36 The Philosopher's Stone. [ January, 
with that existing in the other. Growing earnest in our per- 
plexity, we again select with care such portions of the sulphides 
as we may believe to be in a condition of repose, and make 
several trials more. Some of the selections do contain a trace of 
gold, and others do not ; but whenever we analyze a piece that 
shows any evidences of oxidation, and ascertain that the quan- 
tity of gold found increases in proportion to the progress of the 
oxidation very rapidly, we come to the conclusion that we are 
little better off than the ancient alchemist after all, and we have 
learned to respect his deduction though we hesitate to accept his 
facts. We area little too conservative and careful to jump at 
his conclusion, but we really feel that we do not require much 
more persuading to adopt his theory, and we are almost ready to 
believe that gold may exist in nature as the result of the meta- 
morphosis we have been examining and discussing. 
Alchemy found out one leading element which it associated 
with the assumed production, and that is sulphur; so for centu- 
ries this substance has been coaxed, wheedled, and implored to 
do for alchemy what it seemed todoin nature. But all of man’s 
efforts to harness it into the work are futile, and finally the 
work has been abandoned, but not until the glittering incentive 
had led alchemy to perform all the drudgery of elementary 
chemistry. 
Various specimens of ore, exhibited by the speaker, from all 
the different gold-producing areas of this country, exhibit in dif- 
erent degrees the suggestive phenomena described. Interestingly 
connected with the elucidation of the proposed hypothesis, are 
two specimens from the same mine in North Carolina, one of them 
showing the cell formed in a dense mass of the sulphides, and 
the other a commencement of the assumed evolution. Both of 
the specimens are fragments of massive sulphides of iron and cop- 
per, and within the cell opened by the fracture of the piece is 
a nugget of gold, surrounded within the cell by the oxides. 
Upon the other piece, and where the assumed evolution has com- 
menced, the vitreous and glassy surface of the sulphides has been 
changed, and a thin film of gold coated the crystals. On some of 
the faces of them, and on such surfaces of the crystals as sloped _ 
downwards, the gold has begun the process of aggregation, is 
thicker at the bottom of the slope than at the top, and when 
examined with a microscope distinctly exhibits the fact that the 
film has thickened upon the lower edge of the inclined surface, 
under the influence of gravity. The average value of these sul- 
