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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
170
To
attempt
"to
imagine
a
model
which
has
in
it
the
potentiality
of
explaining"
radio-activity,
the
production
of
kathode
rays,
and
the
other
chemical
and
physical
properties
of
elements
and
compounds,
might
indeed
seem
to
be
a
hopeless
undertaking.
A
beginning
has
been
made
in
the
mental
construction
of
such
a
model
by
Professor
Sir
J.J.
Thomson.
To
attempt
a
description
of
his
reasoning
and
his
results
is
beyond
the
scope
of
this
book.[14]
[14]
The
subject
is
discussed
in
Sir
J.J.
Thomson's
Electricity
and
Matter.
The
facts
that
the
emanation
from
radium
compounds
spontaneously
gives
off
very
large
quantities
of
energy,
and
that
the
emanation
can
easily
be
brought
into
contact
with
substances
on
which
it
is
desired
to
do
work,
suggested
to
Sir
William
Ramsay
that
the
transformation
of
compounds
of
one
element
into
compounds
of
another
element
might
possibly
be
effected
by
enclosing
a
solution
of
a
compound
along
with
radium
emanation
in
a
sealed
tube,
and
leaving
the
arrangement
to
itself.
Under
these
conditions,
the
molecules
of
the
compound
would
be
constantly
bombarded
by
a
vast
number
of
electrons
shot
forth
at
enormous
velocities
from
the
emanation.
The
notion
was
that
the
molecules
of
the
compound
would
break
down
under
the
bombardment,
and
that
the
atoms
so
produced
might
be
knocked
into
simpler
groups
of
particles--in
other
words,
changed
into
other
atoms--by
the
terrific,
silent
shocks
of
the
electrons
fired
at
them
incessantly
by
the
disintegrating
emanation.
Sir
William
Ramsay
regards
his
experimental
results
as
establishing
a
large
probability
in
favour
of
the
assertion
that
compounds
of
copper
were
transformed
into
compounds
of
lithium
and
sodium,
and
compounds
of
thorium,
of
cerium,
and
of
certain
other
rare
metals,
into
compounds
of
carbon.
The
experimental
evidence
in
favour
of
this
statement
has
not
been
accepted
by
chemists
as
conclusive.
A
way
has,
however,
been
opened
which
may
lead
to
discoveries
of
great
moment.
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