TIME AFTER TIME H. G. Wells demonstrated that he was far more capable as a literary man than a political reformer and lay preacher. One early example of what we mean would have to be . . .
"The Thumbmark."
.jpg)
First appearance: Pall Mall Budget, 28 June 1894.
Reprints page (ISFDb HERE).
Short story (12 pages as a PDF).
Online at Roy Glashan's Library (RGL) (HERE).
"You know we scientific people are rather fond of problems of evidence."
A POLICE INSPECTOR'S house goes up in flames, and the first thing people think of is that it must be the work of Anarchists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the violent activities of Anarchists are on almost everybody's mind. A mild-mannered chemistry prof sets out to prove how the arson was done, but it doesn't seem to occur to him that his scientific investigation could make him a target . . .
Principal characters:
~ Professor Somerset Smith and his chemistry class: Chabôt, Wilderspin, Porch, Askin, and Mason; Inspector Bulstrode (in absentia); and a very unwelcome intruder.
References and resources:
- "Great Anarchist outrage!":
"Anarchists employ diverse approaches, which may be generally divided into revolutionary and evolutionary strategies; there is significant overlap between the two. Evolutionary methods try to simulate what an anarchist society might be like, but revolutionary tactics, which have historically taken a violent turn, aim to overthrow authority and the state. Many facets of human civilization have been influenced by anarchist theory, critique, and praxis." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "phosphorus dissolved in carbon bisulphide":
"The name Phosphorus in Ancient Greece was the name for the planet Venus and is derived from the Greek words (φῶς = light, φέρω = carry), which roughly translates as light-bringer or light carrier." (Wikipedia HERE and Wikisource HERE.)
- "a far better physiognomist":
"Physiognomy (from the Greek φύσις, 'physis', meaning 'nature', and 'gnomon', meaning 'judge' or 'interpreter') or face reading is the practice of assessing a person's character or personality from their outer appearance—especially the face." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "a bottle of starch mucilage":
"Mucilage is a thick gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some micro-organisms." (Wikipedia HERE.)
"Psyllium has been used as a thickener in ice cream and other frozen desserts. A 1.5% weight/volume ratio of psyllium mucilage exhibits binding properties that are superior
to a 10% weight/volume ratio of starch mucilage." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "You may have heard of Professor Galton":
"In a Royal Institution paper in 1888 and three books (Finger Prints, 1892; Decipherment of Blurred Finger Prints, 1893; and Fingerprint Directories, 1895), [Sir Francis] Galton estimated the probability of two persons having the same fingerprint and studied the heritability and racial differences in fingerprints. He wrote about the technique (inadvertently sparking a controversy between Herschel and Faulds that was to last until 1917), identifying common pattern in fingerprints and devising a classification system that survives to this day. He described and classified them into eight broad categories: 1: plain arch, 2: tented arch, 3: simple loop, 4: central pocket loop, 5: double loop, 6: lateral pocket loop, 7: plain whorl, and 8: accidental." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "He has published a book of his prints":
Galton's book saw print two years before our story:
"Using statistical methods, he [Galton] showed that the possibility of fingerprints of two different people being identical is nearly zero. This result made it possible to identify a person from his fingerprints. This method of identifying criminals was accepted in the judiciary." (Wikipedia HERE and galton.org HERE.)
- "bowled over a Bunsen burner":
"A Bunsen burner, named after Robert Bunsen, is a kind of ambient air gas burner used as laboratory equipment; it produces a single open gas flame, and is used for heating, sterili-zation, and combustion." (Wikipedia HERE.)
 |
| (Click on image to enlarge.) |
- "a bottle of sulphuric acid":
Bad news if it's hurled in your direction:
"Sulfuric acid is capable of causing very severe burns, especially when it is at high concentrations. In common with other corrosive acids and alkali, it readily decomposes proteins and lipids through amide and ester hydrolysis upon contact with living tissues,
such as skin and flesh." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "A small bottle of hydrochloric acid":
What goes for a bottle of sulphuric acid goes for this as well:
"Being a strong acid, hydrochloric acid is corrosive to living tissue and to many materials, but not to rubber. Typically, rubber protective gloves and related protective gear are used when handling concentrated solutions. Vapors or mists are a respiratory hazard, which can be partially mitigated by use of a respirator equipped with cartridges specifically designed to capture hydrochloric acid. Airborne acid is an irritant to the eyes and may require the use of protective goggles or a facemask." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "that most unendurable gas, sulphuretted hydrogen":
"Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic and flammable gas (flammable range: 4.3–46%). It can poison several systems in the body, although the nervous system is most affected . . . Although very pungent at first (it smells like rotten eggs), it quickly deadens the sense of smell, creating temporary anosmia, so victims may be unaware of its presence until it is
too late." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "the ammonium sulphide":
"Aqueous solutions of ammonium sulfide, also known as diammonium sulfide, are commercially available, although the composition of these solutions is uncertain as they could consist of a mixture of ammonia and [NH4]SH. Ammonium sulfide solutions are
used occasionally in photographic developing, to apply patina to bronze, and in textile manufacturing." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- "white clouds of ammonium chloride":
"Ammonium chloride was used in pyrotechnics in the 18th century but was superseded by safer and less hygroscopic chemicals. Its purpose was to provide a chlorine donor to enhance the green and blue colours from copper ions in the flame. It had a secondary use to provide white smoke, but its ready double decomposition reaction with potassium chlorate producing the highly unstable ammonium chlorate made its use very dangerous." (Wikipedia HERE.)
- The works of Herbert George Wells have caught our notice from time to time:
- The Poison Belt, with updated links (HERE)
- The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds (all HERE)
- "The Man Who Seemed to Know Too Much" (HERE)
- "A Contemporary Reaction to THE TIME MACHINE" (HERE)
- "The Chronic Argonauts" (HERE)
- "The Stolen Bacillus: A Tale of Anarchy" and "The Hammerpond Park Burglary" (both HERE)
- and The War of the Worlds, the deluxe RGL Edition (HERE).
Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment