MAKING OF GOLD

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 244, 13 September 1929, Page 8

MAKING OF GOLD

METAL FROM CHEMICALS. CHRISTCHURCH EXPERIMENTS. Gold (says the Christchurch Sun) was produced for a reporter on Wednesday evening at a demonstration of what is claimed -to be the cliromadyne process. Tho gold was subsequently handed by the Sun to a jeweller, who tested it and stated it was genuine. There is good reason to believe that it was also produced for Dr. E. Marsden, Secretary to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, states that paper. Dr. Marsden arrived in Christchurch on Tuesday morning, spent practically the whole day in the company of the syndicate members at their laboratory, and left for the north again in the evening. The members of the syndicate have stated that, last week, the possibility of giving a demonstration of the production of gold to the newspapef-men and some scientific experts had been contemplated, but it had now been decided definitely that no such demonstration would be given ; certainly not until certain investigations now in progress have been finalised. It was in the redemption of a promise given to a Sun reporter for personal reasons that a private demonstration was given on Wednesday evening. The reporter then actually witnessed a slug of gold produced from a very small heap of chemical. Jn explanation of the decision not to give any more demonstrations, the members of tho syndicate state that thev have sought no publicity; they preferred to keep the matter a secret and held that the process was their own business entirely, and they would give what demonstrations they chose when it was suitable to them. A RUMOUR DENIED. The syndicate discounts completely the rumour which has been broadcast that the transmutation of base metals into gold has been attempted. The demonstration given to the Sun reporter occupied at least an hour, and ten attempts were made before success was achieved. The cliromadyne board was humming away with its load of energy and multi-coloured lights blinked here and there. CHEMICALS ARE MIXED. Mr G. P. Aston, who claims to have discovered the new energy chromadyne, and to be able to produce gold, showed the reporter the stock of chemicals which he had mixed. Oxalic acid was the principal element, he said. The reporter handled this chemical, which looks like snow. Mr Aston placed a big tablespoonful of the chemical on a tin tray which served as an “earth”- on an asbestostopped table. The reporter placed goggles over his eyes, for the glare is extremely strong, and a cloth was placed over mouth and nostrils because of the fumes. ENERGY SWITCHED ON. Mr Aston then switched on the energy he had named cliromadyne. Pinkish and beautiful in diffusion, the energy flowed from the carbon held by Mr Aston. An arc completed, the energy played through the crystals; tliero was a “run” in the little heap, the power was switched off, and there was a piece of gold, molten and blackened with carbon. That is what happened on Wednesday evening, but 10 attempts had to bo made, a fault in the arc, poor “earth” or poor conductivity of tho chemicals being blamed. Only a fraction of the heat of crystals is affected by the heat, and once a trial has been made the crystals are thrown out, the little pan being scraped dean. As the reporter had no knowledge of the chemicals used the possibility of “salting” is not excluded, states the paper. Though no statement was obtainable from Dr Marsden or the syndicate regarding any experiments done during the day, there is good reason to believe that Dr Marsden made an examination of tho plant, and if that is true then it would bo safe to assume tho following:— (1) That any demonstration given to him would be at least equal to that given to the reporter. ' (2) That any attempt to deceive such a critic as Dr Marsden by any such unscientific method as the “salting” of the chemical would lend itself to detection.

(3) That Dr Marsden would require the chemical for analysis, and the opportunity of investigating any other point of a doubtful nature.