Show 2UCH BMY5 o o An Outllno of Ito History and of Its Problems by Profowor J > P Merrill of the Utal Untvorslty First of the University Popular Locturo Sorlos of 1893 delivered Thursday January Jan-uary lOlh I the question were asked you what one thing in the dvlllied world Is sought Tier most III Is probable that the 11b lance of neatly all your replies would be very much the same niinely wealth money And to mOl people especially those who live In the Wesl te Idea of money at once suggests gold and silver It Is of these metals that P eople Ihlnk talk and perhaps a time dream I Is I far these tint mel toil plan scheme sod too often slake love hon nil And without Inquiring Into live question whether or not the mania or gold I I more prevalent now than formerly It is I enough for our present MirpuM to say that it hs perhaps always 1 Ilrp way been the chief desideratum of civilised menThe men-The original source lo which men now urn tar wealth I In the form of gold and liver Is I In the bowel of the earth Hut lies been metal have not always en sought for here exclusively There was a tune In lime history of the world not long since post when men thought they could create gold and silver called noble metals from lead cODixr tin niercuryetc usually sK > ken of a base metal And It Is I the purpose of your speaker to ask your Indulgent attention tar a short lime while an outline of the hIstory of such attempts is I piesent dt3 Relhr wih a brief consideration ol the reasons which la to the attempts The art by which the noble metils gold and silver were to be nude from he base ones such as lead and CIr Is I known a alchemy I may be well 10 say however that this alt was nothing nit a divisIon of chemistry and Indeed bar centuries I was considered to be almost Identical with chemistry that Iso Is-o say chemistry was then regarded A he art 01 making the noble meal I is I customary now however tu call the subject alchemy during Ihe time Hist making gold and silver wa regarded as hIs chief aim That very Important science vvhlcli we cal chemistry may be said therefore to have had Its origin in the efforts to make the precious metals gold and silver Hence In foliolrg tin history of alchemy we will be following in a general way thin history I ol chemistry 11r Irwl Ir lt 1 wl re try until near the close of the alclicmis 1 He period when chemistry and alchemy paned company Hut we shall find Hut ilchemy did not Ions survive Ihe separation liom what has been said II will beadily be-adily understood lint the problems uf alchemy were regarded as lie problems 01 chemistry Hut the problems and alms 01 chemistry have not always been Ihe same and II Is due to differences in aim thaI Ihe history of the science may be divided Into period live ol which are recognisable Iho alchemistic period however erflending from thu lust centuries of our era to the sixteenth longer than all tho othercombined II now we seek the source from which originated lIme Idea that base metals like lead mid copier can lie changed or transmitted into the cones gull I and silver we shall lint of all have lo loeik Ihe sMcul I tlons uf aricleni redan philosopher relative tu the material world and especially tu Ihe ultimate constitution 01 lustIer Though their view upon the element und 1111 composition com-position uf nubktamei were various we ned perhaps consider here only thOu bearing tIne name ol ArUlotlrwlio lived III the fourth century II C lam I tIne so called I Ariitotelhn doctrine tf ibme etc menu which doctrine however I wa originated by hl 1 nipeelocics nearly I a cen lury before Aristotle lime was Hit one which won universally accepted and which continued I tube rcgardenlas the highest expression ol leientbc I Iruih throughout the Middle Ages According lo this view oil kid nl sursiances arc undo up ollour elements euilh air fire alan water Aristotle lilrnscll did nut loeik upon these socallnl clrmcnlsi ihllerent kinds eif matter but ns dillertnt properties carrieel about by one I orljinl leT hle matter 1 Tho l clutch iiualiile eif theek ntentshc hold tu be those apparent the touch namely warmth coldness dryness dry-ness and moisture lich ol the four elements Is I chaiacleriied by ilia irs seMlon of two ol these properties uu being warm and meilst earth rod ali dry lire dry and warm old water moM ami cold Lvcry material substance according lo thin lewl ha I composed uf HID unit kind of muter tm I with these Iou properties representeil by the four ele merits present In vaiiuus proportion In eliflercnt stibstaneci thai Is I lu say for nny one sul stai cu the amount of Ihcst ihllerent prupeities present Is I conn ml for that substance in a particular con elitlcn but the aim unts in one sulxlane diCer from the prut onions In another Alterwardi it wan pom e clout that every substance has 11 property piadlir lu itself riilsAristoile then said is i due lo tho ifHiHii tsitna eir lihh eis nce I which he regareled a being lnimitcilil In its nature I he dillerence thenbclwecn one substance and unother are due solely lo different proportion of these proper He contained the substance Hut It was ass unIte ub thaI thee properties can alter therefore it follotvH that one substance sub-stance can bo changeel Into another Thus wale represents moisture und coldness air wanouni and moisture these elements have the properly moisture in common ann coldness Ihe Individual property of water can be changed by heat I Into nsomnthbihenoihivtdaahbumopentp of air Hence water can be clnnged Into air 1 ° rom speculations uf this kind It la I easy lo see how the belief be eunio firmly hoed that one substance can be changed Into another Indeed such changes wcra thought to be a muter of evcrydiy occurrence Before proceeding luithcr it may be well lo digress In order lo glance at the position of modern sclcnru In reference lo the element An element Is now de I lined as being a lubstatice that cannot by any means be dtcompoMil l Into simpler = n Thus defined gold silver copper lAd In ihoil all the metal are elements for the inpllcitlon 11k = Cl II of all known nienns such ss heat electricity elec-tricity solvents and I others of splitting li mibsunctt up hobo I simpler I bodies I ttas tiled to produce simpler product from then metals So fir rar known the world is I composed of about seventy elements either free or combined one with another Hut many of these clement cle-ment are rAre the common one or those Hut make up the bulk of the world almost entirely being about twelve In I number As a rule the element ele-ment are combined one substance consisting con-sisting I In general of from two lo live element chemically united Water for example consist ol but t ro clement oxvgen and hydrogen nurblr If pure rrp rr of three r of two unit r air r a mixture two nitrogen nnd I oxygen A lew element occasionally d ncuverred 1 that the exact lumber ol element mIl which the world is I composed Is I nol known Iunher I it Is I entirely poulbli that some of our elements may lame day be founel lu be compound lieing decomposed by means as yet unknown For I mny substances thai were fonnerly thought lo lie elements have been r > roved since tu be chemical compounds boelle by i decomposing them Into simpler blllul since an element cannot be dec de-c it follows Hut It cannel be change Into another element I may however unite with other element mis produce chemical rompoui is Hence ince Kohl and silver are elements 110 inllclpate somewhat they canno possibly be nude from other elements such us lead ant copper The taurn at the alchemist therefore wan a fruitless one 1 hoe n transmutation uf nutals was concerned but hnis work WM nol entirely without valuable results for II I cat brought lads lo light many important cheml Hut It may be asked how lite ancient obtained such c roneou Idea ol the element We Uu not have lo look lanK for the answer it is becaute their methoe was purely speculative Their thenrlr were not founded upon long and toni StakIng taking experiment such as are non a days held to be indls > etisablr lor the basis of auv hyHitheis they were very much lore free with Hie inuglna Hem than are Ille scienllllrnnii ut teiday bough I they I were entirely without ex pernnenlal I data this did nut deter then room ecuUllns upon the nature ef tIre I universe u1 Instwel ol h drawing roc Ions from acrI ly olstved htcts they Infinitely preferred tu call specula lion their aid which etid to 11 by II Ihey 11 hesitate to attempt an explanation ol lime ultimate reasons of all thing Tin lack of Ihe gilt ol ohscivalloniiys Vu Meyer this nclinllein to gu lo lbs root of any phenomena In fact a certain cer-tain Inelilference with regarel tu line natural event are cha cterisilc of tIme ancients with respect to mar lIre most mlschlevou errors crept In as II consceiuence The mol superficU observations gave rise to opinionsw hid when uttered by high authorities ob tallied to Ihe ebgnltv olelo < man t boa otherwise thn multI an utter Ick I 0 observation cn one explain AristeHle imirtlon I IhatHveistl filled wltliashe will hold al much water us one which him i empty A further Instance of thin I ere elullty of that time 11 is I given In the con vicllon ruIn erase ml by Pilny and miner wily held that i r can Ire I transform 11 1 into water und vice ivvr a that eailh 0 pioduceel Irom water anel thai lock ervHlal procee Irum the latter Now if substances so unlike one another ns air anil water change one In lo the other how itural Ii I Slit Huppos I HIM one metal i t can be changed I hit another since metals do not eiilTer fron one unother apparently as much so ele 1 ui Ir alld I vvtittr And an mimi llorr lIre ancients coiuieleied that HeScIungee II water Into air wa u mailer ol ev ry mIs emseivntion What else could I Os Iluarn air being clunked Into water whe clouds woe lurmeel from the invlslbl atmospheic and were cenelenwd htilim water nnd hell na ram urlher 1 wale kit I inn vessel run used I the umme un elia penreel anel cloud anrerenec II lo vanish Irum view Ucr these not e ne ul mIen being changed 1110 amP Anel In regarel lu Ihelr bellcf that earll u produced Irom f water II It nny bn sell hIlt thIs I I idei I w a proved I tu he erroneuu unlv a lilt e more tnn a hundrcel yrai Ilgo I haj been observed that whe even the purest ater sos heated fir sumo lime Hindus vessel and hnall olleel tu ibm yneni th tt an e ir hy letsldu nuns lull in the bottom If the vessc hills seemed to be ample prunf that omiue of the walor at least had changed tmo earth Anel It was not until abou 1771 that the iruo explanation ol minis pnenonienon what given when lime teat rench 1 chemist Livolsierprovee I Hut limit enhv rcmduu was due to tins water eJivolvini Ira of the claim AlthoULh the undent I Greek phllo o Inlets 103F11 not HUIIIM Iv I 4 ol leech thu i met imlt my to 1 111 muted onet Inln her yet tint doctrine wi reaelll d i eluceel i 1 siib I > ciuintly Irum vvhit llrey eld ° le ah that uutialanct change hllo other subtunces e aside from any speculation of this nature there ware superficial ervutions of a pructiu kind which 1 appvnieel in uive u hirong support I tu the bcllel le in crIV iraiwmuta I Huns Among such accidental sumner vallons was mat ol the elepexiliun al copper maul I tIre mIce whnli I aecuntu lated In the COt per I mil I upon Iron utensil leiit therein Wrmun moiu nalura than t conclude that a riiinmuiation uf Iron into corprlado curru Womw know however Hut a compound 01 copper was In kulut o in limo wiur ane llial the Iron > m ily ul i laced Ihecoppe mil CO mImi einel Inuring I Ihe cupper tobin to-bin deimmI rub upui Ihe remaining iron The experiment Is easily tried If clean 10111011 Is put into a solution ri blue vitnol a compi u til copper a deposit de-posit of he latter me al Is l aeen lo lorn on Iho nun Llieiiiiiil iin ily sis enable us to learn that for every partielo 01 copper eli0 > itcel ui on line nitlonoo Iron Iron goon into solution todupln 0 the copp r rom lit compoun 1 No clianjc u Irouint r coppercomruently liu occurreel lor there u IU I ua mut II Iron oUr the change ni before only sumo ol It exists In a dificrent condition nmely In comblnitlon dissolved In the I Agiiln for Ihe production of gold or Iverlrom copper the transformation of slverlrom he Utter Into yellow or white alloys by uslon with earthy substances sucli as calamine or arsenic pwared to give arrant Inally 1 the hct that a residue 01 Kohl or silver remained behind when as allay with lead or an amalgam with tercury was itrungly heated Indicated WA line generation of those noble metals times I residue of silver Is nearly always omul when galena tIme chief ore of lead Is healed I sufficiently I The ancient Iw leveil that these noble metal iniillcd rum the actilnl transmutation I of the load It Is I now known however thud alena Is I seldom lound entirely free rom them Hut when and her were Ills first Horn made to eSter the Uansmiilatinn 01 I the be metals Into the nobler Awe A-we have seen the Idea of lh po slbllity alone tiling changing Into another essentially eilftaiem was prevalent In least early I its lIsa veIl early times at as flfili century II t C n Hut wei have no deli nte information as to when nnd wherr he first ultempts Sane made to transmute trans-mute the a metals Into gold anel liver It l < e omniiin however to think I motherland of ol ancient Egypt is the YII 1 alchemy et Inc beginnings ol this nn as the beginnings el other branches ot knowledge ol all lent date see auoelat esb l with my line d mid I mystical tradition i lut we Duel among caress nations ells Inct sign ol cull y our r been uactlceel a 1 n secret alt and having bees held in honor When it Is remcmlicrcel that ancient I gyp wat A center Ir I the higher cut tlC and that It won a country wncru the lew ch it mica proceftee known were practiced it Is natural to look there lor the earhe reliable recoiels of nlchemy And there wa hnd Ihem Hut hltese earliest I record four and incomplete do not go back evidently i lo the time when the nrsl nicheintstic ono were made rue earliest historical proof 1 we have ol the origin of alchemy canto lo us through the Laydeit pspyiu and Ihe writings of the Alexandrians Ireim Ills third to the fifth century A I lii Imo of tin so wrllinj of the lourth century the word ehunl lint occurs ni tIne name II the set which treats of the production ol gold and ilver arnficially Hut Iul arch Male thai the old name fur Igyp A ehemi s name given to it CU account ac-count nil the dark color of Its soil Thl same word wa also used 1 to dulK name hd black of the eye a > the svmbo of the dark anel mysterious It In I certain cer-tain therefore Hint chenil now chem lushly II originally I meant gyptian 1 o r leciet knowkige as it was ullerward termed the xeeirt I eir black art In prehx a attacheelse me ccnturie later making tIme word alchemy ns I due tu the Arabian of the seventh century According to a tradition universally diffused In the trot centuries of ou en the url of ennobling Iho metal with other knowledge was brough Hum heaven to Alh by demon III the writings of Zashtuo tin Alexan drum Hvnbor of lIne litlll century to I found I the name ol tho mysllcal boo brought Irom heivon containing lIme coveled knowledge Iatcr there Her tradilion among the alchemists of Ih middle age releiring tile origin of tlneir art back to a lime before the Hood 01 course i wa supposed that a tpecia sanctity would accrue to lIre art by reason of this errat age moreover o the supponed authority I ol certain loss weges in Holy I Urli I certain bibllca character lIe written downaialche mlsu lor instance Moses und lire lvangellst John j When Wla such as then Lainetl credence In lIme muddle thl I i ebI ages in a time when blind fatutlckm wa looked upon us a tile I U I no wonder 114 11011 false eloeirlnc 01 alchemy weio so cnlliuslisticilly ac cepied and that so many gifted II Ilmell Save themselves up to a pursuit of it luiiory hope thin I tint personality I with which tire Lxypllans asociale < r i the origin I alchemy Is i that of Hermes Irismegi ton tIle three tune great who wu aid to have been the uuthurol hl iMwk k up 1 m the holy all m alchemy was cancel On same mythical personage invvlnm I Hie idea of strength was per il r a multI cml I was generally I revere scm as the discoverer of all the an and I lenIn tea len-In Igypt pillars niece orcctrd 1 In lilt hOI upon 1 which alchemulic In scrlptiuiK nero cut In hleruklyi Iiics Anollier nonrce of nuplratiuii 10 early alchemists lluvveel mont the belief In hIm analogy of line earth 10 an animal Foumm I ibis cam the theory of the ele solo hrnlrc cc of meuU Ilhe womb of the etartlt under the mlluoncj ol tIme plan ems the pregnnnt earth spontaneously pruduemg kold HIU silver from base Hilni iinera definite number ol lum Huns Hut It wasMioii recognlied ma to i aluru time Is I nolhini lu man every Hun What Is line Ip of n thousand pro to luture Iu mm a half ecu lury covers tie time ol his intellectua activity thin aim then of thobo who cultivate the sacred art was toMiorler tutu I local term lu wncli nature trans muled lIsted tiling into gold Hut how iliuiteii Ihn term II i basa metn Worn I imed lo the proper amount ol I heat 111 mi lurnacu tar n certain sean woulel not Irs ml some I retain bet I eb talneel line Roman t rnperor Callgui olIn had tiled to aka told from orpi u nient I n yellow ore klla I IyO th ne foice ol firew n only one ol a thousanc adepts puisi Ing n similar scheme Many I Irimul m Hie addition ol n I ma ing i away tlio drosii I of i bane metal sub milted to it IhU material stitstanc was subkequcntly known ui the plnluoo pheir I one Thou h Ihere are 110 historical elucu ineiiii exiantihut leach us mucliubuu the alchemy ul line Tint ceiilurie ol ur era tin re are evlettuces that the divine art was ehligently practiced by thu in Iliated antonc the gyptians anil others Hut as tire ton ul kings and priests were fine only emos ermilted tu lear Ihe ait Laluviny was then fostered by Ihe ptiesihooe as A tmrettl art nil its pioc osnnansers kepi bccrct this labor i Mones weru attache el W tine tumiihs am were never enured except by the I chaos I en low Alchemy wnu honored as a divine art und tho estimation in wind It wo hell rose In opvrtion with the belief that It wis to alchemy tha 1lylt owed Its riches lunar I the beginning of the fifth cen lury of our era the records of the stud nil alchemy rapidly increased Ono 01 lIne must voluminous writers of the hnmnn all wa Ihe Alexandria oslmo ushma HIS looked upon at one 01 i Hie i real 0 5 aUlholll S aIOI oldnll u1 01 hJ Olin 01111 cut i Inlet nine lie i i cud 10 have written tvvtntyri bin book on lImo suloct ol will ilr however how-ever but small fragments remain Lu sb I alchemIst writer of the time art lIke In this their work arc quit iin ntelllglhle Their mythical recirns ictorhl representations and rap m dIction combine to oibn knowledge of the processes of the holy art 1 roI iloyed oy ole not only from the mderslandlng of their umnllUtcl 11 lows but even from one another We shall now have to turn our alien Uon for a moment lo political aflaln for owing to them tIle keeping ol science was given Into the hand ol another an-other people n people who strannlt Irlsy seem cultivated I the young plant 1 xerclsed of science with a care nvr Mforc The Wentcrn Roman Empire bail alien shattered beyond recovery The lorlhern barbarian were tramplIng the ITeto civilisation at Rose In the dust Inoy were paying no respect to leaning rpllo ng and culture I Peoplew re sinking leeper and deeper I Islesur ounce And now In the last the lull civliUed Arab Irlb are prepming lu finish the work of the northern hordes United by the trends of lellgiou I enthusiasm ftmd a n consequence Into a powerful imtlon ho Alabs under Moslem banners begin be-gin to march west to offer lo their o loiicnls the choice of the Koran tribute or sword Lgypt is I overrun anti countered cou-ntered In 640 The western march is I continued anel finally note Afrm and Spain are brought under Moslem dominion The Arab seem deter nlned L cAry elestrucilon wncrever I they go The inigniliccnt library of Alexandria become a thing of the I put and all seems that learning Il I lo receive lbs death blow Hut no In the ilaikcst hour a sudden light bum bc lorth Ihe I cunqueior fh at once change from they immediately advance ad-vance and rescue learning from olrl Impending Im-pending falo With alacrity these slrangei to science become ardent 1lruo of learning They soon eslab lull school In I 1 their town and some ol the more Important dlie biaslof uoivtnillt Twenty Rvvyeara Ale the dcMn ol Mohammed the patronage pat-ronage ol learning rae tell us had become a fixed policy will llw caliph fnough it appears almoitmarvtlous whlo most I urupeans were deMmding IJVCT and lower in the scale of learning these Inrovlossly untutored Arab were devoting heni clvnaileluouly lo the moiirr ol Ih 0 aits and science of the penple whom they conquered and wiinwhotn they came In contact Hut they were not satisfied with what they received they went on veloplng alI extending I the know l elge they galneel I from their teacher r I rIII and philosophy medicine and optic were Ihe favorite studies flllt not the least attractive subject was chemistry The germs of chemical knowledge which had laiel hidden In the brains of a few philosophers attained to a marvelous grow Hi among them Thy greatly improved the crude chemical princesses taught and advanced chemical know 1 edjte In thin lame proXHtlon Though the Koran I put 1 interdict upon magic atnh alchemy yet they eave = oa themselves I I up to an eager pursuit Yom latter However Ihey soon stripped the subject of the tnyitlcal and supernatural super-natural nonsense wilh which It saul always been Involved tinos thoroughly mateilaliilngtheait Ihelr medical lendende la them slrnult meously lo cultivate another ancient delusion tIme elUcoverr of a universal = rtl panacea l an elixir which I would cure all diseases and prolong life forever for-ever To hunt this elixir all kind of substances were submitted to all Ins of operations I was subsequently lubuenlly believed tint In the same preparation would be found the philooph stone or the substance which would transmute lIne base metal Into the noble 1 tIne Arabian universille of Spain ant Hie Last became center ot learning during the middle ages Krancv Ger als many ali Italy sent thither crowd of a students One ol the Important Impor-tant subjects J taught at these Institutions 1 was alchemy Hence naturally the 11 doctrines ol I this enchanting subject LI e enchanting at that time weio spread over the whole of Kuiope and were almost I universally accepted As a conscqurncc practical alchemist without with-out number were lound in eveiry country coun-try ul Lurppo i as early as the thirteenth cemlury urf r they continued the practice prac-tice ol their Illuinry art until the eleath knell 01 alchemy was soundeil but little more than a i iiiidrcdytarsagu Let us now turn our attention for a short time to i few men lIne iipasll of alchemy I vvhcoe sincerity I ami I desire to arrive ut time truth cannot be questioned 10nTha lIre first man to engage our attention by reason tf the lime In which bo lived and the Influence he castled It i Ihe celebrated Arabian physician Geb er wIno w IH bulb physician and alchemist alchem-ist and wa recognised J as Ihe highest authority In each Of lila life but little U I known have that lie lived lu the Utter hal of lie eighth century liven lIme c eounlry uf his birth and the exact p ace ul his mortal activity I are unknown Notwitluiuneling this ho wu held In the highest regard I by hli conKmlpomiiei nnd by scientific men during the whole of fiu middle ages from Inis numerous numer-ous writing which come down to ui through Inlin translation tile original Arabic manuscripts never having I been publlhed I we recognise in him t a man uf bro ul culture and of widest chemical knowledge such as Iiat never before been pictured In previous writings Many of Irma numerous work ascribed rnl i W to him are evidently spurious but the authorship of several eannot be qurs lone ui 10 Ihelr genuineness In harp contrast lo lIme older Alexandrian < alch mll Geber describes with reo Ires in clesrness definite chemical processes for tine making of preparation prepara-tion many ol which are meiiarod by hll D him for tile I first tune He also describes de-scribes many pieces of apparatus alI chemical operation which Invo since come into general use 1 hank to such aid the cneiinca all wa greatly developed devel-oped during Geber limeund the hum I her of maiciial facts pertaining to chemistry was largely increased deter himself tale tint tha aim of the srI ol munich he treats is I lIne artillclal production of told and silver Hut he i Lu Bought I lu nnd I 1 tile universal panacea previously spoken of As to gold many nctisiuus excellencies hail been gathered round this mclal In addition 10 hIs real values The 1 belief had for some tirnu bon hoed in Ihe Arabic mind that n some preparation of this milat I would be found tine P inacea or tli fir tnti It WI 11 ihoiikht that If golel eoul I be ob t tiled in notation the much desired re be outlined GorIer hun uil evuuld ohl3led < e1er hcl I I phy wln i and Ich nil i no duAl av lib nhasrnnmn I nijits 10 iiltu log thu vi i aus el maktiii potii le gold In Ilia cllicacy ul vvlucu hu truly Dclvcd To f t Jaiin < In inr tat would imo all thr lit 1 n vrtnl flnli I heir to mid prolong li inJclimlcly wi nut this a result nth > any contr Al tail l he succeeded In I 11 king a < iM nf > lhe king of liquid a solvent lor gold But how fit em mini I ichecn his disappointment dJ he I I in iulv ob < ered shut potable Hold did i odue the desired rnult 11 uuli In alchemy however never lihI v aird lie rejiaidrd I the IrnnimuU li u or metals ni a act beyond qufMlun i ua < aware that uhn copper was Ml Id d I with Hilly an Impure onlde ol tii c the golden I yellow brass woo obtained ob-tained further he knew that when CO per wa tuned with ar enlc a silver unite Alloy resulted Hince had not nniLh been done toward maklnif Rold and silver from copper With many 1It nIZ all hemnu especial thoM of a later tut a i bun e In the color ol a metal wts rcKidcd an liletnlcal with In I true I inulition Attain Other succeeded In injkinn an amalgam 01 lead and inur cry winch to closely resembled tint ti tin-t itt nrmly believed he had nude tin I IK r < lore II Hi in possible to nuke Hi from other mrtal I why cannot gold and bilvu lieniadtf 1 I ToUeber and hi sue c sitslut one answer came In the iiu sOIl t gold and silver can be made fi m other metal I s hen the human mind olnervct reo lulu apparent or real the ideation alt al-t nLe wme ur What It I the came ol U eri Hits or Why can 1111 or that be done rite lame question will sue f led to Ueber In regard to transmute IIn Ol what are the melala cum io e < l that they may be chanted one rI i mother In na lntl thin eJq iun Orticr woe the lirnt to compound a I uL > l theory embracing all their the-ir Js And though this theory war wa-r 11 I r flora the Iruih It helil away In loiui Irflt I at long M alchemnllc l Ideal I err i nil ruined by scientific men In In r auumed that all metal are ed uf metcury and silver In dil f rent proportion and In different staten jl purity I hough at time he in illent II to whether the e compound are ulii nl with the common ublance wluili bear then Outturn at other lirnci t < J bit t obvloui objectiona he stale Hi Hay are not Identical but that they ire of I an abstract natuii According lo the theory mercury confer tile properties rt perties ol j glume malleability fuilbillty I and what we regard ai metallic properties proper-ties centrally while sulphur on account of Ih combustibility was regarded ai bcinfcpietenla inflo the alternation of many melali In the fire Gold and niv cr being unaterabla In the lire con I1 01 almost pure mercury which too i vcr cannot lie Identical with unitary nil r ttry since the Utter ii olatll tie according to Gutter tu the fact that It contains sulphur Getter regarded gold m consisting of a very pure mercvry anil Jo IIII rI Uliv red sulphur I while sitter cmulsis I of mercury and while sulphur The color of each metal is i due to the sulphur sul-phur P lly an arbitrary alteration of Ihe compo rI fl po illon of nieUM ieber believed that a transmutation could be ellecled the ennobling ol them specially consisting in a purification and luallon ol the nine cuiy The Idea of creating a metal anew which li found firmly lixed In the minds of Luropean alchemist ol a Ulcr period Is not lo be found In Geber writings On the contrary he say To actt that one substance can be produced pro-duced from another which does not con tin It Is I lolly ISIncc however all mclati consist of sulphur and mercury AC can add to them the constituent In stilctt they am deficient abstract the tin promt In excess In order to achieve this make sin of the ait cal cination sublimation I decantation I solu lion distillation cryslalliallon and fixation fixa-tion Tlic active agents are salt ahimi tlliinU huron Ihe strongest vinegar and fire A chemical student ol today to-day would say that mud Is I clear In com parlion with Ihe process here outlined Is It any wonder Hut no one of Gebcrs dUclples ol whom there were myrUds ever sucfteded In making gold by loP trine lowing directions no mote eipllcit Hun ISut the wonder Is how a theory of the composition ol melaU so far from the truth as that proposed by Gebtr should have dominated the minds ol I men so long We cannot now understand why tfiey I did not try to prepare the mercury and the sulphur ol which I I they I supposed I the metali to consist I laving preiured these elements I In their puiiiyh would seem that no dllhculty could be encountered en-countered in making gold by mlKing them In proper proportion Hut lie I methods them were enlliely dillerent from thou now In vogue They formulated their theories without any real data uhatever and then tried to nuke all their observations agree with the tipothe while now chemical theories are Uised only upon n long series of careful experiments oil are formulated for thin solo purpose ol to pUlnlngthe facts obmrted lon enabling still greater Ieel0pm t I nt to bo attained i r With tlioni If an observation would ccern to contradict a tel theory liter U would try to warp tIm J observation to make It tit the theory or they woud turt some new htpothesls to explain the 1 discrepancy Now however II oh served phcmomena contradicts a hl pit IhcsH the laltir Is I rejected and sonic thing more rational sought for to tike 101 piace It may be added however Dial most men simply accepted Gutters theory without ever asking Itittaaehses U there was a probability Hut It wan wrong or making any tuiHrinicntal elloil1 to pirate III correctness It was results they were alter Regarding ennobling of melaU ai a fact be > ond quo tloll Ciebers theory ulltreil tbc eimplost explanation as to tie reason why this could be done and they devoted de-voted all their energies to the piublem inulnil the pieces uf the traiumu I tition lee tic solution ol the possible problem prob-lem of the transmntailoti ol meuli poisible that is I In the sinje of the lore loingtheor soculled mediclnn are uccordlng to tieber requisite time I being of f three orders distinguished liy their power and virtue time medicines 01 tIme 111 order produce changes In Ihe metals but these cnangea are not pumanent hose 1 of the leiund order pull 1 dly alter the properties of the base metals into thmf ol Ihe hoW one 1 while 1 i transmutation propir is nnectnl 1 I only by the inednlne ot Ito thlid order I tim Utter is variously doignated an the rhiloiophcrs stone the great ditto or lImo macislerium masle piece J llul a niiRln be expected Uebera direction direc-tion far making this medicine are uiollt unintelligible It may be wild I iULvr that he did not indulge in tin html < edible exaggerations ns lo the Iuwr of tho phllosophera ttune uf whUh m mv later alchemist were guilty dcbtr had many dlsciplvs among the Aral lam some ol whom were noted physicians and exerted a more or less I permanent inlluenco upon the science i uf that time but these we must pass t ithout further mention and proceed too to-o brief notice ol some ol the alchemist ol the Christian nations of ICuroiw The Arabians lirt obtained their nl ch rmitic drum Irom die 1 ktpians ami I ye IIIIInIl rcrtt rhmes IIteu oiler heir mo lified und dcvrloped airy Irupz ted over wcstcin Luropo from lIre A111II n I m i I I til 10 r 0 o that by tlie mid lie ol the th ri < t nih < t n loVJr fury the cultured t men of I urope acre In the thralls the alchemist in Germany Ger-many Hut from the thirteenth century fenI i on chemistry found a home In Germany a well II other Kuropean nation mitt devoted men lamou for their learnini voted themselves lo a study of Its principles prin-ciples I he transmutation of the base metal into the noble by meant of the phlluto pher1 stone formed at that lime the cardinal point to which all chemical effort were directed Men of the thirteenth thir-teenth century like Albertua Magneni of I Germany Roger Hacon ol England Ar i naldu Villanovanus I and Raymond Ully of France and Spain all noted for their learning regarded the trans er mulaiion ia metal an an Incontrovertible Incontrovert-ible fact Then maintained that Ihe phlloaopheri did coot and that It was endowed with the most marvelous power In I their theoretical view upon the composition of metal they were diiclple of Ueber We need no other pool that alchemy wa universally accepted ac-cepted when men such as these the most fettled I of their time so enthusin tically embraced IU doctrine Roger Hacuna man who was subjected lo bluer persecution and penalties for oppotlng many ol Ihe uilhodoi toilets of hi dybut highly venerated by posterity Poe his marvelous and inanyilded knuwledge held the moot eaaggeraled dll h views retarding the power of the philosophers philo-sophers stone lie held that It would not only transform a million time III own weight of ban metal Into gold but that it would cure diseases and prolong pro-long life It seems however that he himself did not devote much time to practical alchemy Raymond luily wa a wandering pried who gate himself up when somewhat some-what aged to missionary work under tailing several I journeys lu Africa where he w assumed to death by the heathen in Ijis S Wyd alter btlh death the object ol I traditional glorification luily ponaewed among all alchemui the tame ol hating attained lo the highest which was in the power ol 11 their I heart 10 achieve Many alchemblic work ore ascribed lo him but Ihe most of them are impositions hits alchemistlc doctrine are very obscure till more IncuiiiprehensKeand hidden In mystic drkne are htha recipe re-cipe for the ennobling of Ihe metal I Leitalnly none of Ins predeceuors have acibe lo lIIII > hllo opher tone such power ma did he fur he wa able 10 cry out presumptuously If Ihe sea v > ere of mercuiy I would transform U into gold And further by mean of tins tulMlance that highest goodheatihwa to be obtained together with a long 11 11To show the wild enresses lo which he went lolluwlng statement III re lerence to the power ol 1 the II uhiluso phcis I stone may be cited He says Take of this precious medicine a mull piece as large at a hauii Throw upon a thousand ounce ol mercury and this will be changed Into red po der tat an ounce of the Utter 1 iiHin a thousand ounce of mercury which will thereby be trentlormed Into red powder Ol thin again one ounce thrown upon a thousand ounce ol mercury mer-cury will convert II entirely into medicine medi-cine Throw an ounce ol I this upon n thousand ounce of fresh mercury and it will likewise turn Into medicine Of this Utl medicine throw an ounce upon a thousand ounce of mercury and Ihl will be entirely changed Into gold which ii I better than goUl from the mine Uf course to catty out these direction one must be In puwctalon ol the small amount of the nieclou medicine lust used It is I needle to say luily did I not give us eiplicll direction as la how to prepare It the history alchemy duilng thn fourteenth and first half of the fifteenth centuries contains no single name u inch will compare In eminence with those of the shove mentioned philosophers at the alchemist I preferred lo be called Hut this must not be taken as meaning l1 tl W j r thaI Ihe tupposed art rn making gold I lud died out On the conlrAry u bore I Its I slrongest dull during Ihl period It seductive I problem the making of counties > tore ol coveted goldbrought to III attempted solution ll who had means and ability tu devote themselvc to II During Ihl tim alchemy wafostered and protected ut many of thu European I courts for nothing appeared lo be more simple than lo recuperate embatrated finance by means ol artlhcial gold I Those alchemists w ho were reputed lobe lo-be in poMctilon ol time secret mean ol making Hie phllnsophers stone were I I C eagerly sought alter by covetous princes w ho oficut handsome sum in providing mean lor these philosophers tu apply their art Yet 1 needless to oa frequent and bitter were the disappointments which came sooner or later from the failure ol the alchemist to ill the col I fern of their pilncely twtroiu hen I camo decree against the practice 01 alchemy threats against those w ho engaged en-gaged mil and accounts ol discoveries ol Ihe most Impudent 1IIIII04Ition > Alchemy however lound special pro lection lIfe court ol Henry Sum ol inland I In spite of thin fact that Ihe kingpreceding hint hullopayheavd for tile honor they lud shouu lime art and thai a stringent law had been pro inn gated against It by Henry I Ijurih I it ncotae bend of the lavur t nnun to It liy these 1110111 Chi w > < the production produc-tion of I large quantities ol counterfeit gold whlcn In the form ol h coinage 11 lauded uelghboinig countries Ctttriea Metcnlh ul 1 Iiatice was also seduced by alchemist Into nuking similar experiments experi-ments to those ol time hngiisli monarch nut he too came tu gnel 1iw debt ol I hi country Iota largely tncreasedwe our toll I by the I pulling into circulation ol u r tt f great deal ol counterfeit gold One great name with wnlih the alchemy al-chemy of me second hall ol the Hiemn century u associated in that ol llail Valentine a belxdicune monk of southern Germany He h 10 I without doubt the greatest chemist ol the ul I ilieinlillc period He P devoted hlmtell largely lo tlie pro ratlon ol medicine but he was none the less an ardent supporter sup-porter ol alchtiny and gnvu uiprmtlon lu the moat exaggerated views m to the power uf the plnlosophei 0 alone lurker theory ol the c mi > o < itlm ol the metal had been accepted up lo this lime but now to mercury and sulphur iisionsiiiueutsuf the metals Valentine added a third constituent tiaiiicl salt lie legarded none ol tlice ciMUlituenu huaeverni identical with Hie ciMinnjii substance wliich bear these names Accoidmg to hula new Mew sail u the II IIII principle i ol Mihuhcation i mid power of SI witliiunUlng just as sulphur determined deter-mined comuu libihly or change in the lire and also the color and mercury the metallic character and volatility The acceptance ol Ihl theory again bears witnrs lo Ihe small amount of trouble men had yet given themselves to nnd out lie real composition ol sub ilancct Scientlhc chemistry hol wl yet t Iheielore origuialrd 1 for It ha origin muat dale Iron the time that earnest lIurli Item mode 10 dISUI r lily Irmme cnnipoiition of budiii Ii a out ol the quc snon 10 any y tlui to u period when It fitS considered as proved Unit the j I ram it Inran it > nv < m < l I tmieimtm I Ii with Ho aimihil illon of If original components a new substance being created Just here It 1 may be later that according lo all modern In vestlgallons matter Ia Indestructible and can ltl neither created nor destroyed by man When a chemical change take place the amount of mailer after the change Is I Ihe same as before change There ha I no annihilation or creation ol mAtter but only a recombination and grouping of the different element Involved In-volved In the change At the time of the holding of inch vie men were Mrlvlng in every Imaginable way to obtain the philosophers philoso-phers stone Those ol them who claimed to be In Hie happy pottession ol the means of preparing II attributed to it the mom marvelous powers I Not only would It change Iwte I metal Into precious gold but It would preserve health and tile I actinic Ihu U a universal univer-sal panacea Statements U lo Ih homer ol prolonging life Here rile during the middle age and It was no tinmtul Hung to hear that adept I had prolonged their live t to four hundred I yean or more by the fte of this elixir The hung Ihvis of Ihe ancient patriarch were tail to be due to the use ol the Mine substance For the preparation of Ihe phlloto plierj stone what was called Ihe maleila prim wa needed the obtaining ol which naturally wan Ihe hardest task III all lie most Incredible substances natural product uf every kind wete used aa raw maleriil and were worked up In every Imaginable way Tncne who were reputed lo be the fortunate poueaiMir ol the mean of making the philosophers stone took good cole lo keep secret their malerl pnma They described kind of operation with II in the most enigmatical recipe employing em-ploying at the tame time mystical drawing such ee those of the dragon the red and green lion Ihe lily the swan etc The art of writing can be made lo conceal ignorance a < well a tu convey Information The aberration ol mind Induced by the alchemlsilc problem reached III summit when Ihe miraculous power of the philosopher stone had become so great thai even life could be created by it Such Ideas an Intuit lu the human undemanding tiere not only believed but actually taught by some al the close ol I Ihe Middle age The melancholy picture which the condition ol alchemy preaent to ut at various prttod become still more soothe and Involved In deeper shadow from the tact Hut men did not hesitate to alhrm the divine n < lsiaiice In order 10 explain marvelous ellect of the philosophers none There were adept who claimed lo have received Irom heaven through Ihe grace ol God Ihe knowledge 01 ito preparation Genii abuse was rnide in this way of the divine name and by tome of the very men too who tainted to be devoted most tu divine service We have liON reached the period the end of the fifteenth century when the nlchemistic Ireiisy wot at Its highest And yet just at tin time there arose a man of such ability and power that he Has able lo give a new direction to chemistry lull I was Paracelsus 1 a SKIS I pnvslclm who taught that the chlel aim of chemistry was not lo make gold bin to prepare mtdidne With mm begins j new period In Ihe history of chemistry which mms 10 last one hundred and fitly yean during which lima chemistry was allied with medicine and It WAS not until me middle ot the seventeenth century under the leadership leader-ship Ill l to l miii < Robert boyle I that chemistry arose as a young lnde < endent science tlie chIef aim of which was la find out the true coniHmtion ol tub suncen From the beginning of the noted career of I Paracelsus lira part of the sixteenth century there grew up a i gradual separation I ol chemulry and alchemy The latter however did not I begin lit actual decline until nearly two I centurion later The cause ol the won derful vitality of this mischievous subject I was undoubted the support It received re-ceived Irom I the greatest chemist of the tune together uuli the favor shown II by many princes who were allured lo II by the seductive priiipeclt ol easily acquired ac-quired Ireanure hough few of the eminent chemlat ol the sixteenth and kcventeenlh centuries I were practical alchemist still they all had implicit faith In the possibility ol the transmutation ol metals J Remarkable ai this is I considering con-sidering HIM long increase in chemical I nowledge It must be due to the lueoreiical 1 opinions which these men held rrepn dig the comixMitimi of thy metal I With Geber and Valentlnethey regarded these aa coniHMlte substance instead of element Incapable of decom HMitlon into simpler ubslance Among Ihe tinny prince who gave support to the efTirts of tile alchemitu Wt i1 111i I ilnrint 1 this time may be mentioned the Emperor lludorl Second the Ulrctor AKUSIUS I ol I Saxony I nnd the Elector John George of tlrandenburg The courts ol lucite prince were the field grounds l I pi adept who for long succeeded suc-ceeded by mean ol 1 cle er experiments in working on the credulity ol their rulers until a < generally hippened tliey were unmasked as ych and 1 uiuilly severely punished after hating been the c tote ol etcative expenditure expendi-ture on the part of their patrons limo actual decay of alchemy for winch the numberless 1 dlsumioliitinciiu 1 ol honest ohs mere and the exposure ol numerous iraudu paved the wat may be dated Irom lie beginning of the eighteenth cvntnry when the conviction m the practicability uf the transmutation of metals began lo die out among most chemist This conviction I made its way f j slowly how ver into outer circles and it wun not until the middle of our century that Ihe final echoe of the alchemlsilc problem died out bee nt the marvelous result which alchemy produced It Is 1 natural loin quire morn elotely mm the emtymsed evidence In lavnr of fIre transmutation uf metals being regarded as a nutter ol fact If Ihe greatest weight is to be given to the statement ol men who had established their claim it practical observers then the first place belong to i lat 1V ll 1 f the reconU ol Van 1 luionttlie greatest physician and chemist ut me middle ol the seventeenth venturyjeinectlug trans inuutlon as ellecled by humelf 1hote records afli > rd the moil convincing estnnonv us 10 the power of the atchemtsilc illusions Van I lelntont had received from an Unknown source a null quantity of substance u ah One nartuf which hn Iranmuted thousand thous-and pirts f 01 mercury Into pure gold Uter lUlvttnu body pliyilcian to the Prince of 0 amigo published detailed account of how he was able by means ol a small quantity of a nbsunce received re-ceived from the hand uf u stranger to change lead Into gold Considering character and eminence of these men it seenn almost in uuible todoubt their testimony Mora palpable proof however ol the iciul transmutation lo of metal l was held to be furmihid hy Ihe talus And orna menu prrparid hum alihenmnc l gold up to und I im hiding tho eighteenth ceo lime1 hmo cvilenre whnli gen 1 rally 14 no 100 I f I I ni ncio Wwre worlhlei 01111 m lr U miii ii I It ave were all too v on lor ill < II > Attain time finding ijf court 11 jiiilicc in favor of alchemlillc operation were looked upon en proof transmutation had actually benil effected Kotwlihtuncllnjc all Ihl evidence scientific men oftodny do nor hesitate to affirm that there never ha been a case In which one metal Ins been transmuted trans-muted Into another by man because metal are elements and elements may combine lo produce new compound and 3 r rhodu IIIcl = alloy but they can never be changed one into another lInt where all the alchemists erred must wa In their unchangeable un-changeable belief that the metal are composite Were this true the ennobling enno-bling ol them would still be looked upon as jxMilble even though It had never been accooipliahed That an error to far Irom the truth at the nlchemistic problem presented nhould have enchained the minds of melt Ihe 1 moat cultured men for so miny cen tune ii I nothing less than remarkable Yet this grow error wa accented 1 ait an Incontrovertible fact And cir we hive learned nothing else during tile hour we have spent logeiherit teem we may derive some profit from a consideration of the truth of huw easy It Is hoe mortals to err uf how liable we are to be H tong even when we heel most positive that we are right With this truth Impressed upon up-on us we are likely to lie more tolerant toward other whose opinion differ from our own for they may be In the right and we in the wrong Again we will retrain from asierting our opinions with a dogmatic pontivenes I offensive I tu utheri because of Ihe suspicion that we may not have Ihe whole truth Further we will belter Idaho I Ihe lesson that It upossible to get new light upon any sublect and that therefore the only correct attitude for on a 1 Intelligent being tu assume is I that ol attentive liuenem ever ready to consider carefully care-fully I new Ideas and iiwgesiiuns and of C earnest seekers after lignt always willing l i will-ing I to change or modify old idea when larger and fuller view I reveal lo u our error tXhfri S aO ann a-nn llhMrrf tolwtl lha Oremhtn la I r l Enasgi fur Ml th luullr Comn4 for 10 minIs imehi r They wr treat burgnlun at a lathe sole today nt HnlmiiTllle near UrlttoL 80 cheap von boy I oonsldeml that n man bought ana apparently for ea < h of hi children awl llnoln county ha I tonight flooded with walnut cofflna of nil pattern Tho property of Ixiwla I1 Townsend of HulbioTille the defaulting tnnMunr of the Wowportvlllo IlnlldliiK oMoela Ion via today put op nt auction Tcmniend wo short In 1111 anooanlt nbont 4000 A crowd of jwoplo from flint rill of Ilnek county wore attracted by the sola The nnctloneer first knocked down a few hones for n mere MSIR Then the wagons and Cftrriaiim went Othur art 11 leu of lera I mluo nbont the ploco bMnght trivial price Townsrnl did on imilirtitkliiK Imaliiusa And In lull I lu-ll oy rnrrlnl oil a moI trade JltI alt uyn Jit In morn a InrRii liilmWr of niHln Today wIves all Ibutltlblo stork and twnauel nfferla hail been disposed of the nnotlnneer and 1 his aasUtont vanUhnl for luomimt A minute later Ihuy ru appeared licarlHK n hlidiljr polished walnut eitakrt MonnlluK hIti Hook the auctioneer began 10 dilate upon the beautlus of the article Wholl mnle a lldf mInt Ito ann tlMHter lllihearenMemedliorrineilat the Men for n moment but Ibo stlllniM rIM Irokan by Ill fIve A 1lekel rr II Uughtrr crested thU bid but the auctioneer looted Hilinm sod buslnws ilk ilkaNo No tollluir how soot yon inir iiowl It ho mired llolookwl hunt nt n thin > lsairi < il man nho linxl tet ral Unite ooniibeil In a sepulchral unuiuer The man turned I away Ill make It n dime came a timid voleo and this oofBn Will his Tho Ice mIme broke tlie ooffltu rots mamled n readier stfca I It teemed hole ogroed Hint 10 renta WM tin top notch tIgers mid the aoctloueer Imvlug bill them up to that mm would let them hun Frank Drown then starlnl III ami bulled Ihe market counllenvMj Drown limb III tnauy cofBui M he its ehlldren faying dime fur barb After that the general bidding wo lively nail toon lira roffln wets ltnpuetl Ililloilelphta KeconL |