CURIOUS ATTEMPTS TO TURN SILVER INTO GOLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11046, 25 February 1898, Page 6

CURIOUS ATTEMPTS TO TURN SILVER INTO GOLD.

A sensational anuouocanunt has been made that an American chemist oE repute, Dc Emmens, has discovered a method by which he can torn silver into gold. He claims that the cost of the process involved, though rather high, yet leaves a-balance sufficient to return no enormous profit on the transaction. Dr Eamens asserts that in the course of his investigations he has discovered a new element, to which he has given the nsrra argent-aurum, or silver-gold, claiming that it lies between gold and silver, and he states that he discovers this element to exisc in silver, ready to be made to undergo the slight change which will turn it iato gold by means of bis treatment -chiefly great pressure. Sir William Crookes, however, states that he has submitted Eaimens'd gold sample to spactroscopic analysis, and "could not discover a single line which belongs to an unknown element."

It does not thence follow of necessity that argent-aurura has no existence, or that Dr Eaimens is merely trying to " take a rise " our, of Europe with his tale; but nothing is proved as to how he got the gold that he sends. There is clearly no reason at present to believe in the discovery, therefore, other than the degiee of reliance which we may be disposed to'place on the bare statement of Dr Emtnens that he does produce argentaurum. from silver, and theucs transmutes argect-aurum into gold.

la. this age of waudera it is well not; to be too sceptical, and .very clever men in all times have believed that it must ba possible to ascertain how gold is produced. The theory which Dr Eaimens staten as the one that he has followed is not at all new, but, on the contrary, dates back to the Middle Ages. In is that'there is bur, one fundamental matter ia. the universe, and that what ara known as the " chemical elements " are only modes of that universal substance which, under varying conditions, takes on the different forms that are called "the elements." ' . '

Two hundred yoars ago a procebs was announced to hays Seen discovered for multiplying goW, which was so plausible thar, the greatest men of science of the day—Bwyle and Sir Isaac Navvton—were both connected with the effort. Tba work of the alchemists, as chose were called who endeavoured to maka gold, is infinitely older thau the days of Newton. A chemist and a magician were supposed tobs terms that meant the same thing in the Middle Ages, and Roger Bacon, Paracelsus, aad ihe r«ef of the great students of Nature who laid the foundations of onr present knowledge—in darkness, it is true, but often with wonderful insight—ali had visions dancing before them cf discovering two things: a utiivarsal remedy for disease anda means of making gold. The latter, was called the " philosopher's stone," and was supposed, whea added to the baser metals, to refine out, of. them, those qualities which made.their baseness and to leave behind pure gold. Each of the old alchemists wa3 said by his competitors from time to time to be'in possession ot this wonderful knowledge, but no individual amongst'them ever owned on his own account that he had succeeded.

In 1455, King Henry VI granted a patent to an inventor who believed chat hs was able to produce gol^d, and under this patant he was entitled to make gold enough to enable the King to pay all the debts of the Crown in real gold. The forge at which this attemot was oarrisd on stood where is now Pall Mall.

In Qaneu Elizabeth's time there lived a celebrated astrologer and alchemist called Dr Dae, who seems to have been a clever conjurer. He aimouncsd that he bad found out how to make silver from copper, and invited Qjeen Elizabeth to visit his laboratory, where be. showed her a copper frying-pan' ■from which apiece had been out "out".'and. ,then the piece exactly fitting the hols turned into pure silver. The same ezercke o£ faith was asked from Queen Elizabeth that Dr Emm ens asks from us to-day. There was the silver, undoubtedly : as to. ho -v it cams there waß where the faith was'required.

! Various deliberate impostures were carried out by different alchemists, by means of which' they pretendsd to" make gold, in the presence: of other'persons. In one'case it was found that the vessel in which the alchemy was conducted was made with a false bottom; the gjld was hidden underneath, The vessel' could be inspected, and then tbe various mysterious compounds were placed in it, and; ultimately the gold was fouad at the bottom, the fact being that the false metal above had melted <away by the application of heat, leaving the gold visible. Again, hollow, rods containing soma gold, closed afc' the end' invisibly with wax, wore used to stir the crucibles; the wax would melt, and the gold run out, to be found when the'mistura cooled. The object, of course,

was to persuade the possessors or real honest gold in the shape of money to part with it, to the alchemists for the*purpose of the perS^ction and completion of the experiments. Bat it is quite likely that several of the alchemists who supposed or professed that they had found gold were either mad or deceived. Tb3 cases of perhaps the two last of the alchemists (before Dr Emmens) present an instance of each mode of^decsption. ~"

Op May G, 1782, a series of experiments in making gold was begun by a really illustrious chemist named James Pries, F.RS. AJ.ter some experiments that failed, he at last announced that he had discovered a powder that he-found was capable cf turning mercury into gold. He called together, on the 25 th of the same month in which he had commenced his. experiments (so ; quickly had he discovered the great secret, as he" believed); a large assemblage of peers, chemists, lawyers, and clergymen, and in their presence he apparently transmuted mercury into gold by adding to the former a certain secret powder that he eaid ho had discovered. Some of this gold was offered to, and graciously accepted by, the kio*^ George 111. A seasatioo was produced. Tha University of Oxford offered the discoverer an honorary degree, and the public eagerly bought up two editions of a book that he published. ■ But many of his colleagues in the Royal Society were not satisfied by the loo3e tests applied by the mixed assemblage before which Price had operated, and they asked him to submit to a test arranged by the society itself. After being much pressed,

Price at last professed his willingness, at the

cud of a month, to satisfy the Royal Society. He returned to his laboratory at Gnildford and began operations by distilling a qaantity of the deadly psison of the laurel. He next made his will, and though he was in perfect health, it began : "Believing that lam about to die."

Six months then passed away, and at last he. issued his summons to the Royal Society. Three of its members attended his laboratory. He received them with cordiality, and prevended to be making preparations for bis experiment, but suddenly put a bottle to his mouth and drank from it, and in a few moments fell dying at their feet. He had called them there to see him drjnk the laurel water and die, as his penance for bis deceit —conscious or mistaken.

Many explanations were hazarded of this strange affair, and a somewhat similar occurrence in Germany soon after that which was fully explained may supply the real clue. There a grave professor, who had announced that he had found the way of procuring gold (in small quantities, cer.tainly; but if it can be done at ail, the modus operandi for obtaining good quantities is only a matter of time and management), suddenly discovered that the gold that he had been used to find in his crucible had turned into a mere sort or brass, the stuff called " Dutch metal." He wisely called in the police to unravel the mystery, and they soon discovered it.

The good chemist had an old and attached servant, who, to save his master from disappointment, had been in the habit of purchasing a little gold leaf and slippiug it secretly into the mess in the crucible"! Bat the old Eervaut, being called away for a time, had entrusted his wife with the money to purchase the gold leaf, and instructed her to put j it in the crucible,,and this woman had used the money for her own. drink, buying " Dutch metal " to pop in the crucible instead ! With the shout of laughter that this discovery caused to ring throughout Europa (in which the deceived chemist had the sense to heartily join) the really scientific attempts at slaking the thirst for gold by making mixtures in a crucible may be said to have come to an end : until the present moment. But so recently as IS2B Mr Kellerman, of Lilley, a village between Luton and Hitchin, was reputed to have found the great sectet, and he was visited in the year just mentioned by Sir Richard Phillips, who found ! him living absolutely secluded, locking him- ' self in a room full of crucibles, retorts, jars, and various shaped and sized bottles, with old books piled one on another, and a safficient quantity of du3tover all to make the whole like

a picture of Tenlers. The alchemist assured his visitor that he had. indeed disovered hdv? to make gold, being guided in his researches by the writings of the old authorities, Roger Bacon, Paracelsus, .and others. After -.suffering many disappointments, he had at length discovered the key to their proceedings, which they had concealed -with studied ambiguity, and he had learned to make gold, had made it, and coald produce • it in» such quantities that he could pay off the national debt, or do anything else he pleased. ■ :"' Asked why he did not do some snch public^ benefaction, he answered that it was because mankind had treated him so badly, with suck ■ contempt and neglect, that he was resolved to do nothing for them, but to let his secret benefit; nobody and die with him. But on leaving the alchemist the traveller met ;a man xyho had been employed for eight years as his assistant, and he declared that' Mr. Kellerman had never made any gold ; for he was quite sure that if be had made such a discovery he could not have • concealed it' from his assistants, whiie, on the contrary, th6y had witnessed his ssvera disaDpointmocts at the termination of his most'elaborate experiments. ■ , That unfortunate experimenter, in his suspicion of all mankind, his belief that all were against him, and that be must protect his life by padlocks and pistols, exhibited certain and well-known symptoms of insanity; and it is likely that the sarae result was produced in many other earlier cases by the fruit!e3B and painful search for gold, the unslaked thirst, and the continual mirage that this method of gold-seeking implies. • :