Lona Umuntu Ovuthayo
Ngomlobeli wePhaphama! eItaly
NGEZINYE izikhathi ngicabanga ukuthi ngingumuntu oyinqaba ngempela—ngizacile, ngomile, ngicasuka kangangokuthi ngenza izinhlayiya zomlilo zindize emoyeni. Ngishisa kangangokuthi ngivutha nje ngokuphazima kweso. Abanye bayazazi lezizinto bese besizakala ngami. Nokho, ukuthambekela kokuvutha kwami kuyingxenye yendlela engakheke ngayo. Eqinisweni, abantu bavame ukucasuka uma ngehluleka ukuvutha. Kodwa-ke kunesizathu—ngingumentshisi.
Akulona yini iqiniso ukuthi mhlawumbe ngezinye izikhathi ungithatha kancane futhi ungiqaphele kuphela lapho ngehluleka ukuvutha noma lapho ibhokisi likamentshisi lingenalutho? Nokho, ngingathanda ukukubona uzama ukokhela umlilo njengoba babenza ezikhathini zasendulo, uhlikihla izinduku ezimbili ndawonye ukuze wokhele inqwaba yamahlamvu omile noma uphehle uzwathi, usengozini yokulimaza iminwe yakho! Kuzo zombili lezimo ubuyowubonga umentshisi othobekile.
Ukusungula Umentshisi Wokokhela
Umlando womkhaya wakithi ugcwele imizamo eminingi yokuhlola indlela ethile esebenzisekayo yokokhela umlilo. Ngisho nasekhulwini le-17 leminyaka, ngemva kokuba isazi samakhemikhali esingumJalimane uHennig Brand sithole iphosphorus, kwacatshangwa ngendlela okungenzeka ngayo ukuba kusungulwe into eyayizokwenza kube lula ukokhela imililo. Kwathatha isikhathi eside kunaleso ososayensi ababesilindele.
Ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19 leminyaka, uJean Chancel waseFrance wasungula inhlama eyokhelekayo eyenziwe ngepotassium chlorate, ushukela, nenhlaka encibilikayo emanzini. Ukuze yokhelwe kwathathwa encane, yabekwa esihlokweni sothi olufakwe isulfur, lwase luthintiswa kuasbestos ecwiliswe kuyiacid yesulfur. Kwakungelona ngempela uhlobo lwento ongahamba nayo ekhukhwini lakho!
Okubonakala kuwumentshisi wokuqala oqhwizwayo, noma “ukukhanya okuqhwizwayo,” kwasungulwa ngo-1826 uJohn Walker, isazi semithi esiyiNgisi. Lomentshisi kamuva waziwa ngokuthi umentshisi kaLucifer, noma uLucifer. Kungani kwakuthiwa “uLucifer”? Ngoba uyinguqulo yesiLatini yegama lesiGreki elisetshenziselwa elithi “umlethi wokukhanya”—iphosphorus! Futhi lelogama lesiGreki lisetshenziselwa kwelithi “umphathi wesibani,” noma “ikhwezi,” ku-2 Petru 1:19! Ingani phela, kwezinye izilimi, ezinjengesiPanishi nesiPutukezi, ngisabizwa ngokuthi ufósforo!
Cishe ngesikhathi esifanayo naleso uWalker asungula ngaso umentshisi wakhe, kwavela ama“Promethean” (okuyigama elisuselwa kuPrometheus umTitan owantshontsha umlilo kuOlympus wawunika umuntu enganekwaneni yamaGreki.) Ayephakathi kokwasungulwa uChancel nomentshisi wesimanje. Kwahlanganiswa ipotassium chlorate, ushukela, nenhlaka kwase kusongwa ngephepha elithambile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi kwakunengilazi encane egcwele iasidi yesulfur. Lapho lengilazi ifa, iasidi nenhlama eyokhelekayo kuyahlangana, kokheleke. Phakathi nohambo lwakhe ngeBeagle olunqamula iNingizimu Melika, uCharles Darwin wadala inxushunxushu eUruguay ngokuluma ingilazi yePromethean, eyenza kokheleka. Laba kwakungebona omentshisi abaqhwizwayo kodwa kwakungomentshisi bamakhemikhali.
Cishe ngesikhathi esifanayo, isazi samakhemikhali saseItaly, uDomenico Ghigliano, naso sasinesithakazelo emkhayeni wakithi. Ngemva kokuhlola okuningi, salungiselela inhlama eyokhelekayo eyenziwe ngeantimony sulfide nezinye izinto ezazenzelwe ukuba ziqine ezihlokweni zezinti ezincane. Lapho ihhudlwa endaweni emaholo, lenhlama yayokheleka ngokushesha.
IPotassium chlorate nephosphorus emhlophe, lokho ngalesosikhathi okwakuyizakhi eziyinhloko zenhlama, kokubili kwakuyingozi futhi kungushevu. Ekugcineni, kwathathelwa indawo ilead dioxide (noma umthofi obomvu kanye nemanganese dioxide) nephosphorus ebomvu. Lokhu kwasiza futhi ukuba kususe ubunzima ekwenziweni nasekusetshenzisweni kwawo.
Ukusuka Esiqwini Somuthi Kuya Kumentshisi
Namuhla ngenziwe ngani? Umzimba wami omfushane, ozacile, nowomile ungase wenziwe ngesihlahla okuthiwa ifir, ipine, noma ipoplar emhlophe. Ikhanda lami ngokuyinhloko liyiphosphorus sulfide, ichlorate, ioxide yensimbi noma yezinc, ingilazi eyimpuphu, nenjoloba noma inhlaka.
Njengoba ungase ulindele, thina bomentshisi siwumkhaya ohlukahlukene kakhulu, futhi namabhokisi esifakwa kuwo ahlukahlukene ngokufanayo. Mina ngingumentshisi ovamile wasekhishini, kodwa futhi kukhona nocerino, noma umentshisi owenziwe ngekhandlela (umkhiqizo waseItaly onothi lukamentshisi olwenziwe ngephepha elisongiwe elifakwe ikhandlela). Bese kuba khona umentshisi waseSweden (owenziwe ngaphandle kwephosphorus ekhanda lawo futhi owubuchwepheshe kangangokuthi wokheleka kuphela uma uqhwizwa ebhokisini lawo elinephosphorus).
Kalula nje, umkhiqizo wethu uhlukene izigaba ezintathu: Okokuqala ngqa, kulungiselelwa umzimba wami, uthi lukamentshisi; futhi kuba khona ukuhlanganiswa kwenhlama eyokhelekayo; bese ekugcineni kuba, ukuhlangana kwalezi zinto ezimbili.
Esigabeni sokuqala, iziqu zezihlahla zisuswa amagxolo azo bese zincishiswa zenziwa izigidi zezinti zikamentshisi ngento eyisikwele noma engunxantathu. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukuze kwenziwe umentshisi wekhandlela, intambo ende yephepha elifakwe ekhandleleni iyadonswa idlule epayipini elincane. Khona-ke iyancishiswa ngento yokusika ibe amasentimitha angu-2,5.
Inhlama yenziwa ngamakhemikhali ahlukene, futhi amakhanda ayahlukahluka kuye ngezinhlobo zikamentshisi. Izinga lokugcina liwukuhlanganiswa kwezingxenye ezimbili. Thina bomentshisi sibekwa sibhekiswe phansi ngekhanda, futhi amakhanda ethu asontwa ngokokusonga okumbozwe inhlama. Sibe sesiyekwa some, bese ekugcineni sifakwa emabhokisini. Indawo emaholo enisokhela ngayo iyindawo yenhlaka ehlanganiswe nempuphu yamabhodlela efakwa ohlangothini lwebhokisi likamentshisi. Ngesinye isikhathi yonke lenqubo yalomkhiqizo yayenziwa ngesandla; manje, njengoba ungase ulindele, seyenziwa ngemishini. Isenza sibe yizigidi!
Izwi lesixwayiso—ningasibeki lapho izingane zingasithola khona. Zifuna kabi ukwazi futhi ziyathanda ukulingisa abantu abadala—ungathi unganakile ubathole sebeqhwiza ikhanda lami ohlangothini lwebhokisi, futhi ngesimo sami esivuthayo, ilangabi elincane lingabanga umlilo wequbula. Ngakho siza ungisebenzise ngokucophelela.