In 1898 Sir Willinin Crt~olicS stiirtlctl t,lie tliinking ~vorltl by pointing oiit tlint itnlcss tlic cliciiiist siiccertlctl in fising iitiiiosplicric nitrogen, there \voiiltl lie ii sliortiigc of ivliciit tor t,lic wlic:it,-cntiiig world I J ~ 1'331. l'lic cliciiiist iitid physicist responded to the cliallcngc, iind in pliicc of i i shortiigc of wliciit \vc arc troiiblcd witli n siirpliis. Tiistciid of ii sliortngc of fisctl nit rogcn \vc iirc riiniiiiig it tlo\vn the tlr:iins iii ordcr to get rid of it,. r i 1 he IiroIhiis tlJc cltciiiist tiicklcs, IIC settles. iilitl I wiis tri)iil~letl in iiiy conscicncc sonic\rliiit, I ~~c ~I I I ~~, :is clicniist in tlic Cnsscl Cyiinitlc Co., T wiis tliiily nssistiiig iti t h conversion ot liirge ~~i t i i ~i t i t ~i c ~ of :iiiinioiiiii into potnssiuiii cyiiiiitlc. I J;iic\v that niiiiiioniii tviis :I itscfiil Ill 1898, IIO\VCVCI', t]lc 1)IOhlCIll Il:ld I l O t lJCCll Sct2tlCd, ~"'Uduct-l~ut C'CII tllcll I Ilild Illy doulJts IIlJout tllC IISC-course of thc line \-oiiItl bc -cry siniilnr to tlint of real ~vngcs. !l'lic gcncrnl troth of tlicsc lilies is being rccognizccl by tIic stnt.isticinns.
If the increase of gold outpiit h:is liiid any clfcct', tlicii that cfkct \voiiItI iippcnr to IIRVC Iwcn Iinrintul, h i t tlic tlcclinc in rcnI wiigcs cnn I)c cspIninctI without riny reference to gold, niid, I think, iiiorc correctly. We, :is cliciiiists, kiioiv that goItI docs not prorlncc gc~ods nor rctiirtl t.lic ~~ri~liictiori of goods, csccpt in so f i u 11s it tiikcs n\wy liibour froin otlicr ititIiist.rics to tlic gi~ltl iiiiiies, gin clfcct wliicli is negligii~lc. C:oc,cIs t~rc proiliiccd I)y itiiiti ~I U S 1iiiicliincry. TIIC IIIOI'C iiinclii1icr~ ti~iiililbl~ per i i i i i i i tlic tiiorc goods ciiii Iw tiiriictl out. Froin 18SO to 1900 wns ii period wlicii tlic iiiiioiiiit of niiicliiiicry ii\r:iilnl)lc per iiiiiii iviis tiipitlly incrciising in this coiintry. Ihwi 1900 to 1'3 1.1 it \vns clccrensing, n fiict wliicli is not gcncriilly rccogiiizctl. I t can, ho\ve~cr, IJC provrd frotii stiitist.icnl rctiirns, ii proof which I linvc givcti in fiilncss of gold. At tliiit tinic 1 Iiiitl little i(1cii of Iiow foolislily it \voiiltl IJC iisctl.
'J'lic discovery of tlic cyiiiiitlc process of gold cst riictioii