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70
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The Diamond.
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electricity,
especially in the form of lightning, upon carbonic acid, that its
decomposition is effected ; and he quotes the statements of the
Ancients, "that in those mines where the largest number of Diamonds
were found, were so-called thunder-bolts."
Among
those who have supported the vegetable origin of the Diamond, is
Newton, who believed it to be a coagulated fat, or oily body, of
vegetable origin. Jameson and Brewster advanced similar views ; and
Petzholdt also decided for the vegetable origin, basing his conclusions
mainly on the microscopic study of the residual ash left when a Diamond
is burnt. In view of our present knowledge it is interesting to read
what the great chemist, Liebig said on this subject : " Science affords
us no analogy, except that of decomposition and decay, for the
formation or origin of the Diamond. We know that it does not owe its
origin to fire ; for a high temperature and the presence of oxygen are
incompatible with it on account of its combustibility : on the
contrary, there is undeniable ground for supposing that it was formed
in the wet way ; and the decomposition process alone helps us in our
attempts to solve the mystery of its origin. What kind of vegetable
substance, rich in hydrocarbons, the decomposition of which gave rise
to the Diamond, and what particular conditions had to be fulfilled in
order to crystallize the carbon, are not at present known to us ; but
this much is certain, that the process must have been exceedingly
gradual, and in no way hastened by a high temperature ; otherwise the
carbon would not have become crystallized, but would have separated
itself as a black powder."
Wöhler also was of opinion that the Diamond did not originate at a high temperature, or at least not by fusion.
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