306 Kansas Academy of Science. 



of alcohol were passed, turned out 80 per cent aldehyde. Down at 

 the packinghouses the manipulation of fats with oleic acid, in the 

 presence of nickel resulted in that greatly useful by-product, stearic 

 acid. An enzyme from the harmless castor bean was used in the 

 saponifying of fats. The resultant consists of a soap that was lye- 

 free, allowing the use of carbonates, at the very time when so 

 stertorus a howl was going up about the detrimental effects of 

 alkalies and arsenates in soaps. 



While in Chicago we visited the general and experimental labo-. 

 ratories of chemistry in that great city. Here we found all experi- 

 menters at work upon some form or other of catalysis, the majority 

 being on the qui vive for some process whereby the nitrogen of 

 the air might be utilized in a number of ways to meet a number of 

 imperative needs. Prominent among these needs was that of a 

 soluble and efficacious fertilizer. Now note: hardly had the latter 

 product been shown to be an indispensable factor in the cheapen- 

 ing of rations for mankind, when, upon our arrival at home, we 

 saw the announcement that the great discovery had been made — ^ 

 cyanamide of lime, ultima thule of the aim of the alchemist, had re- 

 cently been manufactured in Germany from atmospheric air. 



Great are the contrasts in result wrought out by alchemy; and 

 wide the range of its discovery-results: chemical odors bo sweet as 

 fairly to "shed a perfume on the violet," while at the opposite ex- 

 treme is the awful nauseating whang of the torsin. Gunpowder 

 has its triplet brothers, gun cotton and dynamite. Great is the 

 sweep from the molding of the rubber dam of dental use to the 

 wizard mystery of gold-extraction by cyanogen. And now all these,^ 

 and other like discoveries of incalculable use to the human race,, 

 must give place, in point of marvel and utility, to the newly dis- 

 covered nitrogen-of-the-air fertilizer. 



But great as are the utilities already in sight, through this cru- 

 cial discovery, in the stimulation and increase in the products of 

 plant life, even more daring were the hopes that became speedily 

 projected to the forefront of this discovery. Kesults more (liter- 

 ally) vital yet began to be anticipated, namely, even the metamor- 

 phosis of plant substance into the very muscle-cells of animals! 

 Hardly had this projected hope begun to be discussed among 

 ohemic circles when, marvel of all marvels, there comes tripping 

 over the heels of the former incredible bit of news the statement 

 that the essential kreatin cells of cattle — real "extract of beef" — 

 had just been made from beans and the kindred lentils of the. 

 vegetable world ! Details of this discovery follow : 



