1911] Proceedings. 3 



Alchemy — the attempt to transform baser metals into gold — pros- 

 pered under such conditions. It had its origin in Egypt, but its long 

 period of ascendency culminates in the 12th to 14th centuries. In 

 its later days this was coupled with many other theories : such as 

 the four elements theory — fire, water, air, and eaerth, which also gave 

 rise to the elixir theory — -that the baser metals were nothing but dis- 

 eased gold, to be transformed into pure gold by the elixir or the 

 philosopher's stone ; the latter is a mixture of astrological and cabal- 

 istic nonsense, with a reputed power of transforming mercury into 

 gold, an absurdity seriously considered by many great men, even such 

 as Roger Bacon, who gives a recipe for the transformation. 



Yet the true period of chemical faking commences only with the 

 fifteenth century, and the alchemistic swindle has never been wholly 

 eradicated, but is continued to the present day. 



Paracelsus, faker and scientist, originated a third period. To 

 this man, a chemist, physician and pharmacist on the one hand, 

 drunkard, charlatan, astrologist and alchemist on the other, modern 

 science owes the origin of three branches, namely chemistry, medicine 

 and pharmacy. 



In the 17th century modern chemistry with Lavoissier and the law 

 of the divisibility of matter has its inception. In its early days this 

 was marked by the consideration of fire as a substance. In the recent 

 years faking has assumed the form of food adulterants. 



A spirited discussion followed the lecture. Methods of distinguish- 

 ing adulterations, the nutritive value of adulterants, tabloid food, and 

 the development of synthetic chemistry, were discussed by Messrs. 

 Colles, Barth, Sommer, Bussel, Whipple, and Miss Elmer. 



Upon motion the meeting then adjourned. 



Milwaukee, November 17, 1910. 



Regular meeting of the Society. 



President Barth in the chair. 51 people present. 



Minutes of the last regular meeting read and approved. 



Dr. S. A. Barrett gave the evening's lecture on the Menominee 

 and Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin. 



Dr. Barrett opened the lecture with a linguistic survey of the 

 tribes of North American Indians, pointing out that the Menominee 

 and Chippewa Indians form a part of the great Alonquin stock, which 

 at one time covered a wide belt of temperate North America, Labra- 



