92 THE WONDERFUL CENTURY. 



few millions by liis process lie will make it known. A 

 few years ago this claim would have been scouted as that 

 of a dreamer, but at the present day it is really less un- 

 expected than was the discovery of the marvellous 

 powers of what are termed the Rontgen rays. 



It will thus be seen that chemistry, as a science, has 

 not furnished discoveries of such a startling nature as 

 those in the domain of physics. But this is largely due 

 to the fact that we have already, in our earlier chapters, 

 dealt with the more popular and industrial aspects of 

 chemical inventions. Gas illumination, petroleum oil- 

 lamps, lucifer matches, and all the wonders of photog- 

 raphy are essentially applications of chemistry; and the 

 last of these, in its marvellous results, both in the arts 

 and in its various applications to astronomical research, 

 is not surpassed by the achievements of any other depart- 

 ment of science. 



