W. H. YON STREERUWITZ-GENESIS OF CERTAIN ORE VEINS. 
65 
So, for instance, will 3 cubic centimeters carbonic acid per minute, 
under slight pressure, forced into a test tube containing 8 to 10 cubic 
centimeters of silicate of soda solution gelatinize the silica in a few min¬ 
utes, and then cut its way through the gelatinized mass, forming sinuous 
rows of larger and smaller cavities, partly connected with each other, 
partly isolated. 
Similarly formed cavities on a larger scale are evidently the places in 
quartz where in the course of years, perhaps thousands of centuries, the 
ores, etc., had the opportunity of being deposited in crystalline or amorph¬ 
ous masses, thus forming pockets and druses so conspicuous in the Com¬ 
stock lode and elsewhere, which are otherwise hard to explain. 
But it would take too much time to enumerate all the experiments I 
made, and all the successful and adverse results which I had to book. 
I compared the results with the phenomena observed at a number of 
mineral deposits, and I found they compared favorably. 
I dare say every one here present is familiar with the Comstock lode 
and the Washoe district of Nevada, at least as far as the name goes. 
Bold as my assertion may seem, I think the processes going on in these 
little tubes may help to solve some of the most important problems we 
meet in the Comstock lode, and to explain them without unduly strain¬ 
ing chemical and physical laws. The ore resources of the Comstock lode 
are at least quantitatively unparalleled. The country rock in which the 
immense fissure is rent does not hold the metals found in the lode, and never 
could have held the quantity of ore and gangue contained in the lode. 
Besides, a number of experiments I had made with reference to the lat¬ 
eral secretion theory and impregnations resulted all and every one 
against the hypothesis that ore veins might have derived their ore from 
the surrounding country rock. In every case the material surrounding 
the artificial fissure absorbed the metal solution contained in the fissure 
and got impregnated, even if there was considerable pressure on the ab¬ 
sorbing material; and up to date I could not reverse the process, though 
the surrounding material was moderately coarse sand and contained the 
metal salts in solution, which no doubt justifies the conclusion that solid 
rock holds still more tenaciously metallic impregnations. 
Sand was mixed with 2 per cent of carbonate of lime, and during 
the absorption of the copper sulfate solution the pressure of the carbonic 
acid on the absorbing sand was strong enough to loosen repeatedly the air¬ 
tight paraffin capping; but in spite of this, in the course of eleven days 
the last trace of copper sulfate was in the sand, in the shape of copper 
carbonate. These two facts are against lateral secretion. A filling from 
above is out of the question, and we must consequently appeal to the 
ascension from greater depths to those accessible by mining. 
This is also the opinion of J. T. Breiker, who, for the U. S. Geological 
