Report on the Progress of Chemistry. 



153 



the liveliest interest ; for, to quote from the American Che- 

 mist, (vol. i, p. 206), "Prof. Wurtz believes that his 

 studies have unmistakably tended toward the conclusion, 

 which will be startling to many, that silicic acid as such, 

 that is, in isolated forms, appertains in origin at least altogether 

 to the vegetable kingdom." 



Probably no other acid has been so generally regarded 

 as purely mineral in its character as silicic acid ; to be told 

 now that it is probably of organic origin is indeed startling, 

 and the future results of pending investigations will be 

 awaited with an interest partaking somewhat of the nature 

 of anxiety. Says Prof. Joy, in the Journal of Applied Chem- 

 istry quoted by the American Chemist; " The importance of 

 researches of this character in agriculture, geology and 

 mineralogy cannot be exaggerated, and it is impossible to 

 anticipate what must be their effect upon the hitherto ac- 

 cepted theories in these branches of science." And again: 

 * If we really have a solvent for silicon and carbon we may 

 look to the artificial crystallization of quartz and the dia- 

 mond as of possible consummation within no distant period. 

 But the manufacture of these gems is of insignificant im- 

 portance as compared with the possible bearing of the dis- 

 covery upon the growth of crops and the enriching of our 

 soil. 



We have thus far, in these notes, indicated a few of the 

 lines of research now engaging the attention of chemists, 

 having selected these particular ones, as perhaps best 

 adapted to show, first, how great the activity now prevailing 

 in chemical science; and, second, the great importance of 

 such theoretical investigations when viewed with regard to 

 the interest of commerce and the arts. But the labor of 

 chemists can by no means be measured by these particular in- 

 vestigations. If, for the time, they do seem to be the more 

 prominent labors, it is only because of the prospect of iinme- 



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