EIGHT PART PAGES. IL aWCtö-iOtU .ritmm AND...
1
PART IL EIGHT PAGES. aWCtö-iOtU .ritmm MISCELLANY AND ART. NEW-YORK. SUNDAY. »FEBRUARY 23, 1913. mñ oïSlN.OT Illinium V *a»s***nng » [§ tree Great Chemists S^BgjfHave Piockced Neon «and ïïeliiim Ëobi Substances mWhick They ülad lot Peen EiiowiiTo Be T?resc_rt ONE of the mo.-t rosnanU« dre history promises soon to true The» elusive hop« «nnents. the dis'overy of the * price's stone, that "great magistc Is beim; reduced tu terms of ad chemistry. Tut oottatunlng desire nudlacval alchemist was to comet tn-tal itit«» t-old, in quantities that make th«*m -rasters of the world, snd many other wonders srsrs to as t-oon as th« y had a.»..»¦»mplish« ttansmutation «>f the element»». ».rttdually their drc.im came to I'd It whs «lassod with WrltchC!, lusions and the throrv that the carl flat. For a hundred and fifty years on the shelf. Then came the dis« by Madame Cruie of the n< w a] tadiiim, and the subsequent discovc by Sir William Hamsav, of En «Aorklng in »-oiijuiu-tioi» with Fre ^rddy, that this radium cave off ¡ t in gaseous emanation, which captured an«! confined mil f..und t «Wire a change, without artificial lût.» the very rare element helium. This transformation amounted to 1 mutation of element*, and scientists therefore mote or less prepared fo epoch-making ;»».ni>unr»em«»nt, made i ays OttO by Sir William Kamsay. . Norman ColHo, of the Untvi College, London, and Professor H. I\ BOH, of Leeds I"iii*. crslty, that thei « cnt experiments had apparently a« l'lishc»! the transmutation of ciernen still another way, inasmuch as they I'ioduccil nr».n and helium from tances In Which tiny were previous!; known t" hs I'lc-cnt Thes« MtODII tcveiations were rnsdc at a ncsua th.» rii«iinral S.iciety, of Hncl.ind. » a specially prepared paper was reai Sii- William, and a joint paper by l'i ».' I « ..!'¦. ai¡.i Patterson. PROF. RAMSAY'S EXPERIMEN l'i off-sor Ramasy hat previously ted experiment* T,itli half a grai ot radium hromide. and l.y its ai'l tho he had BUCCOOdiWl in ttansmdtii.g CO into lithium, silicon, titanium and opium, and tho«-|um into carbon. ". obtained neon from water. TMs ihkiH transmutation led him to seek CSttSO, tut suspecting that the same la might he achieved by the us« »¦orno other form of energy he USrt gated the Contents Of used X-tay hi: At the sam>* time Professors «'ollle *J.-itU non w«re rnaktllg similar invest I » hut ail ihtie entirely ladepon»1 » I 000 another. In a'l these experiments the gas hell »t.i- found in the hulbs and its prese could riot he explain«-d. Bonn 'times .< ment nr».n was first oh-¦¦« rv»d to ;. ant from an unknown sonreí, .;if il tU-A ; p. .1. .| and it:- phi- ( « tai.«-n by helium. As Interpreted by \r*iiin«-nters, th«*»-e results lndi»at«d t the cathode ray In the bulb had convet the elements already contained in the patatús Into neon and helium, or that electricity Itself, in the form of electto had built up the neon and helium. I'rofeBsor ColUo was very enthuslai- as to the possible results of the dlscove k.'.d declared his btli» f that the dreams; the ancient alchemists rnitiht soon flWlllsl T)i© announcement of the three Bngll »h«-mlsts aroused a keen inter, st evei where, «'»tid Tho Tribune man called on number of distinguished scientists In Ni fort to learn their opinions of the i por'«d ai-hiev« ment. He found a wi«l«- « rlety of attitude, extending from cxtr«i ¡-k-ptPJsm to a ready belief. OPEN TO CONVICTION. Professor SimsnSsr Smith, head of ti <»heni'»try department at Columbia l-'r verslty, -\as Billing!*1 inclined to cred the r«snlt as announcd In the cabled r Ports from Jymdon. "In view of the fact that Profess» Ramsay ha« already discovered that r; dnim emanation fhaBft*1 irito helium »¦aid Professor Smith, "the announcemei that h« and bis co-laborers have achieve the transmutation of elements in sorr oth«r way would not bo startliiiK. If Pl*j i'ss'.r Itamsav p«-rformed this experimer hlms« If aii'l announced the result as ind at« «J m cabled repot ts I would a»»cept hi "n.liisions without «inestion. Ilis skill i experimenting Is marvellous; In fact, h la probably far more skilful In comlm-tin, exp. rim. nts In the chemhal laborator than any one els«. Me would automat »ally take precautions against failure o "or that others would entirely overlook "The transmutation of radium emana «ion Into the element helium Is what mai he «ailed an automatic transfutatlon, bu In these later experiments transmutatloi »» apparently produced by mechantca ».Ida, and aince ebotrlcity can be pro duced cheaply It is reasonable to sup¬ pose that If transmutation of other ele menta Is achieved by the some procès« »he expenso involved will ii»»t i»r».hil.lt its .ommerclal application. The imagination «an run riot In this field, and the ultimate conversion of th" «nergy t»f Niagara Falls Into gold Is conceivable, though, of «ourse, removed an inlinite distance from the reality ol achievement. "f'r'ofeHbor Ramsay's announcement fits '»i with the new theory that electricity itself may be composed of atoms, which have been called electrons, and that the atoms of all the elements may be com¬ posed of electrons packed tog» t her In different proportions out tUterenOy ni* »aiiK».| Thus the electrons, in th. »¦«,urs> .f laboratory experim«*4jt3. may undergo the ruurrangemeiil necessary t.» produo different el« m« m Dr. M i I'upin. profeaeor of electro nsorhsnlri at Columbia, t<«..k s trery .iif firfllt VleW »if til«- .lllll'.llIK-. lll.lll. 11. was sstrctnely skeptlou] snd cited tb« experiments made along th«« «-an)«» line hy Sir Joseph J. Thomson, professor "f chemistry In Cumbrtdff« l iiivemlty, Bue- land. He bsM«USd« h« Mid, with Proteo* BOr Thomson, that tb«« ri suits of the «_. surtmont« msdc by Ramsay, Collie and Putterson Indicated thul the souros of the iii-oii i.ikI helium dlecovered vv.is to i><- f<iiin«i in ih«- glass of tin« apptumtus or in the electrodes, and that nothing compara- ble vvitii the synthesis of stemenU wai taknif plues, Dr, »'barb- K « bainllei. profil.Of emeritus of chemistry at Columbio, de* bu il thai he bj n«> menus doubted tte ponsthUlty of trunsmutlng elements In view of the previous <iSpOltaMUtS « at i.-.l »m by Sir William RaoSSUy with r.-oliuiii In talking to the writer le» sunim«'«! UP In very cl«»ar fashhm tte bwig SUtntilslWrt atomie theory an«! Its relation t«i th«» tleW theory of slectron« sad to pouethle truno- niütatiiiii of elements "laet us suppose." begun Dr. Chandler., "that tte ¡intioun.eiiiciit that bas ap¬ peared In the papers here that Sir Will- lam llaman) und I la «collaborera bai succeeded In ci atlng im "ii and bell itin-r «mi ni .un. ni her element oí oi ..f tin- .ti,» r »s mi' M h.n. then, will Hi«« effect <.r this a« hiovemenl on tl atomic theory thai luis bold sway f. «¦.¦iiiiii i«-s an.| «'hemiata'.' Will t prot t.. have been a fallac) foundad on ¡« lac «>i knowledge, and shall w- have to abai don ii. "i will n «continue to be accep«ted 'In un- opinion, it will «'«»ntiiiiii' In ii accepted, but ii .¦.¡m b« furthor develop« .ni'i extended, nuil the «doflnltion o( th atom will be aomowhal modified. To un deratand 11« w tlu changea can ora about there ¡hum be clear conception a the atomic tl eorj us it la now held. Wha i M.« atomic ii.«. and bo« «li'i II origl ¡nit.-" "When ebemiata bogan to us- the bal an« in connection artth tinir experimento ¦tii.i Investigations they weighed the ma« terlala the) employed and thoy woigbsi in«- producía thai w«sra yielded bj thah \(n'i Intenta ii wasn't long, therefore before they modo this very rontarkabli dlacov«**ry, namoly, that when tii«-\ f «brought different aubotancea Into contnet there wen- two «llff«-rent kiti.ls <»l i.In« i whi«h reunited. "First, wh -n they mixed, for example, sulphur and eoppor, no matter how Body they piiivci iz.'.i tiiinii I'viMi though the ml« n met ip«. iiaiiii> showed the aeparata par« tliies of sulphur and «COp«per, th. \ ii.iilil nevertholeaa «dlaoolve oui the sulphur and leave th<- copper behind, Just ;is thej . -«.ill«! with ;i mixture of SUgar :nnl san I. But- "fiat «ond. when Ihei heated the mlxttjre <»f .sulphur and OOpper i» i ...iiiirkaiil" ehan-gu oouuirod. au«i aft«*waid it was hnpOOalhlO to dissolv«- out the sulphur away from the copper, an«l the prodiu-t was entirely different from «'ither. They called ihis product «sulphide at copper it be«gan by being .» mixture <>f sulphur and « «>pp« i. hut it «ended lrj beoonring a chem« [leal compound »>i sulphur and copper. "The next step in the lina of investiga- lion nu th«- disco ei y thai whenei ubetnnces enter« d Into li «mli al ««ml nation th« resulUng comí ound had s del nite chemical .iposltlon, Thus, whei v.-i i.vii i,^..|i burned In chlorine gas, u product which was culled bydrochlor a. i.i contained purl of hydrogen si Xi'2 ports of chlorine. "Subsequent investigation« showed thi every chemical compound slwnya eontpli the sum« bodiea In tte same proportion snd this is known as the law of Coi stam v of « Composition. n was subeequenUy found thsl sometí.s happened thai an elemer ini«lit unit.» with anothei elemenl in set eral different proportions, and that wh« this occurred it was invariably the cus thai these proportions bore t.« each otte a very simple multiple ratio ,.f wtel numbers "V..11 ask. 'What li n, element? it i a chemical substance which bus neve b.-Mi resolved into two «h mor« compones substances Then an- eighty-four o them at present recognised. Ton ask m v. bat significance attaches t.« the faet tha tin» elements combine in dednlta propoc Bons all.I that wh.'ti those proportion« an atudled tin» ratios with which one unites with another an« simple multiples. M*. answhr is that thee« are the facts Upon which Dr, Dnlton bused th.« atomic theory These number.- represent the compara¬ tive weights of tb«' atoms. "This is the Ides "f the stum It is a certain minute purtids «»f an element which lias a certain doteits «retght which w<» exprsss in number«, t-rfenUin th*- v.-i-ij-ht of som«» on.- atom as th« startin« lioint. In the old tables, which are the simplest, tte starting point i-* hydroffsu. Which is «-ailed 'one.' These atoms <*tui ui.ite with each other to form chemical compounds only in multiples of at-nns. in other w««r«is, in ordtnury chemlcul reac¬ tions we have no SUCh things as fTUCUOOS oi atoms. When tb>» element« unite on«« os moro whole atoms of one clement unite JhxP#tâè* &wf%f I with one «>i more whole stoma of snol eli ment, snd these groups of stoms, I logel hei i v . hi un ..i ..linn' v. are molecules Thus u molecul« of watei tains tvv., stoma ..i ii; drogen snd .it'.in of oxygen a molecul of augai tnins twelve stoms of carbon, twenty- atom« of bvdrogi n snd eleven stom« OX! «-. '. et« "Th a wsi oui »i. » of stomi |.i lot Mue .'¡ni. 'b of i .I'liiim «and fer« «v. ai n. :.- of the w derful iiiv. tlgal Ion lhal ha\ «in«-«» b mad» It has i»-« n di ovi n 'l that rudi li an cl» ni'iit >>r v.-i v high stomi« wel namely, I2S.I. li lias been further < -over..i thai radium gradually dulff «¿rates; In other words, the stoma radium .¦«. to pieces snd the fragme i a- stomi of new elements u -i, all. atomic W' Ights, imtll llns helium li reached, vvitii sn stomfc well uf onlj I. This it .¦ "¦ -- of the «' Integration of stoma and was di o* et h\ Mr William Rami aj In onjuncl w Ith le.l. Hi k .-'...¡.h ¡li 903. ELECTRONS. This, of course, compels us !" adopt a conception of atoms, snd cois quently ü bas i.n ne-cessarj t«> conclu tb.it. althouffta under ordinär) circu stance« stoms appear as ni.iivi.iiiai p.- tides «>r units In forming cherntcul co pounds, they ore, nevertheless, mude of a Isrfe number of smaller parti.:l wiii«-ii we muy cull electrons ¦'Thus it appears that tinder certain u Usual coiiilitiolis an alma inav go . end it« el-**ctrons ma) par! oi pany, snd thai some ol them maj thei Upon unite I«« form aloius of B -mall v..i_ht iban th« original atoan, as in «iistnt«gratloo .»i raiiiiim «Juvsn to heliui "Tte novelty of Sir WUhum Bumse) announcement, mude a few duys sg. M.-ts in tb«» «ppurent butldliig up of cot pies atoms from q|mpM one«. Profese« Rummy believes thsl he has succeed« m converting hydrogen atoms, bavin-; i ato-pie weight of i. Into helium atom having an atomic wetghl of «, and in neon atom-, bavins an atomic weight « _». thus ereuUng complex atoms out » simple one«, .in' coins.-, we have transmutation 'elements In either cuse, whether w.« spl ill« complex atoms into simpler ones < combine the electron« of simple atom Into larger and mon- complex atoms. Th an «tents claim««! to transmute some sh menta i m >> otters, SUCfa as base metal ¡into gold, inn they never presented sn evidence sufficiently conclusive t«> es i.i'iiisii heir contention ACTUAL TRANSMUTATION. "Sir William Ramsey's conversion 0 radium into !i«»liuni. and what appear (from lis iceetit announcement and thus of frofosoors ColUe and Puttereon) to b the conversion <>t hydrogen Into hoBus ai;«! noon, is literally transmutai ion. subsequent Investlgutlons show that h» is jtistllied In his aiifiounceinent, there i: M theoretical reason why the transmu tation of the ancients may not be verllh«. or why some process may not bo diseov .red by Which the base metals may b« transmuted into silver and «gold " The analogy thus drawn between th« gchlevementi of rhcimlsis now snd th« vain search of the alchemists of old re¬ calls the renjarkable careers that 99099 led by some of those ancients who suc- oeeded In convincing their wsullhi and royal patrons that they had found the great secret of transmutation. The idea Is very old and the first account of al¬ leged transmutation of elements is found In Suidas, a Byzantin«; author of the tenth «eatery. In the fifth century, how¬ ever, the (Jreeka who were then living in .g> pt w««r«) Industrious seekers in the Held of alchemy. The theory that ttie baser metals could be transmuted into gold or silver had many followers. There were many who telleved in the theory, and many who even claimed that they had accomplished such a thing. In those tipies, when little was known of practical chemistry, compounds were undoubtedly made which resembled gold and silver. As the knowledge of practical cheml«try was limited, these newly form¬ ed compounds could not he resolved Into their component parts: hence they were Ver) naturally considered as single ele- tiii-iits, rtiiii as they resembled («Id and no meaos of differentiating them chemin call) from gold w;>v known II was ootp natural ihal the discoverers betieved that gold had been mad« T artldea at faith In which the ancienta behoved are very1 u ous iii"i .1 <' ii.'i«¦ pieaented: "i. Tl exia i preparation, solid n form and red In color, called the phi- sopher s «atone, the grand elixir (malar magisterium), tl" red tin«tun. arhteh when it is i'l:n»«l in v» i> small .los.-. gg iniitiii liquid silver, mercury, lend or aome other common metal, cniiaei t transmutaUon ..f the same Into goM. I 'I'll«- linn, pi'«p.irati'm. U«sed in VOry small doses as :i m««licin«>, cures all dll« I rejuvenati the old and prolongs ht,-, wharefoTe it is ;a 11., i the panacea of Ufe, and, since Ii contains the «essence o( gold, auiiini potsblle, There la another preparation "f a white color, called the sum. «.i th" second d«**gree, the llttJa elixir (minoi magiateriumi, ihe white tincture, win-h is equal to the Irai In ball n degree of perfection and changes irnon m> ti»!s nit.» sliver." THE CHARLATAN. Among the m in) seehi rs aftei II two ellxers wa ol rottrae, t«. be oa« |,., ti d th <t tliei would spring up many charlatans who would proj upon the ere« duliti ««I theli fellow men. The three greatest awindUng alchemists «>f ihst««i-y were thi Count of St. U«ermain, Cagllon« ti«, muí ¡i man whom II seems strange t»» muí «playing such ;i role, the amiable sn'l amorous Casanova The Count of 81 Qermnla is rutón i\- describe I ¦» .. l*ortugu»«*ae Jew, .. Span- i.-h .1 smi. an M itian and the son oí a. ¦Savoyard las lli lo le a aa bora aboul th« year 1Ï* Aft« it.'»» h« Is «found moving m high aoctet) In different capi¬ tal und« varioua names« and with the Utl« ol «count, «hevah' m prtace. In Paria he siK*ceed«*d In gaining the favor of Mme de Pompndovr n«« wa-« very aucceeaful la Ht. Potersbarg. ami later in Berlin, and ended his days in irso in the palace of the Landgrave of ii««s3-- Caseel St. (ji>riiia,ii claimed to he able to niak* K.'l.i and j.uels ;is well as it wonderful elixir which wnuld give t" «age the l>>auty and strength «>f youth, transforming a wrinkled old wonaaa Into ;> Mooerdng maiden <>f seventeen yeora. Me asserted thai tin- «elixir had protongod his own life for many thOttOaada of sears, that h* ha«i personnUy known Chriot ;«n«i th«» Apoetlea, and bad enjoyed th«> intimât» friendship of St. PetjOT. All of these amaz- inn atatementg m«>t with ready hellef. COUNT OF ST. GERMAIN. An amusiii-aT «dialogue, overheard and naively narrate«! hy a chronicler of th* Count >.f Hies. 1.mi. is Worth r. pi atlng as an illustration Of the credulity at even th«« educated «lasses <»f that period. St. Oernmln's eonehaaan, being asked if his maeti* smre really four hundred years old, replied that ho could not «ay «if his own knowledge, but that, la the no years of his service with the count, his misters appearance had not changed a particle. st. fiai main, however, wa.« untjuestion- alily a man of profound and extensivo knowledge, brilliant hitelhwtnal gifts ami astonishing dexterity, fount Lasaberg; au apparently trustworthy historian, says that St. ("ertnaln wrote, from his dlcta- t...n. twenty lines of a well known poem with the right and left hands simulta¬ neously mi two sheets of paper, and that the two manuscripts wer«» so nearly identical thai one could not he distin¬ guished from the other. Questions and expressions ut admiration evoked oracular utterances, which Increased the charla¬ tan's fame. He probably owed the lucra¬ tive friendship of Mme. de Pompadour, the all powerful favorite of I.ouis XV. to his ability to compound lotions, powders, ointments and oth«-r preservatives of her waning beauty. The high favor in which he stood with the marchioness and her royal lover Is evidenced hy the grant of the magnificent palace of »hambord as a residence and an annual stipend of 100,0<tt francs. The Kln-< even made St. Germain a secret diplomatic agent, and in 1 V.'>9 sent him to The Hague to negotiate a loan of 100,000.000 francs.in which mission, how¬ ever, he was unsuccessful. The so-called Count I'agliostro, who.»* real name was Oluseppe Balsamo, was horn at Palermo In 17*. The memory of ,*m Continued en seventh paga,
Transcript of EIGHT PART PAGES. IL aWCtö-iOtU .ritmm AND...
PART ILEIGHT PAGES. aWCtö-iOtU .ritmm MISCELLANY
AND ART.
NEW-YORK. SUNDAY. »FEBRUARY 23, 1913.
mñ oïSlN.OTIllinium
V *a»s***nng »
[§tree GreatChemistsS^BgjfHavePiockcedNeon «and ïïeliiim ËobiSubstances mWhickThey üladlot PeenEiiowiiTo Be T?resc_rt
ONE of the mo.-t rosnanU« drehistory promises soon totrue The» elusive hop«
«nnents. the dis'overy of the *
price's stone, that "great magistcIs beim; reduced tu terms of adchemistry. Tut oottatunlng desirenudlacval alchemist was to comet
tn-tal itit«» t-old, in quantities thatmake th«*m -rasters of the world,snd many other wonders srsrs toas t-oon as th« y had a.»..»¦»mplish«ttansmutation «>f the element»».».rttdually their drc.im came toI'd It whs «lassod with WrltchC!,
lusions and the throrv that the carl
flat. For a hundred and fifty yearson the shelf. Then came the dis«
by Madame Cruie of the n< w a]tadiiim, and the subsequent discovc
by Sir William Hamsav, of En
«Aorklng in »-oiijuiu-tioi» with Fre^rddy, that this radium cave off ¡
t in gaseous emanation, which
captured an«! confined mil f..und t
«Wire a change, without artificiallût.» the very rare element helium.This transformation amounted to 1
mutation of element*, and scientiststherefore mote or less prepared fo
epoch-making ;»».ni>unr»em«»nt, made i
ays OttO by Sir William Kamsay.. Norman ColHo, of the Untvi
College, London, and Professor H. I\
BOH, of Leeds I"iii*. crslty, that thei« cnt experiments had apparently a«
l'lishc»! the transmutation of ciernen
still another way, inasmuch as theyI'ioduccil nr».n and helium from
tances In Which tiny were previous!;known t" hs I'lc-cnt Thes« MtODIItcveiations were rnsdc at a ncsuath.» rii«iinral S.iciety, of Hncl.ind. »
a specially prepared paper was reai
Sii- William, and a joint paper by l'i
».' I « ..!'¦. ai¡.i Patterson.
PROF. RAMSAY'S EXPERIMENl'i off-sor Ramasy hat previouslyted experiment* T,itli half a grai
ot radium hromide. and l.y its ai'l tho
he had BUCCOOdiWl in ttansmdtii.g CO
into lithium, silicon, titanium and
opium, and tho«-|um into carbon.". obtained neon from water. TMs
ihkiH transmutation led him to seek
CSttSO, tut suspecting that the same
la might he achieved by the us«
»¦orno other form of energy he USrt
gated the Contents Of used X-tay hi:
At the sam>* time Professors «'ollle
*J.-itU non w«re rnaktllg similar investI » hut ail ihtie entirely ladepon»1» I 000 another.
In a'l these experiments the gas hell»t.i- found in the hulbs and its prese
could riot he explain«-d. Bonn 'times.< ment nr».n was first oh-¦¦« rv»d to
;. ant from an unknown sonreí,
.;if il tU-A ; p. .1. .| and it:- phi- ( «
tai.«-n by helium. As Interpreted by\r*iiin«-nters, th«*»-e results lndi»at«d t
the cathode ray In the bulb had convet
the elements already contained in the
patatús Into neon and helium, or that
electricity Itself, in the form of electtohad built up the neon and helium.I'rofeBsor ColUo was very enthuslai-
as to the possible results of the dlscove
k.'.d declared his btli» f that the dreams;the ancient alchemists rnitiht soon
flWlllslT)i© announcement of the three Bngll
»h«-mlsts aroused a keen inter, st evei
where, «'»tid Tho Tribune man called on
number of distinguished scientists In Nifort to learn their opinions of the i
por'«d ai-hiev« ment. He found a wi«l«- «
rlety of attitude, extending from cxtr«i
¡-k-ptPJsm to a ready belief.
OPEN TO CONVICTION.Professor SimsnSsr Smith, head of ti
<»heni'»try department at Columbia l-'r
verslty, -\as Billing!*1 inclined to cred
the r«snlt as announcd In the cabled r
Ports from Jymdon."In view of the fact that Profess»
Ramsay ha« already discovered that r;
dnim emanation fhaBft*1 irito helium
»¦aid Professor Smith, "the announcemeithat h« and bis co-laborers have achievethe transmutation of elements in sorr
oth«r way would not bo startliiiK. If Pl*ji'ss'.r Itamsav p«-rformed this experimerhlms« If aii'l announced the result as ind
at« «J m cabled repot ts I would a»»cept hi
"n.liisions without «inestion. Ilis skill i
experimenting Is marvellous; In fact, h
la probably far more skilful In comlm-tin,exp. rim. nts In the chemhal laboratorthan any one els«. Me would automat
»ally take precautions against failure o
"or that others would entirely overlook"The transmutation of radium emana
«ion Into the element helium Is what mai
he «ailed an automatic transfutatlon, bu
In these later experiments transmutatloi»» apparently produced by mechantca».Ida, and aince ebotrlcity can be pro
duced cheaply It is reasonable to sup¬
pose that If transmutation of other ele
menta Is achieved by the some procès«»he expenso involved will ii»»t i»r».hil.lt its
.ommerclal application. The imagination«an run riot In this field, and the ultimateconversion of th" «nergy t»f Niagara FallsInto gold Is conceivable, though, of
«ourse, removed an inlinite distance from
the reality ol achievement."f'r'ofeHbor Ramsay's announcement fits
'»i with the new theory that electricityitself may be composed of atoms, whichhave been called electrons, and that the
atoms of all the elements may be com¬
posed of electrons packed tog» t her In
different proportions out tUterenOy ni*
»aiiK».| Thus the electrons, in th. »¦«,urs>
.f laboratory experim«*4jt3. may undergo
the ruurrangemeiil necessary t.» produodifferent el« m« m
Dr. M i I'upin. profeaeor of electronsorhsnlri at Columbia, t<«..k s trery .iif
firfllt VleW »if til«- .lllll'.llIK-. lll.lll. 11.
was sstrctnely skeptlou] snd cited tb«
experiments made along th«« «-an)«» line hySir Joseph J. Thomson, professor "f
chemistry In Cumbrtdff« l iiivemlty, Bue-land. He bsM«USd« h« Mid, with Proteo*BOr Thomson, that tb«« ri suits of the «_.
surtmont« msdc by Ramsay, Collie and
Putterson Indicated thul the souros of theiii-oii i.ikI helium dlecovered vv.is to i><-
f<iiin«i in ih«- glass of tin« apptumtus or in
the electrodes, and that nothing compara-
ble vvitii the synthesis of stemenU waitaknif plues,Dr, »'barb- K « bainllei. profil.Of
emeritus of chemistry at Columbio, de*bu il thai he bj n«> menus doubted tte
ponsthUlty of trunsmutlng elements Inview of the previous <iSpOltaMUtS « at i.-.l
»m by Sir William RaoSSUy with r.-oliuiii
In talking to the writer le» sunim«'«! UPIn very cl«»ar fashhm tte bwig SUtntilslWrtatomie theory an«! Its relation t«i th«» tleW
theory of slectron« sad to pouethle truno-niütatiiiii of elements"laet us suppose." begun Dr. Chandler.,
"that tte ¡intioun.eiiiciit that bas ap¬
peared In the papers here that Sir Will-
lam llaman) und I la «collaborera baisucceeded In ci atlng im "ii and bellitin-r «mi ni .un. ni her element oí oi
..f tin- .ti,» r »s mi' M h.n. then, willHi«« effect <.r this a« hiovemenl on tlatomic theory thai luis bold sway f.
«¦.¦iiiiii i«-s an.| «'hemiata'.' Will t prott.. have been a fallac) foundad on ¡« lac«>i knowledge, and shall w- have to abaidon ii. "i will n «continue to be accep«ted'In un- opinion, it will «'«»ntiiiiii' In ii
accepted, but ii .¦.¡m b« furthor develop«.ni'i extended, nuil the «doflnltion o( thatom will be aomowhal modified. To un
deratand 11« w tlu changea can ora
about there ¡hum be clear conception a
the atomic tl eorj us it la now held. Whai M.« atomic ii.«. and bo« «li'i II origl¡nit.-""When ebemiata bogan to us- the bal
an« in connection artth tinir experimento¦tii.i Investigations they weighed the ma«terlala the) employed and thoy woigbsiin«- producía thai w«sra yielded bj thah\(n'i Intenta ii wasn't long, therefore
before they modo this very rontarkablidlacov«**ry, namoly, that when tii«-\
f «brought different aubotancea Into contnetthere wen- two «llff«-rent kiti.ls <»l i.In« i
whi«h reunited."First, wh -n they mixed, for example,
sulphur and eoppor, no matter how Bodythey piiivci iz.'.i tiiinii I'viMi though the ml«n met ip«. iiaiiii> showed the aeparata par«
tliies of sulphur and «COp«per, th. \ ii.iilil
nevertholeaa «dlaoolve oui the sulphur andleave th<- copper behind, Just ;is thej. -«.ill«! with ;i mixture of SUgar :nnl san I.
But-"fiat «ond. when Ihei heated the mlxttjre
<»f .sulphur and OOpper i» i ...iiiirkaiil"
ehan-gu oouuirod. au«i aft«*waid it was
hnpOOalhlO to dissolv«- out the sulphuraway from the copper, an«l the prodiu-twas entirely different from «'ither. Theycalled ihis product «sulphide at copper it
be«gan by being .» mixture <>f sulphur and« «>pp« i. hut it «ended lrj beoonring a chem«
[leal compound »>i sulphur and copper."The next step in the lina of investiga-
lion nu th«- disco ei y thai wheneiubetnnces enter« d Into li «mli al ««mlnation th« resulUng comí ound had s delnite chemical .iposltlon, Thus, wheiv.-i i.vii i,^..|i burned In chlorine gas, u
product which was culled bydrochlora. i.i contained purl of hydrogen si
Xi'2 ports of chlorine."Subsequent investigation« showed thi
every chemical compound slwnya eontplithe sum« bodiea In tte same proportionsnd this is known as the law of Coistam v of « Composition.
n was subeequenUy found thslsometí.s happened thai an elemerini«lit unit.» with anothei elemenl in set
eral different proportions, and that wh«this occurred it was invariably the cus
thai these proportions bore t.« each ottea very simple multiple ratio ,.f wtelnumbers
"V..11 ask. 'What li n, element? it i
a chemical substance which bus neve
b.-Mi resolved into two «h mor« componessubstances Then an- eighty-four o
them at present recognised. Ton ask mv. bat significance attaches t.« the faet tha
tin» elements combine in dednlta propocBons all.I that wh.'ti those proportion« an
atudled tin» ratios with which one unites
with another an« simple multiples. M*.
answhr is that thee« are the facts Uponwhich Dr, Dnlton bused th.« atomic theoryThese number.- represent the compara¬tive weights of tb«' atoms.
"This is the Ides "f the stum It is a
certain minute purtids «»f an elementwhich lias a certain doteits «retght whichw<» exprsss in number«, t-rfenUin th*-
v.-i-ij-ht of som«» on.- atom as th« startin«lioint. In the old tables, which are the
simplest, tte starting point i-* hydroffsu.Which is «-ailed 'one.' These atoms <*tui
ui.ite with each other to form chemicalcompounds only in multiples of at-nns. in
other w««r«is, in ordtnury chemlcul reac¬
tions we have no SUCh things as fTUCUOOSoi atoms. When tb>» element« unite on««
os moro whole atoms of one clement unite
JhxP#tâè*&wf%fI
with one «>i more whole stoma of snoleli ment, snd these groups of stoms, Ilogel hei i v . hi un ..i ..linn' v. are
molecules Thus u molecul« of wateitains tvv., stoma ..i ii; drogen snd.it'.in of oxygen a molecul of augaitnins twelve stoms of carbon, twenty-atom« of bvdrogi n snd eleven stom«
OX! «-. '. et«"Th a wsi oui »i. » of stomi |.i lot
Mue .'¡ni. 'b of i .I'liiim «andfer« «v. ai n. :.- of the w
derful iiiv. tlgal Ion lhal ha\ «in«-«» b
mad» It has i»-« n di ovi n 'l that rudili an cl» ni'iit >>r v.-i v high stomi« wel
namely, I2S.I. li lias been further <
-over..i thai radium gradually dulff«¿rates; In other words, the stomaradium .¦«. to pieces snd the fragme
i a- stomi of new elements u
-i, all. atomic W' Ights, imtll llnshelium li reached, vvitii sn stomfc welluf onlj I. This it .¦ "¦ -- of the «'
Integration of stoma and was di o* et
h\ Mr William Rami aj In onjunclw Ith le.l. Hi k .-'...¡.h ¡li 903.
ELECTRONS.This, of course, compels us !" adopta conception of atoms, snd cois
quently ü bas i.n ne-cessarj t«> conclutb.it. althouffta under ordinär) circustance« stoms appear as ni.iivi.iiiai p.-
tides «>r units In forming cherntcul co
pounds, they ore, nevertheless, mudeof a Isrfe number of smaller parti.:lwiii«-ii we muy cull electrons¦'Thus it appears that tinder certain u
Usual coiiilitiolis an alma inav go. end it« el-**ctrons ma) par! oi
pany, snd thai some ol them maj theiUpon unite I«« form aloius of B -mallv..i_ht iban th« original atoan, as in«iistnt«gratloo .»i raiiiiim «Juvsn to heliui"Tte novelty of Sir WUhum Bumse)
announcement, mude a few duys sg.M.-ts in tb«» «ppurent butldliig up of cot
pies atoms from q|mpM one«. Profese«Rummy believes thsl he has succeed«m converting hydrogen atoms, bavin-; i
ato-pie weight of i. Into helium atom
having an atomic wetghl of «, and in
neon atom-, bavins an atomic weight «
_». thus ereuUng complex atoms out »
simple one«,.in' coins.-, we have transmutation
'elements In either cuse, whether w.« splill« complex atoms into simpler ones <
combine the electron« of simple atom
Into larger and mon- complex atoms. Than «tents claim««! to transmute some shmenta im >> otters, SUCfa as base metal
¡into gold, inn they never presented snevidence sufficiently conclusive t«> es
i.i'iiisii heir contention
ACTUAL TRANSMUTATION."Sir William Ramsey's conversion 0
radium into !i«»liuni. and what appear
(from lis iceetit announcement and thus
of frofosoors ColUe and Puttereon) to b
the conversion <>t hydrogen Into hoBusai;«! noon, is literally transmutai ion.
subsequent Investlgutlons show that h»is jtistllied In his aiifiounceinent, there i:
M theoretical reason why the transmu
tation of the ancients may not be verllh«.or why some process may not bo diseov.red by Which the base metals may b«transmuted into silver and «gold "
The analogy thus drawn between th«
gchlevementi of rhcimlsis now snd th«vain search of the alchemists of old re¬
calls the renjarkable careers that 99099led by some of those ancients who suc-
oeeded In convincing their wsullhi androyal patrons that they had found thegreat secret of transmutation. The ideaIs very old and the first account of al¬
leged transmutation of elements is foundIn Suidas, a Byzantin«; author of thetenth «eatery. In the fifth century, how¬ever, the (Jreeka who were then living in.g> pt w««r«) Industrious seekers in theHeld of alchemy. The theory that ttiebaser metals could be transmuted into
gold or silver had many followers. Therewere many who telleved in the theory,and many who even claimed that theyhad accomplished such a thing.
In those tipies, when little was knownof practical chemistry, compounds were
undoubtedly made which resembled goldand silver. As the knowledge of practicalcheml«try was limited, these newly form¬ed compounds could not he resolved Intotheir component parts: hence they were
Ver) naturally considered as single ele-tiii-iits, rtiiii as they resembled («Id andno meaos of differentiating them chemin
call) from gold w;>v known II was ootpnatural ihal the discoverers betieved that
gold had been mad« T artldea at faithIn which the ancienta behoved are very1u ous iii"i .1 <' ii.'i«¦ pieaented:"i. Tl exia i preparation, solid
n form and red In color, called the phi-sopher s «atone, the grand elixir (malar
magisterium), tl" red tin«tun. arhtehwhen it is i'l:n»«l in v» i> small .los.-. gginiitiii liquid silver, mercury, lend or
aome other common metal, cniiaei t
transmutaUon ..f the same Into goM. I'I'll«- linn, pi'«p.irati'm. U«sed in VOry small
doses as :i m««licin«>, cures all dll« I
rejuvenati the old and prolongs ht,-,wharefoTe it is ; a 11., i the panacea of Ufe,and, since Ii contains the «essence o( gold,auiiini potsblle, There la anotherpreparation "f a white color, called thesum. «.i th" second d«**gree, the llttJaelixir (minoi magiateriumi, ihe whitetincture, win-h is equal to the Irai Inball n degree of perfection and changes
irnon m> ti»!s nit.» sliver."
THE CHARLATAN.Among the m in) seehi rs aftei II
two ellxers wa ol rottrae, t«. be oa«
|,., ti d th <t tliei would spring up manycharlatans who would proj upon the ere«
duliti ««I theli fellow men. The threegreatest awindUng alchemists «>f ihst««i-ywere thi Count of St. U«ermain, Cagllon«ti«, muí ¡i man whom II seems strange t»»
muí «playing such ;i role, the amiable sn'lamorous CasanovaThe Count of 81 Qermnla is rutón
i\- describe I ¦» .. l*ortugu»«*ae Jew, .. Span-i.-h .1 smi. an M itian and the son oí a.
¦Savoyard las lli lo le a aa boraaboul th« year 1Ï* Aft« it.'»» h« Is «foundmoving m high aoctet) In different capi¬tal und« varioua names« and with theUtl« ol «count, «hevah' m prtace. InParia he siK*ceed«*d In gaining the favorof Mme de Pompndovr n«« wa-« very
aucceeaful la Ht. Potersbarg. ami laterin Berlin, and ended his days in irso inthe palace of the Landgrave of ii««s3--CaseelSt. (ji>riiia,ii claimed to he able to niak*
K.'l.i and j.uels ;is well as it wonderfulelixir which wnuld give t" «age the l>>autyand strength «>f youth, transforming a
wrinkled old wonaaa Into ;> Mooerdngmaiden <>f seventeen yeora. Me asserted
thai tin- «elixir had protongod his own
life for many thOttOaada of sears, that h*
ha«i personnUy known Chriot ;«n«i th«»
Apoetlea, and bad enjoyed th«> intimât»friendship of St. PetjOT. All of these amaz-
inn atatementg m«>t with ready hellef.
COUNT OF ST. GERMAIN.An amusiii-aT «dialogue, overheard and
naively narrate«! hy a chronicler of th*
Count >.f Hies. 1.mi. is Worth r. pi atlng as
an illustration Of the credulity at even
th«« educated «lasses <»f that period. St.Oernmln's eonehaaan, being asked if hismaeti* smre really four hundred yearsold, replied that ho could not «ay «if hisown knowledge, but that, la the noyears of his service with the count, hismisters appearance had not changed a
particle.st. fiai main, however, wa.« untjuestion-
alily a man of profound and extensivoknowledge, brilliant hitelhwtnal gifts amiastonishing dexterity, fount Lasaberg; au
apparently trustworthy historian, says
that St. ("ertnaln wrote, from his dlcta-t...n. twenty lines of a well known poemwith the right and left hands simulta¬neously mi two sheets of paper, andthat the two manuscripts wer«» so nearlyidentical thai one could not he distin¬guished from the other. Questions andexpressions ut admiration evoked oracularutterances, which Increased the charla¬tan's fame. He probably owed the lucra¬tive friendship of Mme. de Pompadour,the all powerful favorite of I.ouis XV. tohis ability to compound lotions, powders,ointments and oth«-r preservatives of herwaning beauty. The high favor in whichhe stood with the marchioness and herroyal lover Is evidenced hy the grant ofthe magnificent palace of »hambord as a
residence and an annual stipend of 100,0<ttfrancs. The Kln-< even made St. Germaina secret diplomatic agent, and in 1 V.'>9 senthim to The Hague to negotiate a loan of100,000.000 francs.in which mission, how¬ever, he was unsuccessful.The so-called Count I'agliostro, who.»*
real name was Oluseppe Balsamo, was
horn at Palermo In 17*. The memory of
,*m Continued en seventh paga,
