Tempo:
56 INTERIOR VISION.
mirror, which of course would never do. And now months were spent in that particular research, until at last a concave was adopted for the glass itself; a thin film of gold was placed close to it on the edge of a peculiarly constructed compound concavo-convex frame, made in conformity with the known laws governing the motion of rare fluids, ethers, and gaseous bodies.
—\ The next step was to find an insulating substance, and one having elec“~~ tive, electric and chemical and magnetic affinity to and with the finest
form of magnetism known to science and to human experience. It had already been demonstrated that what would insulate and hold electricity was but an open sieve to that same element in its higher forms and modes; hence, recourse must be had to something else. Andso experiments were made, separate and combined, with the alkaline metals, Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, and the hypothetical substance, Ammonium, but without complete success. Then came the metals of the alkaline earths, — Magnesium, Calcium, Barium, and Strontium, but without avail. Then experiments were made with the proper earths, — Didymium, Cerium, Lanthanum, Zirconium, Norium, Erbium, Beryllium, Thorium, Yttrium, Terbium, and Aluminum; but still the proper thing was not found. Attention and trial was next turned to the oxidable metals proper, whose oxides form powerful bases, aud these are Copper, Uranium, Lead, Cobalt, Zinc, Cadmium, Nickel, Bismuth, Iron, Chromium, and Manganese; but you might as well try to hold sunlight in a basket, as to confine magnetism within walls made of any, or any combinations of thesé metals. Therefore the next series of tests embraced the oxidable metals ‘proper, whose oxides form weak bases, or acids, namely, Arsenic, Tin, Yandium, Osmium, Niobium, Antimony, Titanium, Molybdenum, Tetherium, Tantalum, and Tungsten: a nearer approach, but still not the thing required, albeit much time, a deal of money, and more patience, had been expended. Then came the noble metals, whose oxides are reducible by heat, namely, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Silver, Platinum, Iridium, Mercury, Palladium, and Gold. Of course the isomorphous groups of substances, embracing Sulphur, Selenium, Chlorine, Cyanogen, Phosphorus, Fluorine, Iodine and Bromine, were also called into play, and a few of them, as some of the others, were found partially, but not wholly, applicable to the purpose sought to be attained, not even by the aid of others of the non-metallic elements, viz., Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Boron, Hydrogen, and Silicon, albeit it was found that fusible combinations of fifteen of these score or two of substances, associated with Phthalic acid and Paranapthalene, constituted just the thing required, namely, a compound with strong elective and electric characteristics, presenting a perfectly even, white-black surface, and sensitive in the highest possible degree. Of course this substance is very difficult to make, and well it is that such is the case, else the land would be flooded with counterfeit or very imperfectly constructed mirrors. Asit is, it is impossible to make them properly in this country,
mirror, which of course would never do. And now months were spent in that particular research, until at last a concave was adopted for the glass itself; a thin film of gold was placed close to it on the edge of a peculiarly constructed compound concavo-convex frame, made in conformity with the known laws governing the motion of rare fluids, ethers, and gaseous bodies.
—\ The next step was to find an insulating substance, and one having elec“~~ tive, electric and chemical and magnetic affinity to and with the finest
form of magnetism known to science and to human experience. It had already been demonstrated that what would insulate and hold electricity was but an open sieve to that same element in its higher forms and modes; hence, recourse must be had to something else. Andso experiments were made, separate and combined, with the alkaline metals, Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, and the hypothetical substance, Ammonium, but without complete success. Then came the metals of the alkaline earths, — Magnesium, Calcium, Barium, and Strontium, but without avail. Then experiments were made with the proper earths, — Didymium, Cerium, Lanthanum, Zirconium, Norium, Erbium, Beryllium, Thorium, Yttrium, Terbium, and Aluminum; but still the proper thing was not found. Attention and trial was next turned to the oxidable metals proper, whose oxides form powerful bases, aud these are Copper, Uranium, Lead, Cobalt, Zinc, Cadmium, Nickel, Bismuth, Iron, Chromium, and Manganese; but you might as well try to hold sunlight in a basket, as to confine magnetism within walls made of any, or any combinations of thesé metals. Therefore the next series of tests embraced the oxidable metals ‘proper, whose oxides form weak bases, or acids, namely, Arsenic, Tin, Yandium, Osmium, Niobium, Antimony, Titanium, Molybdenum, Tetherium, Tantalum, and Tungsten: a nearer approach, but still not the thing required, albeit much time, a deal of money, and more patience, had been expended. Then came the noble metals, whose oxides are reducible by heat, namely, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Silver, Platinum, Iridium, Mercury, Palladium, and Gold. Of course the isomorphous groups of substances, embracing Sulphur, Selenium, Chlorine, Cyanogen, Phosphorus, Fluorine, Iodine and Bromine, were also called into play, and a few of them, as some of the others, were found partially, but not wholly, applicable to the purpose sought to be attained, not even by the aid of others of the non-metallic elements, viz., Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Boron, Hydrogen, and Silicon, albeit it was found that fusible combinations of fifteen of these score or two of substances, associated with Phthalic acid and Paranapthalene, constituted just the thing required, namely, a compound with strong elective and electric characteristics, presenting a perfectly even, white-black surface, and sensitive in the highest possible degree. Of course this substance is very difficult to make, and well it is that such is the case, else the land would be flooded with counterfeit or very imperfectly constructed mirrors. Asit is, it is impossible to make them properly in this country,
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