremendous expansion of her
plants for the production of nitrates
and ammonia from the air by processes
developed by her great chemists, the
war, without question. would have
ended years before it did, as a result of
the exhaustion of Germany's explo-
siyes, if not from the exhaustion of her
flood supplies because of the lack of
Fertilizer for her fields. So great, in
fact, have been the accomplishments in
the last few years that scientists now
declare that a nation without applied
chemistry will be "defenseless in war
and laggards In peace"
Previously unheard of scientific
! feats have been reported from the lab
oratory but because of necessity, they
We're performed so quietly that they
We're robbed Of their gIamor and their
4 trappings Of romance while lesser
achievements on the field of battle and
/ in the council chambers of diplomats
/ have been hailed by throngs.
! Those of US who have left the class
room and study hall far behind find
| it difficult, lacking technical knowI-
edge, to comprehend this swift transit
/ ton from one era to another. an amaz-
ling period when the nations of the
world are making serious plans to
scrap their worthless armies and ma
lvies, depending for protection entirely
upon the subtle but deadly agencies
| developed secretly in chemical labora-
tories
We who are not chemists hear
strange tales these days, no less
strange becaues they are true, of rubies
and amber, ornaments of ivory, SHIN
mering silks. colors Of every hue, and
exotic perfumes-once the precious
cargo of deserted caravans produced
from substance as ordinary as coal
tar.
Truly. chemistry has descended into |
the depths of the earth, and extracted
the secret formula Of nature. The mod
.ern researcher, by constant diligence
and untiring effort, has performed the |
mysteries which kept the alchemist Of
other centuries cropping in the dark |
and branded him as one allied with the |
devil himself. The researcher, in find |
ing in coal tar not only things of |
beauty, but remedies for human ills, |
has outdreamed the alchemist by |
transforming a base substance into |
something far more precious than gold |
From this black, stick mass he |
adorns M'lady with colors rivaling ma
ture itself in their barbaric splendor /
He distils perfumes that equal the jas
mine and he makes terrifying gases
that one day will make war unthinka- /
BILE. Thousands of articles upon which
we depend from TINT to paving blocks,
from altar of roses to fertilizer, and
from Illumination gas to royal purple.
are derived from the same substance.
AS recently as 100 man who dared
to say that he could produce a ruby
from lump of coal would have been
accused of practicing the black arts
and doubtless would have ended his
career at the stake. In three centuries
we have gone far. Today we accept
these miracles, but few of US know how
the miracles are wrought. And yet
there is no mystery.
The succeeding sketches will show
how the accidental discovery of an
English boy at work in a laboratory in
1856 started the development of crea-
tive chemistry, and will tell how it is
possible to produce silk purse, bot
tie of perfume. the colors of the rain
bow, variety of medicines, foodstuffs
and poisons. all from the same ma
terial.
XNLA 7. A