Haworru. | Historical. 11 
‘“‘The discovery and the first mention of the metal zinc was 
by a Dominican monk, Albertus Magnus, in the thirteenth 
century. He also first described the use of furnace calamine 
in making brass. Probably in this furnace product at Goslar 
he found the metal. He called it marchasita aurea. Para- 
celsus, who died in 1541, first described it definitely. His 
description, as given by Beckmann, is as follows :‘ 
‘‘As late as 1617 the metal remained an accidental product 
of the Goslar furnaces, much sought after by alchemists. 
Its exact nature continued more or less doubtful throughout 
the seventeenth century ; it was often confounded with bis- 
muth. Up to the eighteenth century all that was used com- 
mercially was imported from the Hast, where it was distilled 
by a special process called per descensum. Large quantities 
continued to come from there as late as 1750. The exact 
source is not known, but the principal contributing countries 
were apparently China, Bengal, Malacca and the Malabar 
coast. The eastern metal was probably introduced into 
_ Europe before the beginning of the seventeenth century, and 
was doubtless discovered in India before the Kuropean metal 
was known. It was Indian zinc that Labavius investigated 
the properties of in 1597. 
‘‘The first in Kurope who intentionally procured the metal 
from calamine was Kunkel, probably about 1720. He gave 
a partial account of the process in 1741, after learning of its 
production in England. Dr. Isaac Lawson of England ap- 
parently made a similar discovery shortly after.° 
‘In 1742 Von Swab experimented in Dalecarlia on the pro- 
duction of zinc by the distillation of roasted blende and coal. 
It proved too costly, however. In 1746 Margraaf made fur- 
ther attempts. Cronstedt and Rinmann finally perfected the 
process known as per ascensum, or the Silesian method.’ 
‘““The beginning of the industry in England followed the 
7. Beckmann, John: A History of Inventions, Discoveries and Origins, vol. II, p. 41: 
“ There is another metal, zinc, which is generally unknown. It isa distinct metal, of a dif- 
ferent origin, though adulterated with many other metals. It can be melted, for it consists of 
three fluid principles, but it is not malleable. In its color it is unlike all others, and does not 
grow in the same manner ; but with its ultima materia I am as yet unacquainted, for it is almost 
as strange in its properties as argentum vivum. It admits of no mixture, will not bear the fab- 
ricationes of other metals, but keeps itself entirely to itself.’’ 
8. Hunt, Robert: British Mining — A Treatise on the History, Discovery, Practical Develop- 
ments and Future Prospects of Metalliferous Mines in the United Kingdom, p. 132. 
9. Sabatier, M. P.: Zine, Cadmium et Thallium, pp. 436, Paris, 1885. Eneyclopedie Chemique, 
publice sous la direction de M. Fremy. 
