,transcriber's note3     ,this book was 
published in two volumes1 of which this 
is the first4       been marked with    
underscores4 ,please see the end of this
 ,project     for further notes4        
,illustration      ,sir ,thos4 ,lawrence
 pinxt4          ,w4 ,h4 ,worthington   
sculpt4      ,h4 ,davy      ,engraved by
 permission of the ,council of     the  
,royal ,society from the original       
painting4      ,london1 ,published by   
,henry ,colburn  ,richard ,bentley      
#ahca4         ,,the ,,life     ,,of    
,,sir ,,humphry ,,davy1     ,,bart4     
,,ll4,d4      ,,late ,,president ,,of   
,,the ,,royal ,,society1 ,,foreign      
,,associate     ,,of ,,the ,,royal      
,,institute ,,of ,,france1     c4 c4 c4 
,,by     ,,john ,,ayrton ,,paris1 ,m4,d4
 ,,cantab4 ,f4,r4,s4 ,c4      ,,fellow  
,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,college ,,of       
,,physicians4      ,,in ,,two ,,volumes4
      ,,vol4 ,i4      ,,london3         
,,henry ,,colburn ,,and ,,richard       
,,bentley1     ,,new ,,burlington       

,,street4     ,,mdcccxxxi4              
,,london3     ,,printed ,,by ,,samuel   
,,bentley1     ,dorset-street1          
,fleet-street4         ,,to     ,,his   
,,royal ,,highness     ,,prince         
,,augustus ,,frederick1     ,,duke ,,of 
,,sussex1 ,k4,g4 ,d4,c4,l4     c4 c4 c4 
,,president ,,of ,,the ,,royal          
,,society2      ,,these ,,memoirs ,,of  
,a ,,philosopher     ,,whose ,,splendid 
,,discoveries     ,,illumined ,,the     
,,age ,,in ,,which ,,he ,,lived1        
,,adorned ,,the ,,country ,,which ,,gave
 ,,him ,,birth1     ,,and ,,obtained    
,,from ,,foreign ,,and ,,hostile        
,,nations     ,,the ,,homage ,,of       
,,admiration ,,and     ,,the ,,meed ,,of
 ,,gratitude1     ,,are1     ,,by ,,the 
,,gracious ,,permission ,,of ,,his      
,,royal ,,highness1     ,,dedicated     
,,with ,,sentiments ,,of ,,profound     
,,respect1      ,,by      ,,the         
,,author4     ,,preface4   ,the         
reflecting portion of mankind has ever  
felt desirous of becoming acquainted    

with the origin1 progress1 habits1 and  
peculiarities of those whom the powers  
of genius may have raised above the     
plane of intellectual equality2 but     
neither the nature of the information1  
nor the extent of the detail that may be
 necessary to satisfy so laudable a     
curiosity1 can ever be estimated by any 
common standard1 since it is not in our 
nature to contemplate an object of      
admiration1 but with reference to our   
own predilections and sympathies2 and   
hence every reader will form a scale for
 himself1 according to the degree of    
interest he may feel for the particular 
character under review4 ,the ,poetical  
enthusiast1 who could not sufficiently  
express his gratitude on being told that
 ,milton wore shoe-buckles1 would very  
probably not have given 'four           
farthings1' as ,gray says1 to know that 
the shoes of ,davy were tanned by       
catechu2 and yet if the relative value  
of this information were fairly         
estimated1 it must be admitted that the 

former is a matter of barren curiosity1 
the latter1 a fact of some practical    
utility4 ,in a word1 we very naturally  
connect the man with his works1 and we  
care not to extend our acquaintance with
 the one1 but in proportion as we have  
derived pleasure from the other4  ,in   
like manner1 very different estimates   
will be formed of the degree of praise  
due to a distinguished philosopher1     
because the few who are deeply imbued   
with a knowledge of the science he may  
have adorned and enlightened must not   
only appreciate the value of his        
labours1 but understand the difficulties
 which opposed the accomplishment of    
them1 before they can arrive at a sound 
decision upon the question3 and here    
again the judgment of the most          
scientific may be unfortunately warped2 
it may be corrupted by secret passions  
or sinister influences2 be distorted by 
the prejudices of education and habit1  
or unduly biassed by invincible         
prepossessions4  ,no man ever soared1   

like an eagle1 to the pinnacle of fame1 
without exciting the envy and perhaps   
the hatred of those who could only crawl
 up half-way2 while1 on the other hand1 
where no rivalry can exist1 the         
splendour of such an ascent will        
captivate the bystander1 and by exciting
 intemperate triumph and unqualified    
admiration1 change without diminishing  
the sources of erroneous judgment1 and  
substitute adulation for calumny4 ,under
 such circumstances1 an allusion even to
 the common frailties of genius becomes 
offensive2 the biographer is called upon
 for the delineation of a perfect man2  
but the world is satisfied with nothing 
short of 'a faultless monster2' and yet1
 while they would impose upon him the   
same restraint as ,queen ,elizabeth laid
 upon her artist--to execute a portrait 
without a single shadow1 they little    
imagine how completely they obscure the 
features of their idol1 by the haze of  
incense in which they continually       
envelope it4 ,these are evils against   

which a future historian will not have  
to contend2 for time tries the          
characters of men1 as the furnace assays
 the quality of metals1 by disengaging  
the impurities1 dissipating the         
superficial irridescence1 and leaving   
the sterling gold bright and pure4  ,nor
 can the extent of our obligations to a 
philosopher be appreciated until time   
shall have shown the various important  
purposes to which his discoveries may   
administer4 ,the names of ,mayow and    
,hales might have been lost in the      
stream of discovery1 had not the results
 of ,priestley and ,lavoisier shown the 
value and importance of their statical  
experiments on the chemical relations of
 air to other substances4 ,the          
discoveries of ,dr4 ,black on the       
subject of latent heat could never have 
obtained that celebrity they now enjoy1 
had not ,mr4 ,watt availed himself of   
their application for the improvement of
 the steam-engine2 and the views of ,sir
 ,h4 ,davy respecting the true nature of

 chlorine become daily more important   
from the discovery of new elements of an
 analogous nature4 ,in future ages1 the 
metals of the alkalies and earths may   
admit of applications1 and open new     
avenues of knowledge1 of which at       
present we can form no idea2 but it is  
obvious that1 in the page of history1   
his name will gather fame in proportion 
as such discoveries unfold themselves4  
,it must be admitted1 that such         
considerations may furnish an argument  
against the propriety of writing the    
life of a contemporaneous philosopher2  
and yet ,i will never admit1 with ,mr4  
,babbage1 that the volume of his        
biography should be sealed1 until the   
warm feelings of surviving kindred and  
admiring friends shall be cold as the   
grave1 from which remembrance vainly    
recalls his cherished form1 invested    
with all the life and energy of recent  
existence4  ,is it not possible that the
 errors of partiality1 which have so    
frequently been charged upon the writer 

on these occasions1 may often be        
ascribed1 with greater truth and        
justice1 to the prejudices of the       
reader--that1 after all1 the distortion 
might not have existed in the portrait  
itself1 but in the optics of the        
observer8 ,such an opinion1 however1    
even were it true1 carries along with it
 no consolation to the biographer2 for  
,i know of no method by which the       
picture can be adapted to the focus of  
every eye4  ,if1 however1               
contemporaneous biography has its       
difficulties and impediments1 so has it 
also its advantages4 ,dr4 ,johnson has  
remarked1 in his ,life of ,addison1 that
 ,history may be formed from permanent  
monuments and records2 but ,lives can   
only be written from personal knowledge1
 which is growing every day less1 and in
 a short time is lost for ever4 ,the    
delicate features of the mind1 the nice 
discriminations of character1 and the   
minute peculiarities of conduct1 are    
soon obliterated4  ,i did not enter upon

 this arduous and delicate task1 without
 a distinct conception of the various   
difficulties which would necessarily    
oppose its accomplishment4 ,i well knew 
that the biographer of ,davy must hold  
himself prepared for the dissatisfaction
 of one party at the commendations he   
might bestow1 and for the displeasure of
 the other at the penury of his praise1 
or the asperity of his criticism4       
,after great labour and much anxiety1 ,i
 have at length completed the work2 and 
in giving it to the world1 ,i shall     
apply to myself the words of ,swift--,i 
have the ambition to wish1 at least1    
that both parties may think me in the   
right2 but if that is not to be hoped   
for1 my next wish should be1 that both  
might think me in the wrong1 which ,i   
would understand as an ample            
justification of myself1 and a sure     
ground to believe that ,i have          
proceeded1 at least1 with impartiality1 
and perhaps even with truth4  ,it is    
certainly due to myself1 and perhaps to 

the world1 to state the circumstances by
 which ,i was induced to undertake a    
work requiring for its completion a     
freedom from anxiety1 and an extent of  
research1 scarcely compatible with the  
occupations of a laborious profession2  
and which1 ,i may add1 has been wholly  
composed during night1 in hours stolen  
from sleep4 ,very shortly after the     
death of ,sir ,humphry ,davy1 an account
 of his life1 written by no friendly    
hand1 nor 'honest chronicler1' was      
submitted for my judgment by a          
,journalist who had intended to insert  
it in his paper4 ,at my request1 it was 
committed to the flames2 but not until  
,i had promised to supply the loss by   
another memoir4 ,the sketches by which  
,i redeemed this pledge were published  
in a weekly journal--,,the ,,spectator2 
and they have since been copied into    
various other works1 sometimes with1 but
 frequently without any acknowledgment4 
,they constitute the greater part of the
 ,life which was printed in the ,annual 

,obituary for #ahbi2 and they form the  
introduction to an edition of his ,last 
,days1 lately published in ,america4  ,i
 was soon recognised as the writer of   
these ,sketches2 and the leading        
publishers of the day urged me to       
undertake a more extended work4 ,to     
these solicitations ,i returned a direct
 refusal3 ,i even declined entering upon
 any conversation on the occasion2      
feeling that the wishes of ,lady ,davy1 
at that time on the ,continent1 ought in
 the very first instance to be consulted
 on the subject4 ,had not the common    
courtesy of society required such a mark
 of attention1 the wish expressed by    
,sir ,humphry in his ,will would have   
rendered it an imperative duty4 ,on her 
arrival in ,london1 in consequence of a 
letter she had addressed to ,mr4        
,murray1 ,i requested an interview with 
her ,ladyship1 from whom ,i received not
 only an unqualified permission to      
become the biographer of her illustrious
 husband1 but also the several documents

 which are published with               
acknowledgement in these memoirs4 ,i    
still felt that ,dr4 ,davy might desire 
to accomplish the task of recording the 
scientific services of his distinguished
 brother2 and1 had that been the case1  
,i should most undoubtedly have retired 
without the least hesitation or         
reluctance2 but ,i was assured by those 
who were best calculated to form an     
opinion upon this point1--for he was    
himself absent from ,england1--that     
motives of delicacy which it was easy to
 appreciate1 would at once lead him to  
decline an undertaking embarrassed with 
so many personal considerations4 ,the   
task1 however1 of collating the various 
works of ,sir ,h4 ,davy1 and of         
enriching them by notes derived from his
 own knowledge of the circumstances     
under which they were written1 ,i do    
hope will be accomplished by one who is 
so well calculated to heighten the      
interest1 and to increase the value of  
labours of such infinite importance to  

science1 and to the best interests of   
mankind4  ,the engraving which adorns   
the volume is from a painting by ,sir   
,thomas ,lawrence1 presented to the     
,royal ,society by ,lady ,davy2 and ,i  
beg the ,council of that learned body to
 accept my thanks for the permission    
they so readily granted for its being   
engraved4 ,it is one of the happiest    
efforts of the distinguished ,artist1   
and is the only portrait ,i have seen in
 which his features are happily animated
 with the expression of the poet1 and   
whose eye is bent to pursue the flights 
of his imagination through unexplored   
regions4  ,i must also embrace this     
opportunity of publicly expressing my   
thanks to the ,managers of the ,royal   
,institution1 who1 in the most handsome 
manner1 immediately complied with my    
request to inspect their ,journals1 and 
to make such extracts from them1 as ,i  
might consider necessary for the        
completion of my memoirs4  ,to ,mr4     
,davies ,gilbert1 ,i am under           

obligations which it is difficult for me
 to acknowledge in adequate terms1 not  
only for the value of the materials with
 which he has furnished me1 but for the 
kindness and urbanity with which they   
were communicated1 and for the ready and
 powerful assistance which ,i have so   
constantly received from him during the 
progress of the work4  ,to the other    
enlightened individuals from whom ,i    
have received support1 ,i have          
acknowledged my obligations in the body 
of the work2 and should ,i have         
inadvertently passed over any service   
without a becoming notice1 ,i trust the 
extent of the labour and the            
circumstances under which it has been   
performed1 will plead my apology4       
,dover ,street1 ,january #a1 #ahca4     
,,contents4       ,,chapter ,i4         
,birth and family of ,sir ,h4           
,davy4--,davy placed at a preparatory   
school4--,his peculiarities when a      
boy4--,anecdotes4--,he is admitted      
into the grammar-school at              

,penzance4--,finishes his education     
under ,dr4 ,cardew at ,truro4--,death of
 his father4--,he is apprenticed     by 
his mother to ,mr4 ,john ,bingham       
,borlase1 a surgeon     and             
apothecary4--,he enters upon the study  
of ,chemistry1 and devotes     more time
 to ,philosophy than to ,physic4--,the  
influence of     early impressions      
illustrated4--,his poetical             
talent4--,specimens of     his          
versification4--,an ,epic ,poem composed
 by him at the age of     twelve        
years4--,his first original experiment  
in chemistry4--,he     conceives a new  
theory of heat and light4--,his         
ingenious experiment     to demonstrate 
its truth4--,he becomes known to ,mr4   
,davies     ,gilbert1 the founder of his
 future fortunes4--,mr4 ,gregory ,watt  
arrives at ,penzance1 and lodges in the 
house of ,mrs4 ,davy4--,the     visit of
 ,dr4 ,beddoes and ,professor ,hailstone
 to ,cornwall4--,the     correspondence 
between ,dr4 ,beddoes and ,mr4 ,davies  

,gilbert1 relative     to the ,pneumatic
 ,institution at ,bristol1 and the      
proposed appointment     of ,davy4--,his
 final departure from his native town   
,page #a      ,,chapter ,,ii4           
,cursory thoughts on the advantages of  
,biography4--,plan and     objects of   
the ,pneumatic ,institution4--,davy     
contracts friendships     during his    
residence at ,bristol4--,his first visit
 to ,london4--,his     ,letters to ,mr4 
,davies ,gilbert4--,the publication of  
the ,west ,country     ,contributions1  
by ,dr4 ,beddoes4--,davy's ,essays on   
,heat1 ,light1     and                  
,respiration4--,his interesting         
experiments on bonnet canes4--,he       
commences an enquiry into the nature of 
nitrous oxyd4--,he     publishes his    
chemical researches4--,a critical       
examination of the     work4--,testimony
 of ,tobin1 ,clayfield1 ,southey1 and   
others1 respecting     the powers of    
nitrous oxyd4--,davy breathes           
carburetted     hydrogen gas1 and nearly

 perishes from its effects4--,his new   
,galvanic     experiments communicated  
in a ,letter to ,mr4 ,gilbert           
#ef      ,,chapter ,,iii4      ,count   
,rumford negotiates with ,mr4 ,underwood
 on the subject of ,davy's              
appointment to the ,royal               
,institution4--,terms of his engagement 
communicated in a letter to ,mr4        
,gilbert4--,davy arrives1 and takes     
possession of his apartments4--,he      
receives various                        
mortifications4--,he is elected a member
 of the ,tepidarian     ,society4--,is  
appointed ,lecturer instead of          
assistant4--,he makes a     tour in     
,cornwall with ,mr4                     
,underwood4--,anecdotes4--,his ,poem on 
,spinosism4--,his letter to ,mr4        
,gilbert1 communicating a galvanic      
discovery4--,he commences his first     
grand course of lectures4--,his         
brilliant success4--,a letter from ,mr4 
,purkis4--,davy's style                 
criticised4--,his extraordinary method  

of experimenting4--,davy and            
,wollaston compared as                  
experimentalists4--,the style of ,davy  
as a     lecturer and a writer          
contrasted                              
#aad      ,,chapter ,,iv4      ,davy    
makes a tour with ,mr4 ,purkis through  
,wales4--,beautiful     phenomenon      
observed from the summit of ,arran      
,benllyn4--,letter     to ,mr4          
,gilbert4--,journal of the              
,institution4--,davy's papers on        
,eudiometry1 and other subjects4--,his  
first communication to the     ,royal   
,society1 on a new galvanic pile4--,he  
is proposed as a ,fellow1     and       
elected into the ,society4--,his paper  
on astringent vegetable     substances1 
and on their operation in tanning       
leather4--,his     letter to ,mr4       
,poole4--,he is appointed ,chemical     
,lecturer to the     ,board of          
,agriculture4--,he forms friendships    
with the ,duke of     ,bedford1 ,mr4    
,coke1 and many other celebrated        

agriculturists4--,attends     the       
sheep-shearing at ,holkham and          
,woburn4--,composes     a ,prologue to  
,the ,honey-,moon                       
#aej      ,,chapter ,v4      ,sir       
,thomas ,bernard allots ,davy a piece of
 ground for ,agricultural               
,experiments4--,history of the ,origin  
of the ,royal ,institution4--,its       
early labours4--,davy's ,letters to ,mr4
 ,gilbert and to ,mr4                   
,poole4--,death of ,mr4 ,gregory        
,watt4--,davy's ,passion for ,fishing1  
with ,anecdotes4--,he makes a ,tour in  
,ireland3 his ,letters on     the       
subject4--,his ,paper on the ,analysis  
of the ,wavellite4--,his     ,memoirs on
 a new method of analysing ,minerals    
which contain a     fixed               
,alkali4--,reflections on the discovery 
of ,galvanic     ,electricity           
#ahh      ,,chapter ,,vi4      ,the     
,history of ,galvanism divided into six 
grand ,epochs4--,davy     extends the   
experiment of ,nicholson and            

,carlisle4--,his ,pile of one     metal 
and two fluids4--,dr4 ,wollaston        
advocates the doctrine of     oxidation 
being the primary cause of ,voltaic     
,phenomena4--,davy's     modification of
 that theory4--,his ,bakerian ,lecture  
of #ahjf4--;,he     discovers the       
sources of the acid and alkaline matter 
eliminated     from water by ,voltaic   
action4--,on the nature of ,electrical  
decomposition and transfer4--,on the    
relations between the ,electrical       
energies of bodies1 and their ,chemical 
affinities4--,general     developement  
of the ,electro-chemical                
,laws4--,illustrations1                 
,applications1 and ,conclusions         
#baf      ,,chapter ,,vii4      ,the    
unfair rivalry of                       
,philosophers4--,bonaparte the ,patron  
of     ,science--,he liberates          
,dolomieu4--,he founds a ,prize for the 
encouragement of ,electric              
researches4--,his letter to the         
,minister of     the                    

,interior4--,proceedings of the         
,institute4--,the ,prize is conferred   
on ,davy4--,the ,bakerian ,lecture of   
#ahjg4--,the ,decomposition of     the  
,fixed                                  
,alkalies--,potassium--,sodium4--,the   
,questions to which     the discovery   
gave rise4--,interesting ,extracts from 
the ,manuscript     notes of the        
,laboratory4--,potash decomposed by a   
chemical     process4--,letters to      
,children1 and ,pepys4--,the true nature
     of ,potash discovered4--,whether   
,ammonia contains oxygen4--,davy's      
severe ,illness4--,he recovers and      
resumes his labours4--,his     ,fishing 
,costume4--,he decomposes the           
,earths4--,important views     to which 
the discovery has led                   
#bec      ,,chapter ,,viii4      ,davy's
 ,bakerian ,lecture of #ahjh4--,results 
obtained from the     mutual action of  
,potassium and ,ammonia upon each       
other4--,his     belief that he had     
decomposed ,nitrogen4--,he discovers    

,telluretted     ,hydrogen4--,whether   
,sulphur1 ,phosphorus1 and ,carbon may  
not     contain ,hydrogen4--,he         
decomposes ,boracic acid4--,boron4--,his
     fallacies with regard to the       
composition of ,muriatic acid4--,a      
splendid ,voltaic battery is constructed
 at the ,institution by                 
subscription4--,davy ascertains the true
 nature of the ,muriatic and            
,oxymuriatic ,acids4--,important        
chemical analogies to which the         
discovery gave                          
origin4--,euchlorine4--,chlorides4--,he 
delivers     ,lectures before the       
,dublin ,society4--,he receives the     
,honorary ,degree     of ,,ll4,d4 from  
the ,provost and ,fellows of ,trinity   
,college4--,he     undertakes to        
ventilate the ,house of ,lords4--,the   
,regent confers upon     him the honour 
of ,knighthood4--,he delivers his       
farewell     ,lecture4--,engages in a   
,gunpowder manufactory4--,his marriage  
#cjg      ,,chapter ,,ix4      ,davy's  

,elements of ,chemical ,philosophy      
examined4--,his     ,memoir on some     
combinations of ,phosphorus and         
,sulphur1 c4--,he     discovers         
,hydro-phosphoric gas4--,important      
,illustrations of     the ,theory of    
,definite ,proportionals4--,bodies      
precipitated from     water are         
,hydrats4--,his letter to ,sir ,joseph  
,banks on a new     detonating          
compound4--,he is injured in the eye by 
its explosion4--,his     second letter  
on the subject4--,his paper on the      
,substances     produced in different   
,chemical processes on ,fluor           
,spar4--,his     work on ,agricultural  
,chemistry                              
#ceh         ,octr4 #aith     ,when     
,potash was introduced into a tube      
having a platina wire    attached to it 
so  fixed into the tube so as to be a   
conductor    ie4 so as to contain just  
water enough though solid-- inserted    
over mercury1 when the ,platina was made
 neg--,no gas was formed     the mercury

 became oxydated-- a small quantity of  
the    athalyer was produced around the 
plat3 wire as was evident from    its   
gassy alteration by the action of water 
--,when the mercury was made the neg3   
gas was developed in great    quantities
 from the pos3 wire1  some from the neg 
mercury  this    gas proved to be pure8 
oxygene ,capil ,expr4--     proving the 
decompr of ,potash  ,london1 ,published 
by ,henry ,colburn  ,richard ,bentley   
#ahca    ,illustration         ,,the    
,,life     ,,of     ,,sir ,,humphry     
,,davy1     ,,bart4 c4 c4     ,,chapter 
,i4     ,birth and family of ,sir ,h4   
,davy4--,davy placed at a preparatory   
school4--,his peculiarities when a      
boy4--,anecdotes4--,he is    admitted   
into the grammar-school at              
,penzance4--,finishes his    education  
under ,dr4 ,cardew at ,truro4--,death of
 his father4--,he    is apprenticed by  
his mother to ,mr4 ,john ,bingham       
,borlase1 a    surgeon and              
apothecary4--,he enters upon the study  

of ,chemistry1    and devotes more time 
to ,philosophy than to ,physic4--,the   
influence of early impressions          
illustrated4--,his poetical             
talent4--,specimens of his              
versification4--,an ,epic ,poem composed
    by him at the age of twelve         
years4--,his first original             
experiment in chemistry4--,he conceives 
a new theory of heat and    light4--,his
 ingenious experiment to demonstrate its
 truth4--,he    becomes known to ,mr4   
,davies ,gilbert1 the founder of his    
future    fortunes4--,mr4 ,gregory ,watt
 arrives at ,penzance1 and lodges in    
the house of ,mrs4 ,davy4--,the visit of
 ,dr4 ,beddoes and ,professor           
,hailstone to ,cornwall4--,the          
correspondence between ,dr4 ,beddoes    
and ,mr4 ,davies ,gilbert1 relative to  
the ,pneumatic ,institution    at       
,bristol1 and the proposed appointment  
of ,davy4--,his final    departure from 
his native town4   ,humphry ,davy was   
born at ,penzance1 in ,cornwall1 on the 

#agth of ,december #aggh4a ,his         
ancestors had long possessed a small    
estate at ,varfell1 in the parish of    
,ludgvan1 in the ,mount's ,bay1 on which
 they resided3 this appears from tablets
 in the church1 one of which bears a    
date as far back as #afce4 ,we are1     
however1 unable to ascend higher in the 
pedigree than to his paternal           
grandfather1 who seems to have been a   
builder of considerable repute in the   
west of ,cornwall1 and is said to have  
planned and erected the mansion of      
,trelissick1 near ,truro1 at present the
 property and residence of ,thomas      
,daniel1 ,esq4    #a ,i have been       
favoured by the ,rev4 ,c4 ,val4 ,le     
,grice1 of   ,trereiffe1 with the       
following extract from the ,parish      
,register1   kept at ,madron3--,humphry 
,davy1 son of ,robert ,davy1 baptized at
   ,penzance1 ,january #bb1 #aggi4 ,the 
house in which he was born has   been   
pulled down and lately rebuilt4  ,his   
son1 the parent of the illustrious      

subject of our history1 was sent to     
,london1 and apprenticed to a carver in 
wood1 but1 on the death of his father1  
who1 although originally a younger son1 
had latterly become the representative  
of the family1 he found himself in the  
possession of a patrimony amply         
competent for the supply of his limited 
desires1 and therefore pursued his art  
rather as an object of amusement than   
one of necessity3 in the town and       
neighbourhood of ,penzance1 however1    
there remain many specimens of his      
skill2 and ,i have myself seen several  
chimney-pieces curiously embellished by 
his chisel4#b    #b ,soon after the days
 of ,gibbons1 the art of ornamental     
carving   in wood began to decay1 and it
 may now be considered as nearly   lost4
 ,its decline may be attributed to two  
causes4 ,in the first   place1 to the   
change of taste in fitting up the       
interior of our   mansions2 and in the  
next1 to the introduction of composition
 for   the enrichment of picture-frames 

and other objects of ornament4   ,robert
 ,davy1 says a correspondent1 has been  
considered in this   neighbourhood as   
the ,,last ,,of ,,the ,,carvers1 and    
from his small   size1 was generally    
called ,the little ,carver4  ,i am not  
able to discover that he was remarkable 
for any peculiarity of intellect2 he    
passed through life without bustle1 and 
quitted it with the usual regrets of    
friends and relatives4 ,the habits1     
however1 generally imputed to him were  
certainly not such as would have induced
 us to anticipate a high degree of      
steadiness in the son4  ,his wife1 whose
 maiden name was ,grace ,millett1 was   
remarkable for the placidity of her     
temper1 and for the amiable and         
benevolent tendency of her disposition3 
she had been adopted and brought up1    
together with her two sisters1 under    
circumstances of affecting interest1 by 
,mr4 ,john ,tonkin1 an eminent surgeon  
and apothecary in ,penzance2 a person of
 very considerable natural endowments1  

and whose ,socratic sayings are1 to this
 day1 proverbial with many of the older 
inhabitants4  ,to withhold a narrative  
of the circumstances that led ,mr4      
,tonkin to the adoption of these orphan 
children1 would be a species of         
historical fraud and literary injustice1
 by which the world would not only lose 
one of those bright examples of pure and
 disinterested benevolence1 which cheer 
the heart and ornament our nature1 but  
the medical profession would be deprived
 of an additional claim to that public  
veneration and regard1 to which the kind
 sympathy of its professors has so      
universally entitled it4  ,the parents  
of these children1 having been attacked 
by a fatal fever1 expired within a few  
hours of each other3 the dying agonies  
of the surviving mother were sharpened  
by her reflecting on the forlorn        
condition in which her children would be
 left2 for1 although the ,milletts were 
originally aristocratic and wealthy1 the
 property had undergone so many         

subdivisions1 as to have left but a very
 slender provision for the member of the
 family to whom she had united herself4 
,the affecting appeal which ,mrs4       
,millett is said to have addressed to   
her sympathising friend1 and medical    
attendant1 was not made in vain3 on her 
decease1 ,mr4 ,tonkin immediately       
removed the three children to his own   
house1 and they continued under the     
guardianship of their kind benefactor1  
until each1 in succession1 found a home 
by marriage4  ,the eldest sister1 ,jane1
 was married to ,henry ,sampson1 a      
respectable watchmaker at ,penzance2 the
 youngest1 ,elizabeth1 to her cousin1   
,leonard ,millett of ,marazion2 neither 
of whom had any family4 ,the second     
sister1 ,grace1 was married to ,robert  
,davy1 from which union sprang five     
children1 two boys and three girls1 the 
eldest being ,humphry1 the subject of   
our memoir1 and the second son1 ,john1  
now ,dr4 ,davy1 a ,surgeon to the       
,forces1 and a gentleman distinguished  

by several papers in the ,philosophical 
,transactions4  ,humphry ,davy was      
nursed by his mother1 and passed his    
infancy with his parents2#c but his     
childhood1 after they had removed from  
,penzance to reside on their estate at  
,varfell1 was spent partly with them and
 partly with ,mr4 ,john ,tonkin1 who    
extended his disinterested kindness from
 the mother to all her children1 but    
more especially to ,humphry1 who is     
said1 when a child1 to have exhibited   
powers of mind superior to his years4 ,i
 have spared no pains in collecting     
materials for the illustration of the   
earlier periods of his history2 as1 to  
estimate the magnitude of an object1 we 
must measure the base with accuracy1 in 
order to comprehend the elevation of its
 summit4    #c ,for these materials ,i  
acknowledge myself indebted to ,dr4     
,penneck of ,penzance1 and to ,mrs4     
,millett1 ,sir ,h4 ,davy's sister4      
,the facts were communicated in letters 
to ,lady ,davy1 by whom they   were     

kindly placed at my disposal4  ,he was  
first placed at a preparatory seminary  
kept by a ,mr4 ,bushell1 who was so     
struck with the progress he made1 that  
he urged his father to remove him to a  
superior school4  ,it is a fact worthy1 
perhaps1 of being recorded1 that he     
would at the age of about five years    
turn over the pages of a book as rapidly
 as if he were merely engaged in        
counting the number of leaves1 or in    
hunting after pictures2 and yet1 on     
being questioned1 he could generally    
give a very satisfactory account of the 
contents4 ,i have been informed by ,lady
 ,davy that the same faculty was        
retained by him through life1 and that  
she has often been astonished1 beyond   
the power of expression1 at the rapidity
 with which he read a work1 and the     
accuracy with which he remembered it4   
,mr4 ,children has also communicated to 
me an anecdote1 which may be related in 
illustration of the same quality4       
,shortly after ,dr4 ,murray had         

published his system of chemistry1 ,davy
 accompanied ,mr4 ,children in an       
excursion to ,tonbridge1 and the new    
work was placed in the carriage4 ,during
 the occasional intervals in which their
 conversation was suspended1 ,davy was  
seen turning over the leaves of the     
book1 but his companion did not believe 
it possible that he could have made     
himself acquainted with any part of its 
contents1 until at the close of the     
journey he surprised him with a critical
 opinion of its merits4  ,the book that 
engaged his earliest attention was ,the 
,pilgrim's ,progress1 a production well 
calculated1 from the exuberance of its  
invention1 and the rich colouring of its
 fancy1 for seizing upon the ardent     
imagination of youth4 ,this pleasing    
work1 it will be remembered1 was the    
early and especial favourite of ,dr4    
,franklin1 who never alluded to it but  
with feelings of the most lively        
delight4  ,shortly afterwards1 he       
commenced reading history1 particularly 

that of ,england2 and at the age of     
eight years he would1 as if impressed   
with the powers of oratory1 collect     
together a number of boys in a circle1  
and mounting a cart or carriage that    
might be standing before the inn near   
,mr4 ,tonkin's house1 harangue them on  
different subjects1 and offer such      
comments as his own ideas might suggest4
  ,he was1 moreover1 at this age1 a     
great lover of the marvellous1 and      
amused himself and his schoolfellows by 
composing stories of romance and tales  
of chivalry1 with all the fluency of an 
,italian improvisatore2 and joyfully    
would he have issued forth1 armed       
cap--pi1 in search of adventures1 and to
 free the world of dragons and giants4  
,in this early fondness for fiction1 and
 in the habit of exercising his         
ingenuity in creating imagery for the   
gratification of his fancy1 ,davy and   
,sir ,walter ,scott greatly resembled   
each other4 ,the ,author of ,waverley1  
in his general preface to the late      

edition of his novels1 has given us the 
following account of this talent4 ,i    
must refer to a very early period of my 
life1 were ,i to point out my first     
achievement as a tale-teller2 but ,i    
believe most of my old schoolfellows can
 still bear witness that ,i had a       
distinguished character for that talent1
 at a time when the applause of my      
companions was my recompense for the    
disgraces and punishments which the     
future romance-writer incurred for being
 idle himself1 and keeping others idle1 
during hours that should have been      
employed on our tasks4 ,had not ,davy's 
talents been diverted into other        
channels1 who can say that we might not 
have received from his inventive pen a  
series of romantic tales1 as beautifully
 illustrative of the early history of   
his native country as are the ,waverley 
,novels of that of ,scotland8 for       
,cornwall is by no means deficient in   
elfin sprites and busy piskeys2 the     
invocation is alone required to summon  

them from their dark recesses and mystic
 abodes4  ,davy was also in the frequent
 habit of writing verses and ballads2 of
 making fireworks1 and of preparing a   
particular detonating composition1 to   
which he gave the name of               
,thunder-powder1 and which he would     
explode on a stone to the great wonder  
and delight of his young playfellows4   
,another of his favourite amusements may
 also be recorded in this place2 for1   
however trifling in itself the incident 
may appear1 to the biographer it is full
 of interest1 as tending to show the    
early existence of that passion for     
experiment1 which afterwards rose so    
nobly in its aims and objects1 as the   
mind expanded with the advancement of   
his years4 ,it consisted in scooping out
 the inside of a turnip1 placing a      
lighted candle in the cavity1 and then  
exhibiting it as a lamp2 by the aid of  
which he would melt fragments of tin1   
obtained from the metallic blocks which 
commonly lie about the streets of a     

coinage town1 and demand from his       
companions a certain number of pins for 
the privilege of witnessing the         
operation4  ,at an early age1 but ,i am 
unable to ascertain the exact period1 he
 was placed at the ,grammar-,school in  
,penzance1 under the ,rev4 ,j4 ,c4      
,coryton2 and whilst his father resided 
at ,varfell1 he lived with ,mr4 ,tonkin1
 except during the holidays1 which he   
always spent with his parents4  ,he was 
extremely fond of fishing2 and ,i have  
been lately informed by one of his      
earliest companions1 that when very     
young he greatly excelled in that art4  
,i have known him1 says my              
correspondent1 catch grey-mullet at     
,penzance ,pier1 when none of us could  
succeed4 ,the mullet is a very difficult
 fish to hook1 on account of the        
diminutive size of its mouth2 but ,davy 
adopted a plan of his own contrivance4  
,observing that they always swam in     
shoals1 he attached a succession of     
pilchards to a string1 reaching from the

 surface to the bottom of the sea1 and  
while his prey were swimming around the 
bait1 he would by a sudden movement of  
the string entangle several of them on  
the hooks1 and thus dexterously capture 
them4  ,as soon as he became old enough 
to carry a gun1 a portion of his leisure
 hours was passed in the recreation of  
shooting2 a pursuit which also enabled  
him to form a collection of the rare    
birds which occasionally frequented the 
neighbourhood1 and which he is said to  
have stuffed with more than ordinary    
skill4  ,when at home1 he frequently    
amused himself with reading and         
sketching1 and sometimes with           
caricaturing any thing which struck his 
fancy2 on some occasions he would shut  
himself up in his room1 arrange the     
chairs1 and lecture to them by the hour 
together4  ,i have been informed by one 
of his schoolfellows1 a gentleman now   
highly distinguished for his literary   
attainments1 that1 in addition to the   
amusements already noticed1 he was very 

fond of playing at ,tournament1         
fabricating shields and visors of       
pasteboard1 and lances of wood1 to which
 he gave the appearance of steel by     
means of black-lead4 ,thus equipped1 the
 juvenile combatants1 like ,ascanius and
 the ,trojan youths of classic          
recollection1 would tilt at each other1 
and perform a variety of warlike        
evolutions4  ,by this anecdote we are   
forcibly reminded of the early taste of 
,sir ,william ,jones1 who1 when a boy at
 ,harrow ,school1 invented a political  
play1 in which ,william ,bennet1 ,bishop
 of ,cloyne1 and the celebrated ,dr4    
,parr1 were his principal associates4   
,they divided the fields in the         
neighbourhood of ,harrow1 according to a
 map of ,greece1 into states and        
kingdoms2 each fixed upon one as his    
dominion1 and assumed an ancient name4  
,some of their schoolfellows consented  
to be styled ,barbarians1 who were to   
invade their territories and attack     
their hillocks1 which they denominated  

fortresses4#d    #d ,life of ,sir       
,william ,jones1 by ,lord ,teignmouth4  
,on one occasion1 ,davy got up a        
,pantomime2 and ,i have very            
unexpectedly obtained a fly-leaf1 torn  
out of a ,schrevelius' ,lexicon1 on     
which the ,dramatis ,person1 as well as 
the names of the young actors1 were     
registered1 as originally cast4 ,this   
document appears so interesting1 that ,i
 have thought it right to place it on   
record4      ,father         ,cunnack4  
,harlequin      ,davy4     ,clown       
4444#e     ,columbine      ,hichens4    
,cupid          ,veale4     ,fortuna    
,scobell4     ,ben            ,billy    
,giddy4     ,nurse          ,robyns4    
,maccaroni      ,dennis4    #e ,here1 as
 ,mrs4 ,ratcliffe would say1 the ,legend
 is so effaced   by damp and time1 as to
 be wholly illegible4  ,the performers1 
who1 ,i believe1 with one exception1 are
 all living1 will perhaps find some     
amusement in examining how far their    
future characters were shadowed forth on

 this occasion4 ,at all events1 ,i feel 
confident that they will receive no     
small gratification at having their     
recollections thus carried back to the  
joyous scenes of boyhood1 connected as  
they always are1 and must ever be1 with 
the most delightful associations of our 
lives4  ,from ,penzance school he went  
to ,truro1 in the year #agic1 and       
finished his education under the ,rev4  
,dr4 ,cardew1 a gentleman who is        
distinguished by the number of eminent  
scholars with which he has graced his   
country4  ,that he was quick and        
industrious in his school exercises1 may
 be inferred from an anecdote related by
 his sister1 that on being removed to   
,truro1 ,dr4 ,cardew found him very     
deficient in the qualifications for the 
,class of his age1 but on observing the 
quickness of his talents1 and his       
aptitude for learning1 he did not place 
him in a lower form1 telling him that by
 industry and attention he trusted he   
might be entitled to keep the place     

assigned to him2 which1 his sister says1
 he did1 to the entire satisfaction of  
his master4  ,it is very natural that an
 anecdote so gratifying to the family   
should have been deeply imprinted on    
their memory2 but we must not be        
surprised on finding that it did not    
make a similar impression upon ,dr4     
,cardew4 ,from a letter lately addressed
 by that gentleman to ,mr4 ,davies      
,gilbert1 the following is an           
extract3--,with respect to our          
illustrious countryman1 ,sir ,h4 ,davy1 
,i fear ,i can claim but little merit   
from the share ,i had in his education4 
,he was not long with me2 and while he  
remained ,i could not discern the       
faculties by which he was afterwards so 
much distinguished2 ,i discovered1      
indeed1 his taste for poetry1 which ,i  
did not omit to encourage4 ,dr4 ,cardew 
adds1 ,while engaged in teaching the    
classics1 ,i was anxious to discharge   
faithfully the duties of my profession  
to the best of my ability2 but ,i was   

certainly fortunate in having so many   
good materials to work upon1 and thus   
having only 'fungi vice cotis1' though  
'exsors ipse secandi4'--,to the truth of
 this latter part of the ,doctor's      
quotation1 will his scholars willingly  
subscribe8 ,it may be fairly doubted how
 far ,dr4 ,cardew was able to descend   
into the shadowy regions of ,maro1      
without the donum fatalis virg4  ,mrs4  
,millett thinks that the deficiency just
 alluded to may be attributed to ,mr4   
,coryton1 rather than to the inattention
 of her brother2 the former having1 from
 his neglect as a master1 given very    
general dissatisfaction4 ,from what ,i  
can learn1 at this distant period1 of   
the character of ,mr4 ,coryton1 it      
appears at all events1 that the exsors  
ipse secandi could not have been justly 
applied to him2 and that1 owing to an   
unfortunate aptness in the name to a    
doggrel verse1 poor ,davy had frequently
 to smart under his tyranny4      ,now1 
,master ,dvy1     ,now1 ,sir1 ,i hve 'e1

     ,no one shall sve 'e1     ,good    
,master ,dvy2  when the master1 suiting 
the action to the rhythm1 inflicted upon
 the hand of the unlucky scholar the    
verberations of that type and instrument
 of pedagoguish authority--the flat     
ruler4 ,here we have another example of 
the seduction of sound1 argued by our   
great jurist ,mr4 ,bentham1#f to have   
determined the maxims of that law1 which
 has been pronounced by its sages the   
perfection of reason4    #f ,were the   
enquiry diligently made1 he says1 it    
would be   found that the ,goddess of   
,harmony has exercised more influence1  
however latent1 over the dispensations  
of ,themis1 than her   most diligent    
historiographers1 or even her most      
passionate   panegyrists1 seem to be    
aware of4 ,every one knows how1 by the  
ministry of ,orpheus1 it was she who    
first collected the sons   of men       
beneath the shadow of the sceptre3 yet  
in the midst of   continual experience1 
men seem yet to learn with what         

successful   diligence she laboured to  
guide it in its course4  ,from a letter1
 however1 written by ,davy a few years  
afterwards1 respecting the education of 
a member of his family1 he would appear 
to have entertained an opinion not very 
unlike that of ,john ,locke2 for1       
although he testifies the highest       
respect for ,dr4 ,cardew1 he seems to   
consider the comparative idleness of his
 earlier school career1 by allowing him 
to follow the bent of his own mind1 to  
have favoured the developement of his   
peculiar genius4 ,after all1 he says1   
the way in which we are taught ,latin   
and ,greek1 does not much influence the 
important structure of our minds4 ,i    
consider it fortunate that ,i was left  
much to myself as a child1 and put upon 
no particular plan of study1 and that ,i
 enjoyed much idleness at ,mr4          
,coryton's school4 ,i perhaps owe to    
these circumstances the little talents  
,i have1 and their peculiar             
application3--what ,i am ,i have made   

myself--,i say this without vanity1 and 
in pure simplicity of heart4  ,his      
temper during youth is represented as   
mild and amiable4 ,he never suppressed  
his feelings1 but every action was      
marked by ingenuousness and candour1    
qualities which endeared him to his     
youthful associates1 and gained him the 
love of all who knew him4 ,nor can ,i   
find1 says his sister1 beloved as he    
must have been by my mother1 that she   
showed him any particular               
preference2--all her children appeared  
to be alike her care1 and all alike     
shared her affection4  ,in #agid1 ,mr4  
,davy died4 ,we cannot but regret that  
he did not live long enough to witness  
his son's eminence2 for life1 as        
,johnson says1 has few better things to 
give than a talented son2 but from his  
widow1 who has but lately descended to  
the tomb1 full of years and             
respectability1 this boon was not       
withheld1 she witnessed his whole career
 of usefulness and honour1 and happily  

closed her eyes before her maternal     
fears could have been awakened by those 
signs of premature decay1 which for some
 time had excited in his friends1 and in
 the friends of science1 an alarm which 
the recent deplorable event has too     
fatally justified4  ,in the year        
following the decease of her husband1   
,mrs4 ,davy1 who had again taken up her 
residence in ,penzance1 apprenticed her 
son1#g by the advice of her long-valued 
friend1 ,mr4 ,tonkin1 to ,mr4 ,john     
,bingham ,borlase1 at that time a       
surgeon and apothecary1 but who         
afterwards obtained a diploma1 and      
became an eminent physician at          
,penzance4 ,davy1 however1 for the most 
part1 continued to pursue his own plans 
of study2 for although his friend ,mr4  
,tonkin1 without doubt1 intended him for
 a general practitioner in his native   
town1 yet he himself always looked      
forward to graduation at ,edinburgh1 as 
a preliminary measure to his practising 
in the higher walk of his profession4   

#g ,the original indenture1 now in the  
possession of ,mr4 ,r4   ,edmonds1      
solicitor1 of ,penzance1 is dated       
,february #ajth1 #agie4  ,his mind had1 
for some time1 been engrossed with      
philosophical pursuits2 but until after 
he had been placed with ,mr4 ,borlase1  
it does not appear that he indicated any
 decided turn for chemistry1 the study  
of which he then commenced with all the 
ardour of his temperament2 and his      
eldest sister1 who acted as his         
assistant1 well remembers the ravages   
committed on her dress by corrosive     
substances4  ,it has been said that his 
mind was first directed to chemistry by 
a desire to discover various mixtures as
 pigments3 a suggestion to which1 ,i    
confess1 ,i am not disposed to pay much 
attention2 for although he might have   
sought by new combinations to impart a  
novel and vivid richness of colouring to
 his drawings1 it was the character of  
his mind to pursue with ardour every    
subject of novelty1 and to get at       

results by his own native powers1 rather
 than by the recorded experience of     
others4  ,i must here relate an         
anecdote1 in illustration of this       
statement1 which has been lately        
communicated to me by the ,reverend ,dr4
 ,batten1 the principal of the ,east    
,india ,college at ,hayleybury4 ,this   
gentleman was one of the earliest of    
,davy's schoolfellows1 but as he        
advanced in age1 different views1 and a 
different plan of education1 carried him
 to a distant part of the kingdom2 the  
discipline and duties of a cloistered   
school necessarily estranged him from   
his native town2 and it was not until   
after his admission at ,cambridge1 and  
the arrival of the long vacation1 which 
afforded a temporary oblivion of        
academic cares1 that ,mr4 ,batten       
returned to ,cornwall1 to revisit the   
scenes1 and to renew the friendships of 
his boyish days4 ,davy1 who was at that 
period an apprentice to ,mr4 ,borlase1  
received him with transport and         

affection2 but he was no longer the boy 
that his friend had left him2 he had    
become more serious and contemplative1  
fond of solitary rambles1 and averse to 
enter into society1 or to join the      
festive parties of the inhabitants4 ,in 
fact1 his mind was now in the act of    
being moulded by the spirit of ,nature2 
and1 without the constraint of study1 he
 was insensibly inhaling knowledge with 
the wild breezes of his native hills4   
,in the course of conversation1 ,mr4    
,batten spoke of his academic studies2  
and in alluding to the principles of    
,mechanics1 to which he had lately paid 
much attention1 he expressed himself    
more particularly pleased with that part
 which treats of the ,collision of      
,bodies4 ,what was his surprise1 on     
finding ,davy as well1 if not better    
acquainted with its several             
propositions6 ,it was true that he had  
never systematically studied the        
subject--had never perhaps seen any     
standard work upon it1 but he had       

instituted experiments with elastic and 
inelastic balls1 and had worked out the 
results by the unassisted energies of   
his own mind4 ,it is clear that1 had    
this branch of science not existed1     
,davy would have created it4  ,during   
this period of his apprenticeship1 he   
twice a week attended a ,french school  
in ,penzance1 kept by a ,m4 ,dugast1 a  
priest from ,la ,vende2 and it was      
remarked that1 although he acquired a   
knowledge of the grammatical            
construction of the language with       
greater facility than any of the other  
scholars1 he could not succeed in       
obtaining the pronunciation2 and1 in    
fact1 notwithstanding his extensive     
intercourse with foreigners1 and his    
residence in ,france1 he never1 even in 
after life1 could pronounce ,french with
 correctness or speak it with fluency4  
,while with ,mr4 ,borlase1 it was his   
constant custom to walk in the evening  
to ,marazion1 to drink tea with an aunt 
to whom he was greatly attached4 ,upon  

such occasions1 his usual companion was 
a hammer1 with which he procured        
specimens from the rocks on the beach4  
,in short1 it would appear that1 at this
 period1 he paid much more attention to 
,philosophy than to ,physic2 that he    
thought more of the bowels of the earth1
 than of the stomachs of his patients2  
and that1 when he should have been      
bleeding the sick1 he was opening veins 
in the granite4 ,instead of preparing   
medicines in the surgery1 he was        
experimenting in ,mr4 ,tonkin's garret1 
which had now become the scene of his   
chemical operations2 and1 upon more than
 one occasion1 it is said that he       
produced an explosion1 which put the    
,doctor1 and all his glass bottles1 in  
jeopardy4 ,this boy ,humphry is         
incorrigible6--,was there ever so idle a
 dog6--,he will blow us all into the    
air6 ,such were the constant            
exclamations of ,mr4 ,tonkin2 and then1 
in a jocose strain1 he would speak of   
him as the ,philosopher1 and sometimes  

call him ,sir ,humphry1 as if prophetic 
of his future renown4#h    #h ,davy     
appears to have been more fortunate than
 his prototype   ,scheele2 for on one   
occasion1 as the latter was employed in 
making pyrophorus1 a fellow apprentice1 
without his knowledge1   put some       
fulminating powder into the mixture2 the
 consequence was   a violent explosion2 
the whole family was thrown into        
confusion1   and the young chemist was  
severely chastised4  ,his sister has    
remarked that1 as he advanced in life1  
he always preferred the society of      
persons older than himself2 and one of  
his contemporaries informs me that he   
never heard him allude to any subject of
 science1 although he remembers that    
while one of his pockets was filled with
 fishing-tackle1 the other was as       
commonly loaded with specimens of rocks4
 ,with those1 however1 who were superior
 to him in years1 he delighted to enter 
into discussion4 ,at ,penzance1 there   
still resides a member of the ,society  

of ,friends1 whose ingenuity entitles   
him to greater rewards than a provincial
 town can afford1 with whom ,davy1 as a 
boy1 was in the constant habit of       
discussing questions of practical       
mechanics4 ,i tell thee what1 ,humphry1 
exclaimed the ,quaker upon one of these 
occasions--thou art the most quibbling  
hand at a dispute ,i ever met with in my
 life4  ,for the surgical department of 
the profession1 he always entertained a 
decided distaste1 although the following
 extract from a letter of my            
correspondent ,mr4 ,le ,grice will show 
that1 for once at least1 he had the     
merit of mending a broken head4 ,the    
first time ,i ever saw ,davy was on the 
,battery rocks2 we were alone bathing1  
and he pointed out to me a good place   
for diving2 at the same time he talked  
about the tides1 and ,sir ,isaac        
,newton1 in a manner that greatly amazed
 me4 ,i perhaps should not have so      
distinctly remembered him1 but on the   
following day1 by not exactly marking   

the spot he had pointed out1 ,i was     
nearly killed by diving on a rock1 and  
he came as ,mr4 ,borlase's assistant to 
dress the wound4  ,it was his great     
delight to ramble along the sea-shore1  
and often1 like the orator of ,athens1  
would he on such occasions declaim      
against the howling of the wind and     
waves1 with a view to overcome a defect 
in his voice1 which1 although only      
slightly perceptible in his maturer age1
 was in the days of his boyhood         
exceedingly discordant4 ,i may be       
allowed to observe1 that the peculiar   
intonation he employed in his public    
addresses1 and which rendered him       
obnoxious to the charge of affectation1 
was to be referred to a laborious effort
 to conceal this natural infirmity4 ,it 
was also clear that he was deficient in 
that quality which is commonly called a 
good ear1 and with which the modulation 
of the voice is generally acknowledged  
to have an obvious connexion4 ,those who
 knew him intimately will readily bear  

testimony to this fact4 ,whenever he was
 deeply absorbed in a chemical research1
 it was his habit to hum some tune1 if  
such it could be called1 for it was     
impossible for any one to discover the  
air he intended to sing3 indeed1 ,davy's
 music became a subject of raillery     
amongst his friends2 and ,mr4 ,children 
informs me1 that1 during an excursion1  
they attempted to teach him the air of  
',god save the ,king1' but their efforts
 were unavailing4  ,it may be a question
 how far the following fact1 with which 
,i have just been made acquainted1      
admits of explanation upon this         
principle4 ,on entering a volunteer     
infantry corps1 commanded by a ,captain 
,oxnam1 ,davy could never emerge from   
the awkward squad2 no pains could make  
him keep the step2 and those who were so
 unfortunate as to stand before him in  
the ranks1 ought to have been heroes    
invulnerable in the heel4 ,this         
incapacity1 as may be readily supposed1 
occasioned him considerable annoyance1  

and he engaged a serjeant to give him   
private lessons1 but it was all to no   
purpose4 ,in the platoon exercise he was
 not more expert2 and he whose electric 
battery was destined to triumph over the
 animosity of nations1 could never be   
taught to shoulder a musket in his      
native town4  ,that ,davy1 in his youth1
 possessed courage and decision1 may be 
inferred from the circumstance of his   
having1 upon receiving a bite from a dog
 supposed to be rabid1 taken his        
pocket-knife1 and without the least     
hesitation cut out the part on the spot1
 and then retired into the surgery and  
cauterized the wound2 an operation which
 confined him to ,mr4 ,tonkin's house   
for three weeks4 ,the gentleman from    
whom ,i received an account of this     
adventure1 the accuracy of which has    
been since confirmed by ,davy's sister1 
also told me1 that he had frequently    
heard him declare his disbelief in the  
existence of pain whenever the energies 
of the mind were directed to counteract 

it2 but he added1 ,i very shortly       
afterwards had an opportunity of        
witnessing a practical refutation of    
this doctrine in his own person2 for    
upon being bitten by a conger eel1 my   
young friend ,humphry roared out most   
lustily4  ,the anecdote of ,davy's      
excising the bitten part with so much   
promptitude and coolness1 derives its   
interest from the age and inexperience  
of the operator4 ,in the course of his  
practice1 every physician must have met 
with similar cases of stern decision2   
but ,i will venture to say that they    
have never occurred except in instances 
of persons of acknowledged courage4 ,not
 many days since1 a veteran officer1    
distinguished for the intrepidity with  
which he rescued the person of ,george  
the ,third from the fury of a desperate 
mob1 in ,st4 ,james's ,park1 informed me
 that he had formerly been bitten at    
,vienna by a dog afterwards ascertained 
to have been rabid2 he immediately      
entered a blacksmith's shop1 and by     

threats compelled the person at the     
forge to heat an iron red-hot1 and burn 
his leg to the bone4 ,the blacksmith1   
after first stipulating that he should  
strap his eccentric customer to the     
anvil1 reluctantly complied2 and my     
friend showed me a scar which           
sufficiently testified the complete     
manner in which the son of ,vulcan had  
performed his engagement3--,but to      
return from this digression4  ,at this  
time of day1 no one can surely believe  
with ,pope1 that a ,ruling ,passion is  
an innate and irresistible affection    
antecedent to reason and observation3 on
 the contrary1 ample experience has led 
us to the conclusion1 that              
----men's judgments are     ,a parcel of
 their fortunes1 and things outward     
,do draw the inward quality after them4 
,the prevailing bias of great minds may 
thus be often traced to some accidental1
 and apparently trivial1 impression in  
early life2 and the acute biographer1 in
 the course of his observations1 will   

continually discover traits of character
 that are readily referable to such a   
source1 even as in the magical colouring
 of ,rembrandt's works1 the practised   
eye will recognize the chiaro-oscuro of 
his father's mill1 in which the artist  
passed his hours of childhood4  ,in like
 manner1 that marked aversion to        
arbitrary power1 which ever             
distinguished the actions and writings  
of ,dr4 ,franklin1 has by himself been  
referred to the sense of injustice early
 imprinted upon his mind by the severe  
and tyrannical conduct of his elder     
brother2 while1 at the same time1 he    
tells us that he was indebted for his   
habit through life1 of forming just     
estimates of the value of things1 to his
 having1 at the age of seven years1 paid
 too much for his whistle4  ,but        
circumstances1 however disposed and     
happily combined1 although they may     
direct1 can never create genius2 it is  
possible that ,cowley might never have  
been enamoured of the ,muses1 nor ,sir  

,joshua ,reynolds have courted the      
,graces1 but for the casual             
circumstances recorded by the           
biographer2 and ,ferguson might not have
 turned his attention to mechanical     
inventions1 had not an accident befallen
 the roof of his father's cottage2 and  
even ,priestley1 the founder of a new   
and beautiful department in science1    
might very probably never have been led 
to think of pneumatic chemistry1 had he 
not lived in the vicinity of a great    
brewery3 still1 however1 such men could 
not have shone dimly1 if true genius be 
correctly defined by ,dr4 ,johnson as a 
mind of large general powers            
accidentally determined to some         
particular direction4#i--,so with ,davy2
 his mind was as vigorous as it was     
original1 and no less logical and       
precise than it was daring and          
comprehensive2 nothing was too mighty   
for its grasp1 nothing too minute for   
its observation2 like the trunk of the  
elephant1 it could tear up the oak of   

the forest1 or gently pluck the acorn   
from its branch4    #i ,m4 de           
,bourrienne1 in his ,private ,memoirs of
 ,napoleon   ,buonaparte1 appears to    
have justly appreciated the influence   
of circumstances upon the destinies of  
great men4 ,in speaking   of ,buonaparte
 at the ,military ,college of ,brienne1 
he says1 ,if   the monks1 to whom the   
superintendence of the establishment was
   confided1 had engaged more able      
mathematical professors1 or if   we had 
had any excitement to the study of      
,chemistry1 or ,natural   ,philosophy1  
,i am convinced that ,buonaparte would  
have pursued   those sciences with all  
the genius and spirit of investigation1 
which he displayed in a career more     
brilliant1 it is true1 but   far less   
useful to mankind4  ,that circumstances 
in early life should have directed such 
energies to a science1 which requires   
for its advancement all the aids of     
novel and bold1 and yet patient and     
accurate research1 is one of those      

fortunate events which every            
unprejudiced mind will view with        
triumph4  ,it is surely not difficult to
 understand how it happened that a mind 
endowed with the genius and             
sensibilities of ,davy1 should have been
 directed to the study of ,chemistry and
 ,mineralogy1 when we consider the      
nature and scenery of the country in    
which accident had placed him4 ,many of 
his friends and associates must have    
been connected with mining speculations3
 ,shafts1 ,cross ,courses1 and ,lodes1  
were words familiarised to his ears2 and
 his native love of enquiry could not   
have long suffered them to remain       
strangers to his understanding4 ,nor    
could he have wandered along the rocky  
coast1 or have reposed for a moment to  
contemplate its wild scenery1 without   
being invited to geological enquiry by  
the genius of the place2 for were we to 
personify the science1 where could we   
find a more appropriate spot for her    
local habitation8 ,how often when a boy1

 said ,davy to me1 on my showing him a  
drawing of the wild rock scenery of     
,botallack ,mine1 have ,i wandered about
 those rocks in search of new minerals1 
and1 when fatigued1 sat down upon the   
turf1 and exercised my fancy in         
anticipations of scientific renown6     
,such scenery1 also1 in one who         
possessed a quick sensibility to the    
sublime forms of ,nature1 was well      
calculated to kindle that enthusiasm    
which is so essential to poetical       
genius2 and we accordingly learn1 that  
he became enamoured of the ,muses at a  
very early age1 and evinced his passion 
by several poetical productions4 ,i am  
assured by ,dr4 ,batten that1 at the age
 of twelve years1 he had finished an    
epic poem1 which he entitled the        
,tydidiad1 from its celebrating the     
adventures of ,diomede on his return    
from the ,trojan war4 ,it is much to be 
regretted that not even a fragment of   
this poem should have been preserved2   
but ,dr4 ,batten well remembers that it 

was characterised by great freedom of   
invention1 vigour of description1 and   
wildness of execution4  ,at the age of  
seventeen he became desperately         
enamoured of a young ,french lady1 at   
that time resident at ,penzance1 to whom
 he addressed numerous sonnets2 but     
these1 like the passion that produced   
them1 have long since been extinct4     
,several of his minor productions were  
printed in a work entitled the ,annual  
,anthology1 published in three volumes  
at ,bristol1 in #agii2 two of which were
 edited by ,southey1 and one by ,james  
,tobin2--a work of some curiosity1      
independent of its merits1 as the first 
attempt in this country to establish an 
,annual1 a species of literary          
composition which has lately been made  
very popular and amusing4  ,these       
volumes have now become extremely       
scarce1 for which1 and other reasons1 ,i
 have thought it right to place ,davy's 
productions on record in these memoirs2 
for although they are marked by the     

common faults of youthful poets1 they   
still bear the stamp of lofty genius4   
,there is1 besides1 a vein of           
philosophical contemplation running     
through their composition1 which may be 
considered as indicating the future     
character and pursuit of their author2  
an ardent aspiration after fame seems1  
even at this early period1 to have been 
felt in all its force1 and is expressed 
in many striking and beautiful passages4
  ,there is still a higher motive by    
which ,i am induced to introduce these  
specimens into my memoir1 that of       
showing the bias of his genius at this  
early period1 with a view to compare it 
with that which displayed itself in the 
last days of the philosopher4 ,we shall 
find that the bright and rosy hues of   
fancy which gilded the morning of his   
life1 and were subdued or chased away by
 the more resplendent light of maturer  
age1 again glowed forth in the evening  
of his days1 and illumined the setting1 
as they had the dawning of his genius4  

,his first production bears the date of 
#agie1 and is entitled   ,,the ,,sons   
,,of ,,genius4      ,bright bursting    
through the awful veil of night         
,the lunar beams upon the ,ocean play1  
,the watery billows shine with trembling
 light1       ,where the swift breezes  
skim along the sea4      ,the glimmering
 stars in yon ethereal plain       ,grow
 pale1 and fade before the lucid beams1 
,save where fair ,venus1 shining o'er   
the main       ,conspicuous1 still with 
fainter radiance gleams4      ,clear is 
the azure firmament above1       ,save  
where the white cloud floats upon the   
breeze1     ,all tranquil is the bosom  
of the grove1       ,save where the     
,zephyr warbles through the trees4      
,now the poor shepherd wandering to his 
home       ,surveys the darkening scene 
with fearful eye1     ,on every green   
sees little elfins roam1       ,and     
haggard sprites along the moonbeams fly4
      ,while ,superstition rules the    
vulgar soul1       ,forbids the energies

 of man to rise1     ,raised far above  
her low1 her mean controul1             
,aspiring ,genius seeks her native      
skies4      ,she loves the silent       
solitary hours1       ,she loves the    
stillness of the starry night1     ,when
 o'er the brightening view ,selene pours
       ,the soft effulgence of her      
pensive light4      ',tis then disturb'd
 not by the glare of day2       ,to mild
 tranquillity alone resign'd1           
,reason extends her animating sway      
,o'er the calm empire of the peaceful   
mind4      ,before her lucid1           
all-enlightening ray1       ,the pallid 
spectres of the ,night retire1     ,she 
drives the gloomy terrors far away1     
,and fills the bosom with celestial     
fire4      ,inspired by her1 the ,sons  
of ,genius rise       ,above all earthly
 thoughts1 all vulgar care2     ,wealth1
 power1 and grandeur they alike despise1
       ,enraptured by the good1 the     
great1 the fair4      ,a thousand       
varying joys to them belong--       ,the

 charms of ,nature and her changeful    
scenes2     ,their's is the music of the
 vernal song1       ,and their's the    
colours of the vernal plains4           
,their's is the purple-tinged evening   
ray1       ,with all the radiance of the
 morning sky2     ,their's is the       
splendour of the risen day1             
,enshrined in glory by the sun's bright 
eye4      ,for them the ,zephyr fans the
 odorous gale1       ,for them the      
warbling streamlet softly flows1        
,for them the ,dryads shade the verdant 
vale1       ,to them sweet ,philomel    
attunes her woes4      ,to them no      
wakeful moonbeam shines in vain         
,on the dark bosom of the trackless     
wood1     ,sheds its mild radiance o'er 
the desert plain1       ,or softly      
glides along the chrystal flood4        
,yet not alone delight the soft and     
fair1       ,alike the grander scenes of
 ,nature move2     ,yet not alone her   
beauties claim their care1       ,the   
great1 sublime1 and terrible1 they love4

      ,the ,sons of ,nature1 they alike 
delight       ,in the rough precipice's 
broken steep1     ,in the black terrors 
of the stormy night1       ,and in the  
thunders of the threatening deep4       
,when the red lightnings through the    
ether fly1       ,and the white foaming 
billows lash the shores2     ,when to   
the rattling thunders of the sky        
,the angry ,demon of the waters roars2  
,and when1 untouch'd by ,nature's living
 fires1       ,no native rapture fills  
the drowsy soul2     ,then former ages1 
with their tuneful lyres1       ,can bid
 the fury of the passions fall4      ,by
 the blue taper's melancholy light1     
,whilst all around the midnight torrents
 pour1     ,and awful glooms beset the  
face of ,night1       ,they wear the    
silent solitary hour4      ,ah1 then1   
how sweet to pass the night away        
,in silent converse with the ,grecian   
page6     ,whilst ,homer tunes his      
ever-living lay1       ,or reason       
listens to th' ,athenian sage2      ,to 

scan the laws of ,nature1 to explore    
,the tranquil reign of mild ,philosophy2
     ,or on ,newtonian wings sublime to 
soar       ,through the bright regions  
of the starry sky4      ,ah6 who can    
paint what raptures fill the soul       
,when ,attic ,freedom rises to the war1 
,bids the loud thunders of the battle   
roll1       ,and drives the tyrant      
trembling from her shore6      ,from    
these pursuits the ,sons of ,genius scan
       ,the end of their creation2 hence
 they know     ,the fair1 sublime1      
immortal hopes of man1       ,from      
whence alone undying pleasures glow4    
,by ,science calm'd1 over the peaceful  
soul1       ,bright with eternal        
,wisdom's lucid ray1     ,peace1 meek of
 eye1 extends her soft controul1        
,and drives the fury ,passions far away4
      ,virtue1 the daughter of the skies
 supreme1       ,directs their life1    
informs their glowing lays--     ,a     
steady friend2 her animating beam       
,sheds its soft lustre o'er their latter

 days4      ,when life's warm fountains 
feel the frost of time2       ,when the 
cold dews of darkness close their eyes1 
,she shows the parting soul1 upraised   
sublime1       ,the brighter glories of 
her kindred skies4      ,thus the pale  
,moon1 whose pure celestial light       
,has chased the gloomy clouds of ,heaven
 away1     ,rests her white cheek1 with 
silver radiance bright1       ,on the   
soft bosom of the ,western sea4         
,lost in the glowing wave1 her radiance 
dies2       ,yet1 while she sinks1 she  
points her ling'ring ray     ,to the    
bright azure of the orient skies--      
,to the fair dawning of the glorious    
day4      ,like the tumultuous billows  
of the sea       ,succeed the           
generations of mankind2     ,some in    
oblivious silence pass away1       ,and 
leave no vestige of their lives behind4 
,others1 like those proud waves which   
beat the shore1       ,a loud and       
momentary murmur raise2     ,but soon   
their transient glories are no more1--  

,no future ages echo with their praise4 
,like yon proud rocks amidst the sea of 
time1       ,superior1 scorning all the 
billows' rage1     ,the living ,sons of 
,genius stand sublime1       ,th'       
immortal children of another age4       
,for those exist whose pure ethereal    
minds1       ,imbibing portions of      
celestial day1     ,scorn all           
terrestrial cares1 all mean designs1    
,as bright-eyed eagles scorn the lunar  
ray4      ,their's is the glory of a    
lasting name1       ,the meed of ,genius
 and her living fires1     ,their's is  
the laurel of eternal fame1       ,and  
their's the sweetness of the ,muse's    
lyres4      ,d4--#agie4   ,,the ,,song  
,,of ,,pleasure4          ,the genial   
influence of the day         ,had chased
 the lingering cold away2         ,borne
 upon the ,zephyr's wing1               
,sweetly smiled the radiant ,spring3    
,her mild re-animating breath           
,wakes ,nature from her wintry death2   
,attended by the laughing ,hours1       

,she rises clad in flowers1         ,and
 lightly as she trips along1            
,the vernal warblers raise the song4    
,rich in a thousand radiant dyes1       
,around her steps the flow'rets rise1   
,the ,zephyr sports1 the sunbeams sleep 
,on the blue bosom of the deep4         
,and now1 within my throbbing breast    
,i feel the influence of the ,spring1   
,to ecstasy ,i tune my string1          
,and garlanded with odorous flowers1    
,i hasted to the shady grove1         ,i
 hasted to the roseate bowers           
,where ,pleasure dwells with ,love4     
,there ,youth1 and ,love1 and ,beauty1  
bound         ,the glowing rose my harp 
around2         ,then to the daughter of
 ,desire1         ,to bright-eyed       
,pleasure gave the lyre3                
,she tuned the string1       ,and       
smiling softer than the rosy sea1       
,when the young ,morning blushes on her 
breast1       ,she raised the raptured  
lay1             ,i heard her sing1     
,the song lull'd every care and every   

thought to rest4          ,sons of      
,nature1 hither haste1         ,the     
blessings of existence taste2           
,listen to my friendly lay1         ,and
 your cares shall fly away1             
,quick as fly the wintry snows          
,when the vernal ,zephyr blows4         
,let others1 courting war's alarms1     
,seek the bloody field of arms2         
,let others1 with undaunted soul1       
,bid ,bellona's thunders roll2          
,from the lightnings of their eye       
,let the trembling squadrons fly2       
,sons of ,nature1 you shall prove       
,a softer fight1 the fight of love4     
,while you in soft repose are laid      
,underneath the myrtle shade1           
,amid the murky glooms of ,death1       
,the sons of battle pant for breath4    
,let the philosophic sage1         ,his 
silver tresses white with age1          
,amid the chilling midnight damp1       
,waste the solitary lamp1         ,to   
scan the laws of ,nature o'er1          
,the paths of ,science to explore2      

,curb'd beneath his harsh controul      
,the blissful ,passions fly the soul4   
,you1 the gentler sons of joy1          
,softer studies shall employ6           
,he to curb the ,passions tries1        
,you shall bid them all arise2          
,his wants he wishes to destroy1        
,you shall all your wants enjoy4        
,let the laurel1 ,virtue's meed1        
,crown his age-besilver'd head1         
,the verdant laurel ever grows          
,amid the sullen ,winter's snows3       
,let the rose1 the flower of bliss1     
,the soft unwrinkled temples kiss2      
,fann'd by the ,zephyr's balmy wing1    
,the odorous rose adorns the ,spring4   
,let the ,patriot die1 to raise         
,a lasting monument of praise4          
,ah1 fool1 to tear the glowing rose     
,from the mirth-encircled brows1        
,that around his dusky tomb         ,the
 ever-verdant bay may bloom6            
,let ,ambition's sons alone         ,bow
 around the tottering throne1           
,fly at ,glory's splendid rays1         

,and1 moth-like1 die amidst a blaze2    
,you shall bow1 and bow alone1          
,before delicious ,beauty's throne4     
,lo6 ,theora treads the green1          
,all breathing grace and harmony she    
moves1         ,fair as the mother of   
the ,loves4         ,in graceful        
ringlets floats her golden hair2        
,from the bright azure of her eye       
,expression's liquid lightnings fly4    
,her cheek is fair1         ,fair as the
 lily1 when1 at dawning day1            
,tinged with the morning's bright and   
purple ray1         ,yonder scented     
groves among         ,she will listen to
 your song4          ,in yonder bower   
where roses bloom1         ,where the   
myrtle breathes perfume1         ,you   
shall at your ease recline1         ,and
 sip the soul-enlivening wine2          
,there the lyre1 with melting lay1      
,shall bid the soul dissolve away4      
,soft as the ,morning sheds her purple  
light         ,through the dark azure of
 the ,night1         ,so soft the ,god  

of slumber sheds         ,his roseate   
dews around your heads4          ,such  
the blessings ,i bestow6         ,haste1
 my sons1 these blessings know6         
,behold the flow'rets of the ,spring1   
,they wanton in the ,zephyr's wing1     
,they drink the matin ether blue1       
,they sip the fragrant evening dew4     
,man is but a short-lived flower1       
,his bloom but for a changeful hour6    
,pass a little time away1         ,the  
rosy cheek is turn'd to clay3           
,no living joys1 no transports burn     
,in the dark sepulchral urn1         ,no
 ,laurels crown the fleshless brows1    
,they fade together with the ,rose4     
,d4--#agif4   ,,ode ,,to ,,saint        
,,michael',s ,,mount1 ,,in ,,cornwall4  
,the sober eve with purple bright       
,sheds o'er the hills her tranquil light
       ,in many a lingering ray2        
,the radiance trembles on the deep1     
,where rises rough thy rugged steep1    
,old ,michael1 from the sea4            
,around thy base1 in azure pride1       

,flows the silver-crested tide1         
,in gently winding waves2     ,the      
,zephyr creeps thy cliffs around1--     
,thy cliffs1 with whispering ivy        
crown'd1       ,and murmurs in thy      
caves4      ,majestic steep6 ,ah1 yet ,i
 love1     ,with many a lingering step1 
to rove       ,thy ivied rocks among2   
,thy ivied1 wave-beat rocks recall      
,the former pleasures of my soul1       
,when life was gay and young4           
,enthusiasm1 ,nature's child1     ,here 
sung to me her wood-songs wild1         
,all warm with native fire2     ,i felt 
her soul-awakening flame1     ,it bade  
my bosom burn for fame1--       ,it bade
 me strike the lyre4      ,soft as the  
,morning sheds her light     ,through   
the dark azure of the ,night            
,along the tranquil sea2     ,so soft   
the bright-eyed ,fancy shed     ,her    
rapturing dreams around my head1        
,and drove my cares away4      ,when the
 white ,moon with glory crown'd1        
,the azure of the sky around1       ,her

 silver radiance shed2     ,when shone  
the waves with trembling light1     ,and
 slept the lustre palely bright         
,upon thy tower-clad head2      ,then   
,,beauty bade my pleasure flow1--       
,then ,,beauty bade my bosom glow1      
,with mild and gentle fire6     ,then   
,mirth1 and ,cheerfulness1 and ,love1   
,around my soul were wont to move1      
,and thrill'd upon my lyre4      ,but   
when the ,demon of the deep     ,howl'd 
around thy rocky steep1       ,and bade 
the tempests rise1--     ,bade the white
 foaming billows roar1     ,and         
murmuring dash the rocky shore1         
,and mingle with the skies2      ,ah1   
then my soul was raised on high1        
,and felt the glow of ecstasy1          
,with great emotions fill'd2     ,thus  
,joy and ,terror reign'd by turns1      
,and now with ,,love the bosom burns1   
,and now by ,,fear is chill'd4          
,thus to the sweetest dreams resign'd1  
,the fairy ,,fancy ruled my mind1       
,and shone upon my youth2     ,but now1 

to awful ,reason given1     ,i leave her
 dear ideal heaven       ,to hear the   
voice of ,,truth4      ,she claims my   
best1 my loftiest song1     ,she leads a
 brighter maid along--       ,,divine   
,,philosophy1     ,who bids the mounting
 soul assume     ,immortal ,wisdom's    
eagle plume1       ,and penetrating eye1
      ,above ,delusion's dusky maze1    
,above deceitful ,fancy's ways1         
,with roses clad to rise2     ,to view a
 gleam of purest light     ,bursting    
through ,nature's misty night1--        
,the radiance of the skies4             
,d4--#agif4   ,,the ,,tempest4      ,the
 ,tempest has darken'd the face of the  
skies1       ,the winds whistle wildly  
across the waste plain1     ,the ,fiends
 of the whirlwind terrific arise1       
,and mingle the clouds with the         
white-foaming main4      ,all dark is   
the night1 and all gloomy the shore1    
,save when the red lightnings the ether 
divide1     ,then follows the thunder   
with loud-sounding roar1       ,and     

echoes in concert the billowy tide4     
,but though now all is murky and shaded 
with gloom1       ,hope1 the soother1   
soft whispers the tempests shall cease2 
,then ,nature again in her beauty shall 
bloom1       ,and enamour'd embrace the 
fair sweet-smiling ,peace2      ,for the
 bright-blushing morning1 all rosy with 
light1       ,shall convey on her wings 
the ,creator of day2     ,he shall drive
 all the tempests and terrors of night1 
,and ,nature enliven'd1 again shall be  
gay4      ,then the warblers of ,spring 
shall attune the soft lay1       ,and   
again the bright flow'ret shall blush in
 the vale2     ,on the breast of the    
,ocean the ,zephyr shall play1          
,and the sunbeam shall sleep on the hill
 and the dale4      ,if the tempests of 
,nature so soon sink to rest--       ,if
 her once-faded beauties so soon glow   
again1     ,shall ,man be for ever by   
tempests oppress'd1       ,by the       
tempests of passion1 of sorrow1 and     
pain8      ,ah1 no6 for his passions and

 sorrow shall cease       ,when the     
troublesome fever of life shall be o'er2
     ,in the night of the grave he shall
 slumber in peace1       ,and passion   
and sorrow shall vex him no more4       
,and shall not this night and its long  
dismal gloom1       ,like the night of  
the tempest1 again pass away8     ,yes6 
the dust of the earth in bright beauty  
shall bloom1       ,and rise to the     
morning of heavenly day6                
,d4--#agif4   ,,extract ,,from ,,an     
,,unfinished ,,poem ,,on ,,mount',s     
,,bay4      ,mild blows the ,zephyr o'er
 the ,ocean dark1     ,the ,zephyr      
wafting the grey twilight clouds        
,across the waves1 to drink the solar   
rays     ,and blush with purple4        
,by the orient gleam     ,whitening the 
foam of the blue wave that breaks       
,around his granite feet1 but dimly     
seen1     ,majestic ,michael rises4 ,he 
whose brow     ,is crown'd with castles1
 and whose rocky sides     ,are clad    
with dusky ivy3 he whose base1     ,beat

 by the storm of ages1 stands unmoved   
,amidst the wreck of things1 the change 
of time4     ,that base encircled by the
 azure waves1     ,was once with verdure
 clad3 the tow'ring oaks     ,there     
waved their branches green1--the sacred 
oaks     ,whose awful shades among1 the 
,druids stray'd     ,to cut the hallow'd
 miseltoe1 and hold     ,high converse  
with their ,gods4                       
,on yon rough crag1     ,where the wild 
,tamarisk whistles to the sea blast1    
,the ,druid's harp was heard1 swept by  
the breeze     ,to softest music1 or to 
grander tones     ,awaken'd by the awful
 master's hand4     ,those tones shall  
sound no more6 the rushing waves1       
,raised from the vast ,atlantic1 have   
o'erwhelm'd     ,the sacred groves4 ,and
 deep the ,druids lie     ,in the dark  
mist-clad sea of former time4     ,ages 
had pass'd away1 the stony altar        
,was white with moss1 when on its rugged
 base     ,dire ,superstition raised the
 gothic fane1     ,and monks and priests

 existed4                               
,on the sea     ,the sunbeams tremble2  
and the purple light     ,illumes the   
dark ,bolerium1#aj seat of storms4      
,high are his granite rocks4 ,his       
frowning brow     ,hangs o'er the       
smiling ,ocean4 ,in his caves     ,th'  
,atlantic breezes murmur4 ,in his caves1
     ,where sleep the haggard ,spirits  
of the storm1     ,wild dreary are the  
schistine#aa rocks around     ,encircled
 by the wave1 where to the breeze       
,the haggard ,cormorant shrieks4 ,and   
far beyond     ,are seen the cloud-like 
,islands1 grey in mists4#ab      ,thy   
awful height1 ,bolerium1 is not loved   
,by busy ,man1 and no one wanders there 
,save he who follows ,nature1--he who   
seeks     ,amidst thy crags and         
storm-beat rocks to find     ,the marks 
of changes teaching the great laws      
,that raised the globe from chaos2 or he
 whose soul     ,is warm with fire      
poetic1--he who feels     ,when ,nature 
smiles in beauty1 or sublime     ,rises 

in majesty1--he who can stand           
,unawed upon thy summit1 clad in        
tempests1     ,and view with raptured   
mind the roaring deep     ,rise o'er thy
 foam-clad base1 while the black cloud  
,bursts with the fire of ,heaven--      
,he whose heart     ,is warm with love  
and mercy1--he whose eye     ,drops the 
bright tear when anxious ,fancy paints  
,upon his mind the image of the ,maid1  
,the blue-eyed ,maid who died beneath   
thy surge4     ,where yon dark cliff#ac 
o'ershadows the blue main1     ,,theora 
died amidst the stormy waves1     ,and  
on its feet the sea-dews wash'd her     
corpse1     ,and the wild breath of     
storms shook her black locks4     ,young
 was ,,theora2 bluer was her eye        
,than the bright azure of the moonlight 
night2     ,fair was her cheek as is the
 ocean cloud     ,red with the morning  
ray4                                    
,amidst the groves1     ,and greens1 and
 nodding rocks that overhang     ,the   
grey ,killarney1 pass'd her morning days

     ,bright with the beams of joy4     
,to solitude1     ,to ,nature1 and to   
,god1 she gave her youth2     ,hence    
were her passions tuned to harmony4     
,her azure eye oft glisten'd with the   
tear     ,of sensibility1 and her soft  
cheek     ,glow'd with the blush of     
rapture4 ,hence1 she loved     ,to      
wander 'midst the green-wood1 silver'd  
o'er     ,by the bright moonbeam4       
,hence1 she loved the rocks     ,crown'd
 with the nodding ivy1 and the lake     
,fair with the purple morning1 and the  
sea     ,expansive mingling with the    
arched sky4     ,kindled by ,genius1 in 
her bosom glow'd     ,the sacred fire of
 ,freedom4 ,hence1 she scorn'd     ,the 
narrow laws of custom that control      
,her feeble sex4 ,great in her energies1
     ,she roam'd the fields of ,nature1 
scann'd the laws     ,that move the     
ruling atoms1 changing still1     ,still
 rising into life4 ,her eagle eye1      
,piercing the blue immensity of space1  
,held converse with the lucid sons of   

,heaven1     ,the day-stars of creation1
 or pursued     ,the dusky planets      
rolling round the ,sun1     ,and        
drinking in his radiance light and life4
     ,such was the ,maiden6 ,such was   
she who fled     ,her native shores4    
,dark in the midnight cloud1     ,when  
the wild blast upon its pinions bore    
,the dying shrieks of ,erin's injured   
sons1#ad     ,she 'scaped the murderer's
 arm4                                   
,the ,british bark     ,bore her across 
the ocean4 ,from the ,west     ,the     
whirlwind rose1 the fire-fraught clouds 
of ,heaven     ,were mingled with the   
wave4 ,the shatter'd bark     ,sunk at  
thy feet1 ,bolerium1 and the white surge
     ,closed on green ,erin's daughter4 
#aj ,the ,land's ,end in ,cornwall4     
#aa ,the granite of ,cornwall is        
generally found incumbent on   primitive
 schistus4 ,this is the case in many of 
the cliffs at   the ,land's ,end4 ,the  
upper stratum is composed of granite1   
the   lower with the surrounding rocks  

of schistus4 ,d4    #ab ,the ,islands of
 ,scilly4    #ac ,a rock near the       
,land's ,end1 called the ',irish ,lady4'
    #ad ,the ,irish ,lady was           
shipwrecked at the ,land's ,end1 about  
the   time of the massacre of the ,irish
 ,protestants by the ,catholics1   in   
the reign of ,charles the ,first4  ,that
 the ,genius who presided over the      
destinies of ,davy should have torn him 
from these flowery regions of ,fancy1   
and condemned him to labour in the dusky
 caverns of the mineral kingdom1 has    
furnished a fruitful theme of           
lamentation to the band of ,poets1 and  
to those who prefer the amusements to   
the profits of life1 and who cherish the
 hallucinations of the imagination      
rather than the truths of science4 ,if1 
however1 we regret that ,davy's ,muse1  
like ,proserpine1 should have been thus 
violently seized1 and carried off to the
 lower regions1 as she was weaving her  
native wild flowers into a garland1 we  
may console ourselves in knowing that1  

like the daughter of ,ceres1 she also   
obtained the privilege of occasionally  
revisiting her native bowers2 for it    
will appear in the course of these      
memoirs1 that in the intervals of more  
abstruse studies1 ,davy not unfrequently
 amused himself with poetical           
composition4 ,but1 in sober truth1 is it
 possible that any reasonable being can 
regret the course in which he has been  
impelled8 ,a great poetic ,genius has   
said1 ,if ,davy had not been the first  
,chemist1 he would have been the first  
,poet of his age4 ,upon this question ,i
 do not feel myself a competent judge3  
but where is the modern ,esau who would 
exchange his ,bakerian ,lecture for a   
poem1 though it should equal in design  
and execution the ,,paradise ,,lost8    
,as far as can be ascertained1 one of   
the first original experiments in       
,chemistry performed by him at          
,penzance1 was for the purpose of       
discovering the quality of the air      
contained in the bladders of sea-weed1  

in order to obtain results in support of
 a favourite theory of light2 and to    
ascertain whether1 as land vegetables   
are the renovators of the atmosphere of 
land-animals1 sea-vegetables might not  
be the preservers of the equilibrium of 
the atmosphere of the ocean4 ,from these
 experiments he concluded1 that the     
different orders of the marine          
,cryptogamia were capable of decomposing
 water1 when assisted by the attraction 
of light for oxygen4  ,his instruments1 
however1 were of the rudest description1
 manufactured by himself out of the     
motley materials which chance threw in  
his way2 the pots and pans of the       
kitchen1 and even the more sacred       
vessels and professional instruments of 
the surgery1 were without the least     
hesitation or remorse put in            
requisition4  ,while upon this subject1 
,i will relate an anecdote which was    
communicated to me by my late venerable 
friend ,mr4 ,thomas ,giddy4#ae ,a       
,french vessel having been wrecked off  

the ,land's ,end1 the surgeon escaped1  
and found his way to ,penzance2 accident
 brought him acquainted with ,humphry   
,davy1 who showed him many civilities1  
and in return received1 as a present    
from the surgeon1 a case of instruments 
which had been saved from the ship4 ,the
 contents were eagerly turned out and   
examined by the young chemist1 not1     
however1 with any professional view as  
to their utility1 but in order to       
ascertain how far they might be         
convertible to experimental purposes4   
,the old-fashioned and clumsy glyster   
apparatus was viewed with exultation1   
and seized in triumph6--,what reverses  
may not be suddenly effected by a simple
 accident6 so says the moralist4        
,reader1 behold an illustration3--in the
 brief space of an hour1 did this       
long-neglected and unobtrusive machine1 
emerging from its obscurity and         
insignificance1 figure away in all the  
pomp and glory of a complicated piece of
 pneumatic apparatus3 nor did its       

fortunes end here2 it was destined for  
greater things2 and we shall hereafter  
learn that it actually performed the    
duties of an air-pump1 in an original   
experiment on the nature and sources of 
heat4 ,the most humble means may        
certainly accomplish the highest ends3  
the filament of a spider's web has been 
used to measure the motions of the      
stars2 and a kite1 made with two cross  
sticks and a silk handkerchief1 enabled 
the chemical ,prometheus to rob the     
thunder-cloud of its lightnings2 but    
that a worn-out instrument1 such as has 
been just described1 should have        
furnished him who was born to           
revolutionize the science of the age1   
with the only means of enquiry at that  
time within his reach1 affords1 it must 
be admitted1 a very whimsical           
illustration of our maxim4    #ae ,i    
cannot allude to this name1 without     
paying a tribute of   respect to the    
memory of one who1 for more than half a 
century1   practised the profession of a

 surgeon in ,penzance with as much      
credit to himself1 as advantage to his  
neighbourhood4  ,nor can we pass over   
these circumstances1 without observing  
how materially they must have influenced
 the subsequent success of ,davy as an  
experimentalist4 ,had he1 at the        
commencement of his career1 been        
furnished with all those appliances     
which he enjoyed at a later period1 it  
is more than probable that he might     
never have acquired that wonderful tact 
of manipulation1 that ability of        
suggesting expedients1 and of contriving
 apparatus so as to meet and surmount   
the difficulties which must ever beset  
the philosopher in the unbeaten tracks  
of ,science4 ,in this art1 he certainly 
stands unrivalled1 and1 like his        
prototype ,scheele1#af or that pioneer  
of pneumatic experimentalists1 ,dr4     
,priestley1#ag he was unquestionably    
indebted for his address to the         
circumstances above related4 ,there     
never1 perhaps1 was a more striking     

exemplification of the adage1 that      
necessity is the parent of invention4   
#af ,bergman1 ,professor of ,upsal1 was 
informed of a young man who   resided in
 the house of an apothecary1 and who was
 reproached   for neglecting the duties 
of his profession1 while he devoted     
the whole of his time to ,chemistry4    
,bergman's curiosity was   excited2 he  
paid him a visit1 and was astonished at 
the knowledge   he displayed1 and at the
 profound researches in which he was    
engaged1 notwithstanding the poverty    
under which he laboured1 and   the      
restraint under which his situation     
placed him4 ,he encouraged   his ardour1
 and made him his friend4 ,this young   
man was the   celebrated ,scheele4      
#ag ,no man ever entered upon an        
undertaking with less apparent   means  
of success1 than did ,priestley upon    
that of ,chemistry4   ,he neither       
possessed apparatus1 nor the money to   
procure it4   ,these circumstances1     
which at first sight seem so adverse1   

were   in reality those which           
contributed to his ultimate success4    
,the branch of ,chemistry he selected   
was new2 an apparatus had   to be       
invented before any important step could
 be taken2 and   as simplicity is       
essential in every research1 he was     
likely to   contrive the best whose     
circumstances obliged him to attend to  
economy4  ,it would however appear that1
 imperfect as must have been his        
apparatus1 and limited as were his      
resources1 his ambition very early led  
him to the investigation of the most    
abstruse and recondite phenomena4 ,he   
was not more than seventeen when he     
formed a strong opinion adverse to the  
general belief in the existence of      
caloric1 or the materiality of heat4    
,as ,i shall hereafter have occasion to 
draw a parallel between the intellectual
 qualities of ,davy1 and those of the   
celebrated ,dr4 ,black1 the father of   
modern chemistry1 it may not be         
irrelevant to state1 in this place1 that

 the subject of heat was also amongst   
the first that attracted the attention  
of this latter philosopher2 indeed1 he  
tells us himself1 that he can scarcely  
remember the time1 when he had not some 
idea of the disagreement of facts with  
the commonly received doctrines upon    
this subject4 ,the tendency of his mind1
 however1 was in direct opposition to   
that of ,davy's1 for he insisted upon   
the materiality of heat1 and was the    
first to conceive the bold idea of its  
being capable1 like any other substance1
 of entering into chemical combination  
with various bodies1 and of thus losing 
its characteristic qualities4  ,black's 
theory could not be more opposed to that
 of ,davy than was his conduct upon the 
occasion2 for1 although an experiment   
suggested itself to his mind1 by which1 
as he thought1 he could at once         
establish the truth of his favourite    
doctrine1 he delayed performing it1     
because there did not happen to be an   
ice-house in the town in which he lived4

 ,with ,davy1 on the other hand1 the    
conception and execution of an          
experiment were nearly simultaneous3 no 
sooner1 therefore1 had he formed his    
opinion1 than his eager spirit urged him
 to put it to the test4  ,having        
procured a piece of clock-work1 so      
contrived as to be set to work in an    
exhausted receiver1 he added two        
horizontal plates of brass2 the upper   
one1 carrying a small metallic cup to be
 filled with ice1 revolved in contact   
with the lower one4 ,the whole machine1 
resting on a plate of ice1 was covered  
by a glass receiver1 and the air was    
exhausted by the very syringe1          
ingeniously modified for the purpose1   
with which the reader has already been  
made acquainted3 for1 as yet1 he had no 
air-pump1 and1 what is still more worthy
 of notice1 had never even seen one6    
,the machine was now set in motion1 when
 the ice in the small cup was soon      
observed to melt2 whence he inferred    
that this effect could alone proceed    

from vibratory motion1 since the whole  
apparatus was insulated from all        
accession of material heat1 by the      
frozen mass below1 and by the vacuum    
around it4  ,the experiment was         
afterwards repeated with greater care1  
and by means of a more refined          
apparatus3 it was modified in different 
ways2 and the results were ultimately   
published in an ,essay1 to be hereafter 
noticed1 ,on ,heat1 ,light1 and the     
,combinations of ,light1 which appeared 
in a provincial collection of tracts1   
edited by ,dr4 ,beddoes1 at ,bristol4   
,mr4 ,davies ,gilbert1 in describing the
 above experiment in his late address to
 the ,royal ,society1 very justly       
observed that it does not at all decide 
the important matter in dispute1 with   
respect to an ethereal or transcendental
 fluid2 but that few young men remote   
from the society of persons conversant  
with science1 will present themselves1  
who are capable of devising any thing so
 ingenious4  ,dr4 ,henry1 in a paper    

published in the ,memoirs of the        
,manchester ,society1 on entering into a
 review of this and similar experiments1
 very truly states1 that the mode of    
insulation is not only imperfect1 but   
that1 according to ,count ,rumford1     
caloric will even pass through a        
,torricellian vacuum4  ,the most        
prominent circumstance in the history of
 this period of ,davy's life1 is his    
introduction to ,mr4 ,davies ,giddy1 now
 ,mr4 ,gilbert1 the late distinguished  
and popular ,president of the ,royal    
,society4 ,the manner in which this     
happened is as curious as its result was
 important2 and it furnishes another    
very striking illustration of the power 
of simple accident in directing our     
destinies4 ,mr4 ,gilbert's attention was
 attracted to the future philosopher1 as
 he was carelessly swinging over the    
hatch1 or half gate1 of ,mr4 ,borlase's 
house1 by the humorous contortions into 
which he threw his features4 ,davy1 it  
may be remarked1 when a boy1 possessed a

 countenance which1 even in its natural 
state1 was very far from comely1 while  
his round shoulders1 inharmonious voice1
 and insignificant manner1 were         
calculated to produce any thing rather  
than a favourable impression3 in riper  
years1 he was what might be called      
good-looking1 although1 as a wit of the 
day observed1 his aspect was certainly  
of the ,bucolic character4 ,the change  
which his person underwent1 after his   
promotion to the ,royal ,institution1   
was so rapid1 that1 in the days of      
,herodotus1 it would have been          
attributed to nothing less than the     
miraculous interposition of the         
,priestesses of ,helen4 ,a person1 who  
happened to be walking with ,mr4        
,gilbert upon the occasion alluded to1  
observed that the extraordinary-looking 
boy in question was young ,davy1 the    
,carver's son1 who1 he added1 was said  
to be fond of making chemical           
experiments4 ,chemical experiments6     
exclaimed ,mr4 ,gilbert1 with much      

surprise3 if that be the case1 ,i must  
have some conversation with him4 ,mr4   
,gilbert1 as we all know1 possesses a   
strong perception of character1 and he  
therefore soon discovered ample evidence
 of the boy's singular genius4 ,after   
several interviews1 which confirmed him 
in the opinion he had formed1 he offered
 young ,humphry the use of his library1 
or any other assistance that he might   
require for the pursuit of his studies2 
and at the same time gave him an        
invitation to his house at ,tredrea1 of 
which he frequently availed himself4    
,during one of his visits1 ,mr4 ,gilbert
 accompanied him to ,hayle              
,copper-,house1 and introduced him to   
,dr4 ,edwards1 a gentleman afterwards   
known to the medical profession as the  
chemical lecturer in the school of ,st4 
,bartholomew's ,hospital2 at the time1  
however1 alluded to1 he resided at      
,copper-,house with his father1 and     
possessed a well-appointed laboratory4  
,the tumultuous delight which ,davy     

expressed on seeing1 for the first time1
 a quantity of chemical apparatus1      
hitherto only known to him through the  
medium of engravings1 is described by   
,mr4 ,gilbert as surpassing all         
description4 ,the air-pump more         
especially fixed his attention1 and he  
worked its piston1 exhausted the        
receiver1 and opened its valves1 with   
the simplicity and joy of a child       
engaged in the examination of a new and 
favourite toy4  ,it is a curious        
circumstance1 that the phenomena        
resulting from the contact of iron and  
copper1 in the investigation of which   
,davy was destined to perform so        
prominent a part1 were very early       
noticed by ,mr4 ,edwards in this place2 
who found that the flood-gates in the   
,port of ,hayle decayed with a rapidity 
wholly inexplicable1 but upon the       
supposition of some chemical action     
between the metals which had not yet    
been clearly explained4 ,how little did 
,mr4 ,edwards imagine that the fact1    

which had so powerfully excited his     
curiosity1 would become to the youth    
before him1 a future source of rich and 
honourable discovery6  ,during the      
following year1 an event occurred which 
contributed1 in no small degree1 to the 
advancement of ,davy's prospects4 ,mr4  
,gregory ,watt1 who had long been in a  
declining state of health1 was          
recommended by his physicians to reside 
for some time in the ,west of ,england1 
and he accordingly proceeded at once to 
,penzance1 and took up his abode1 as a  
lodger and boarder1 in the house of     
,mrs4 ,davy4 ,it may be supposed that   
two kindred spirits would not be long in
 contracting an acquaintance with each  
other2 in fact1 an intimacy of the      
warmest nature did ultimately grow up   
between them1 and continue to the very  
moment of ,mr4 ,watt's premature        
dissolution3 the origin and progress of 
their friendship1 however1 are too      
curious to be passed over without some  
notice4  ,mr4 ,gregory ,watt possessed a

 warm and affectionate heart2 but there 
was a solemn1 aristocratic coldness in  
his manner1 which repulsed every        
approach to familiarity4 ,davy1 it has  
been already stated1 did not at that    
time possess any of those               
qualifications1 in person or manner1    
which are calculated to produce         
favourable prepossessions4 ,it may1     
therefore1 be readily imagined how ,mr4 
,watt must have felt1 on finding the son
 of his landlady familiarly addressing  
him on subjects of metaphysics and      
poetry4 ,by one of those strange        
perversions which have so frequently led
 great men to conceal the peculiarity of
 their talents1 and to rest their claims
 to notice and respect upon             
qualifications which they possessed only
 in an inferior degree1 ,davy sought to 
ingratiate himself with ,mr4 ,watt by   
metaphysical discussions2 but1 instead  
of the admiration1 he excited the       
disgust of his hearer4 ,it was by mere  
accident that an allusion was first made

 to chemistry1 when ,davy flippantly    
observed1 that he would undertake to    
demolish the ,french theory in half an  
hour4 ,he had touched the chord3 the    
interest of ,mr4 ,watt was excited1--he 
conversed with ,davy upon his chemical  
pursuits1--he was at once astonished and
 delighted at his sagacity1--the barrier
 of ice was removed1 and they became    
attached friends4  ,mr4 ,wedgwood1 and  
his brother ,thomas1 also spent a winter
 at ,penzance2 and ,i have reason to    
believe that their friendship was of    
substantial benefit to ,davy4  ,before  
,i attend the progress of our           
philosopher to the next scene of life1  
or proceed to detail the circumstances  
connected with his departure from       
,penzance1 ,i must relate the following 
anecdote4--,until the formation of the  
,geological ,society of ,london         
occasioned the introduction of more     
extended and sounder views into the     
science1 geologists were divided into   
two great rival sects1--into ,neptunists

 and ,plutonists3 the one affirming that
 the globe was exclusively indebted for 
its present form and arrangement to the 
agency of water2 the other1 admitting to
 a certain extent the operation of      
water1 but maintaining the utter        
impossibility of explaining the         
consolidation of the strata without the 
intervention of fire4 ,every geologist  
felt bound to side with the one or the  
other of these contending parties1 for  
neutrality was held as disgraceful as   
though the law of ,solon had been in    
active operation4 ,i shall not easily   
forget the din and fury of this         
elemental war1 as it raged in ,edinburgh
 when ,i was a student in that          
,university2 even the mineral dealers1  
who1 like the artisans of a neutral     
city1 sold arms and ammunition to both  
sides1 still defended their own opinions
 with party fury4 ,it was amusing to    
observe the triumph and dismay which1 by
 turns1 animated and depressed each     
side1 as the discovery of a new fact1 or

 a fresh specimen1 appeared to give a   
preponderance to the doctrine of fire or
 water4 ,the fact of so large a portion 
of the strata being found in the state  
of a carbonate was advanced by the      
,neptunists as an unanswerable argument 
against igneous agency3 the dismay      
therefore which this sect received upon 
the discovery of ,sir ,james ,hall1 that
 under the combined forces of heat and  
compression1 carbonate of lime might be 
fused1 was only equalled by the         
excessive joy excited in the contending 
party4 ,we may form some notion of the  
high importance attached to this        
discovery1 when we learn that its author
 applied to the ,government for a flag  
of truce to convey illustrative         
specimens to the ,continental           
philosophers4  ,it so happened1 that the
 ,professors of ,oxford and ,cambridge  
ranged themselves under opposite        
banners3 ,dr4 ,beddoes was a violent and
 uncompromising ,plutonist1 while       
,professor ,hailstone was as decided a  

,neptunist4 ,the rocks of ,cornwall1 and
 their granitic veins1 had been appealed
 to1 as affording evidence upon the     
subject2 and the two ,professors1 who1  
although adverse in opinion1 were united
 in friendship1 determined to proceed   
together to the field of dispute1 each  
hoping that he might thus convince the  
other of his error1 and cure him of his 
heresy4 ,the belligerents arrived at    
,penzance1 and in company with their    
mutual friend1 ,mr4 ,davies ,gilbert1   
examined the coast1 and procured        
specimens with pretty much the same     
spirit of selection as a schoolboy      
consults his ,gradus1 not for an epithet
 of any meaning1 but for one which best 
suits his measure2 and having made      
drawings1 disputed obvious appearances1 
rendered that which was clear to the    
senses1 confused to the understanding1  
and what was already confused1 ten times
 more obscure1 they returned1 the       
opinion of each1 as might easily have   
been anticipated1 having been           

strengthened by the ordeal3 the one     
protesting that the very aspect of the  
shivered slate was sufficient to prove  
that the globe must have been roasted to
 rags2 the other1 with equal            
plausibility1 declaring that there was  
not a tittle of evidence to show that   
the watery solvent had ever even        
simmered4 ,such1 in fact1 must ever be  
the case1 when philosophers examine the 
same subject under such different       
impressions1 and in such opposite points
 of view2 like the two knights who could
 not agree respecting the colour of the 
shield1 only because each saw a         
different side of it4  ,rocks1 it is    
said1 have flinty hearts1 and certain it
 is that1 upon this occasion1 ,cornwall 
did not afford that assistance against  
the ,neptunists1 which the ,oxford      
,professor had sought with so much zeal 
and confidence2 but if deferred revenge 
had1 as we are told is generally the    
case1 been put out at compound interest1
 and ,beddoes had exacted its dues with 

more than judaical rigour1 it must be   
allowed that ,cornwall1 by placing ,davy
 at his disposal1 would have fully      
cancelled all demands4      ,plutonian  
,beddoes1 erst1 in spiteful ire1     ,to
 see a ,hailstone mock his central fire1
     ,a mighty spirit raised1 by whose  
device     ,we now burn ,,hailstones1   
and set fire to ,ice4  ,before quitting 
this subject1 it is but justice to      
advert to the progress which ,geology   
has made since the turbulence of this   
contest has subsided2 it has grown      
strong in facts1 and is daily increasing
 its stores4 ,it has been wisely said by
 one of the ancient ,poets1 that in     
vehement disputes1 not only the persons 
engaged1 but every one who is at all    
interested1 must suffer2 not only the   
combatants1 but the spectators of the   
combat1--for it is difficult to         
apprehend truth while it is the subject 
of angry contest4  ,to return to the    
narrative4--,upon ,beddoes establishing 
the ,pneumatic ,institution at ,bristol1

 he required an assistant who might     
superintend the necessary experiments in
 the laboratory2 and ,mr4 ,gilbert      
proposed ,davy as a person fully        
competent to fill the situation4 ,the   
young candidate had already produced a  
very favourable impression upon ,dr4    
,beddoes1 by his experiments upon ,heat 
and ,light1 which he had some time      
before transmitted to him through the   
hands of his friend ,mr4 ,gregory ,watt4
 ,this fact may be collected from a note
 appended by ,dr4 ,beddoes to ,davy's   
paper subsequently published in the     
first volume of the ,west ,country      
,contributions1 in which the ,doctor    
says1 ,my first knowledge of ,mr4 ,davy 
arose from a letter written in ,april   
#agih1 containing an account of his     
researches on ,heat and ,light4 ,the    
rest is told in the letters which passed
 on this occasion between ,dr4 ,beddoes 
and ,mr4 ,gilbert1 and from which ,i    
shall make such extracts as may be      
necessary to complete the history of a  

transaction of much interest and        
importance4  ,in a letter dated ,july   
#d1 #agih1 ,dr4 ,beddoes says1 ,i am    
glad that ,mr4 ,davy has impressed you  
as he has me4 ,i have long wished to    
write to you about him1 for ,i think ,i 
can open a more fruitful field of       
investigation than any body else4 ,is it
 not also his most direct road to       
fortune8 ,should he not bring out a     
favourable result1 he may still exhibit 
talents for investigation1 and entitle  
himself to public confidence more       
effectually than by any other mode4 ,he 
must be maintained1 but the fund will   
not furnish a salary from which a man   
can lay up any thing4 ,he must also     
devote his time for two or three years  
to the investigation4 ,i wish you would 
converse with him upon the subject4 ,no 
doubt he has received my two last       
letters4 ,i am sorry ,i cannot at this  
moment specify a yearly sum1 nor can ,i 
say with certainty whether all the      
subscribers will accede to my plan2 most

 of them will1 ,i doubt not4 ,i have    
written to the principal ones1 and will 
lose no time in sounding them all4  ,in 
a second letter of the #ahth of ,july1  
we find the following observations4 ,i  
have received a letter from ,mr4 ,davy  
since ,i wrote to you4 ,he has oftener  
than once mentioned a genteel           
maintenance1 as a preliminary to his    
being employed to superintend the       
,pneumatic ,hospital4 ,i fear the funds 
will not allow an ample salary2 he must1
 however1 be maintained4 ,i can attach  
no idea to the epithet genteel1 but     
perhaps all difficulties would vanish in
 conversation2 at least1 ,i think your  
conversing with ,mr4 ,davy will be a    
more likely way of smoothing            
difficulties1 than our correspondence4  
,it appears to me1 that this appointment
 will bear to be considered as a part of
 ,mr4 ,davy's medical education1 and    
that it will be a great saving of       
expense to him4 ,it may also be the     
foundation of a lucrative reputation2   

and certainly nothing on my part shall  
be wanting to secure to him the credit  
he may deserve4 ,he does not undertake  
to discover cures for this or that      
disease2 he may acquire just applause by
 bringing out clear1 though negative    
results4 ,during my journeys into the   
country1 ,i have picked up a variety of 
important and curious facts from        
different practitioners4 ,this has      
suggested to me the idea of collecting  
and publishing such facts as this part  
of the country will1 from time to time1 
afford4 ,if ,i could procure chemical   
experiments1 that bore any relation to  
organised nature1 ,i would insert them4 
,if ,mr4 ,davy does not dislike this    
method of publishing his experiments1 ,i
 would gladly place them at the head of 
my first volume1 but ,i wish not that he
 should make any sacrifice of judgment  
or inclination4  ,it remains only to be 
stated1 that ,mr4 ,gilbert kindly       
undertook the negotiation1 and completed
 it to the satisfaction of all the      

principal parties4 ,mrs4 ,davy yielded  
to her son's wishes1 and ,mr4 ,borlase  
very generously surrendered his         
indenture1 with an endorsement to the   
following effect1--that he freely gave  
up the indenture1 on account of the     
singularly promising talents which ,mr4 
,davy had displayed4  ,his old and      
valued friend ,mr4 ,tonkin1 however1 not
 only expressed his disapprobation of   
this scheme1 but was so vexed and       
irritated at having his favourite plan  
of fixing ,davy in his native town as a 
,surgeon1 thus thwarted1 that he        
actually altered his will1 and revoked  
the legacy of his house which he had    
previously bequeathed him4 ,mr4 ,tonkin 
died on the #bdth of ,december #ahja2 so
 that1 although he lived long enough to 
witness ,davy's appointment to the      
,royal ,institution1 he could never have
 anticipated the elevation to which his 
genius and talents ultimately raised    
him4  ,on the #bnd of ,october in the   
year #agih1 ,davy quitted ,penzance1    

before he had attained his twentieth    
year4 ,mr4 ,gilbert well remembers      
meeting him upon his journey to         
,bristol1 and breakfasting with him at  
,okehampton1 on the #dth of ,october4   
,he was in the highest spirits1 and in  
that frame of mind in which a man of    
ardent imagination identifies every     
successful occurrence with his own      
fortunes2 his exhilaration1 therefore1  
was not a little heightened by the      
arrival of the mail-coach from ,london1 
covered with laurels and ribbons1 and   
bringing the news1 so cheering to every 
,english heart1 of ,,nelson',s glorious 
victory of the ,,nile4     ,,chapter    
,,ii4     ,cursory thoughts on the      
advantages of ,biography4--,plan    and 
objects of the ,pneumatic               
,institution4--,davy contracts          
friendships during his residence at     
,bristol4--,his first visit    to       
,london4--,his ,letters to ,mr4 ,davies 
,gilbert4--,the publication    of the   
,west ,country ,contributions1 by ,dr4  

,beddoes4--,davy's    ,essays on ,heat1 
,light1 and ,respiration4--,his         
interesting    experiments on bonnet    
canes4--,he commences an enquiry into   
the nature of nitrous oxyd4--,he        
publishes his chemical                  
researches4--,a critical examination of 
the work4--,testimony of    ,tobin1     
,clayfield1 ,southey1 and others1       
respecting the powers    of nitrous     
oxyd4--,davy breathes carburetted       
hydrogen gas1 and    nearly perishes    
from its effects4--,his new ,galvanic   
experiments    communicated in a ,letter
 to ,mr4 ,gilbert4   ,having concluded  
the early history of the subject of     
these memoirs1 and conducted it to that 
memorable day on which he left his      
native town1 and bursting from          
obscurity1 prepared to enter upon a     
wider field of usefulness and honour1 ,i
 shall accompany him in his progress2   
and with the honest desire of affording 
instruction as well as amusement1--for  
history is useful only as it holds up   

the mirror of ,truth1--,i shall continue
 to point out the various circumstances 
that may have contributed to his success
 and scientific renown2 and to offer    
such occasional reflections as may be   
likely to illustrate not only the       
superficial peculiarities which         
constitute the light and shade of       
character1 but those deeper varieties of
 mind1 upon which the superiority of    
intellect may be supposed to depend4    
,after all1 the great end of biography  
is not to be found1 as some would seem  
to imagine1 in a series of dates1 or in 
a collection of gossiping anecdotes and 
table-talk1 which1 instead of lighting  
up and vivifying the features1 hang as a
 cloud of dust upon the portrait2 but it
 is to be found in an analysis of human 
genius1 and in the developement of those
 elements of the mind1 to whose varied  
combinations1 and nicely adjusted       
proportions1 the mental habits1 and     
intellectual peculiarities of           
distinguished men may be readily        

referred4  ,it has been stated that an  
arrangement had been concluded between  
,dr4 ,beddoes and ,davy3 it is but an   
act of justice to say1 that it was of a 
liberal and honourable description2 and 
let me also add in this place1 that no  
sooner had ,davy found himself in a     
situation which secured for him the     
necessaries of life1 than he renounced  
all claims upon his paternal property1  
in favour of his mother and sisters4    
,by acceding to the proposal of ,dr4    
,beddoes1 he never intended to abandon  
the profession in which he had embarked2
 on the contrary1 he persevered in his  
determination to study and graduate at  
,edinburgh1 and his patron promised that
 every opportunity should be afforded   
him at ,bristol for seeing medical      
practice3 this part of the arrangement1 
however1 was voluntarily abandoned by   
him1 for he soon became so absorbed by  
the labours of the laboratory1 as to    
leave little leisure for the clinical   
studies of the hospital4  ,the          

,pneumatic ,institution was established 
for the purpose of investigating the    
medical powers of factitious airs or    
gases2 and to ,davy was assigned the    
office of superintending the various    
experiments4  ,it is now generally      
acknowledged1 that the ,art of ,physic  
has not derived any direct advantage    
from the application of a class of      
agents which1 undoubtedly1 held forth   
the fairest promise of benefit2 but it  
is too frequently the case1 that in     
physic1 theory and experience are in    
open hostilities with each other4 ,the  
gases are now never employed in the     
treatment of disease1 except by a few   
crafty or ignorant empirics1 whose      
business it is to enrich themselves by  
playing on the credulity of mankind3    
indeed1 we may say of popular remedies  
in general what ,m4 de ,lagrange has so 
wittily said of popular prejudices1 that
 they are the cast-off clothes of       
philosophers1 in which the rabble dress 
themselves4  ,the investigation1        

however1 into the nature and composition
 of the gases paved the way to some new 
and important discoveries in science2 so
 that1 to borrow a ,baconian metaphor1  
although our philosophers failed in     
obtaining the treasure for which they so
 eagerly dug1 they at least1 by turning 
up and pulverizing the soil1 rendered it
 fertile4 ,the ingenuity of the chemist 
will for ever remain on record2 the     
phantoms of the physicians have vanished
 into air4  ,davy was now constantly    
engaged in the prosecution of new       
experiments1 in the conception of which1
 as he himself informs us1 he was       
greatly aided by the conversation and   
advice of ,dr4 ,beddoes4 ,he was also   
occasionally assisted by ,mr4 ,william  
,clayfield1 a gentleman ardently        
attached to chemical pursuits1 and whose
 name is not unknown in the annals of   
science2 indeed1 it appears that to him 
he was indebted for the invention of a  
mercurial air-holder1 by which he was   
enabled to collect and measure the      

various gases submitted to examination4 
,he had also the advantages of some     
society of a highly intellectual cast3  
it is sufficient to mention the names of
 ,edgeworth and ,james ,tobin4  ,in     
reply to a letter of enquiry which was  
lately addressed to her1 ,miss          
,edgeworth observes1 that her father    
possessed much influence over ,davy's   
mind2 and that when he was a very young 
man at ,clifton1 unknown to fame1 ,mr4  
,edgeworth early distinguished and      
warmly admired his talents1 and gave him
 much counsel1 which sunk deep into his 
mind4  ,the present ,lord ,durham and   
his brother were also resident in the   
house of ,dr4 ,beddoes1 not only for    
their education1 but for the benefit of 
his professional superintendence4       
,besides those who were residing at     
,clifton1 the most distinguished in the 
circles of science and literature paid  
passing visits to ,dr4 ,beddoes2 with   
many of whom ,davy contracted an        
acquaintance1 with some an intimacy1 and

 with a few a solid and permanent       
friendship4 ,in examining the           
individuals composing this latter class1
 we find them differing so widely from  
each other in character and pursuit1    
that we are led to enquire upon what    
principles of affinity his regards could
 possibly have been attracted--the truth
 is1 that there was more than one avenue
 to his heart2 and the philosopher1 the 
poet1 the physician1 the philanthropist1
 and the sportsman1 found each1 upon    
different terms1 a more or less ready   
access to its recesses4 ,the chemist who
 would aspire to his favour1 could alone
 obtain it by laborious application and 
novel research2 the philanthropist1 by  
the practicability of his schemes for   
improving society1 and increasing the   
sum of its happiness2 but the fisherman 
instantly caught his affections by a    
hook and line4 ,to be a fly-fisher was1 
in his opinion1 to possess the          
capabilities of intellectual            
distinction1 although circumstances     

might not have conspired to call them   
into action2 whilst a proficiency in    
this art1 when exhibited by an          
individual otherwise distinguished1 gave
 him an additional claim to his         
attention and regard4 ,the stern courage
 of ,nelson1 tempered as it was with all
 the kindly feelings of humanity1 was   
sufficient to excite in the breast of   
,davy the most enthusiastic admiration2 
but the circumstance of his having been 
a fly-fisher1 and continued the sport1  
even with his left hand1 threw1 in his  
opinion1 a still brighter halo around   
his character4  ,no one who knew him can
 accuse him of inconstancy in his       
friendships3 amidst the excitements of  
his station1 and the abstractions       
incident to his pursuits1 he might not  
always have shown those little          
attentions which are received by the    
world as the indications of personal    
regard2 but his heart beat not less     
warmly on that account3 when the flame  
of affection had been once kindled1 it  

burnt with a pure and steady light      
through life4 ,this will be readily seen
 in the letters addressed to his several
 early friends1 more especially to ,mr4 
,poole of ,nether ,stowey1 in           
,somersetshire1 and to ,mr4 ,clayfield  
of ,bristol1 from which ,i shall have   
occasion to present some interesting    
extracts4  ,those who had become        
acquainted with him in early life1 and  
were enabled to watch the whole progress
 of his career from obscurity to the    
highest pinnacle of fame1 have declared 
that his extraordinary talents never at 
any period excited greater astonishment 
and admiration than during his short    
residence at ,bristol4 ,his simplicity  
of mind and manner was also at this time
 truly delightful4 ,he scarcely knew the
 names of our best authors1 much less   
read any of their works2 yet upon topics
 of moral philosophy and metaphysics he 
would enter into discussion with        
acknowledged scholars1 and not only     
delight them with the native energy of  

his mind1 but instruct them by the      
novelty and truth of his conceptions4   
,mr4 ,coleridge lately expressed to me  
the astonishment he felt1 very shortly  
after his introduction to him1 on       
hearing him maintain an argument upon   
some abstruse subject with a gentleman  
equally distinguished for the extent of 
his erudition1 and for the talent of    
rendering it available for              
illustration2--the contrast was most    
striking--it was the fresh and native   
wild flower1 opposed to the elaborate   
exotic of the ,hortus ,siccus6  ,during 
this period he occasionally visited his 
friend ,mr4 ,gregory ,watt1 at          
,birmingham2 at which place his ambition
 was constantly excited by intercourse  
with congenial minds2 and his letters to
 his mother and relations represent him 
as rejoicing in the success of his      
experiments1 and as delighting in his   
association with kindred genius2 but    
always casting a longing1 lingering     
thought on the scenes of his boyhood1 he

 spoke with joyful anticipation of the  
period at which he proposed to revisit  
his mother and family4  ,that he still  
continued to regard the practice of     
physic as the great end and object of   
all his pursuits1 is evident from one of
 these letters1 written in #agii1 in    
which he says1 ,philosophy1 ,chemistry1 
and ,medicine1 are my profession4  ,on  
the #ast of ,december #agii he visited  
,london for the first time1 and remained
 about a fortnight2 the friends with    
whom he associated upon this occasion   
were ,coleridge1 ,southey1 ,gregory     
,watt1 ,underwood1 ,james and ,john     
,tobin1 ,thomson1 and ,clayfield2 all of
 whom vied with each other in their     
exertions to render his visit agreeable1
 conducting him to such persons and     
places as were deemed worthy of his     
notice4  ,of all the letters placed at  
my disposal1 those addressed to his     
early friend and patron1 ,mr4 ,davies   
,gilbert1 are1 in my judgment1 the most 
interesting3 it is true1 that as        

specimens of epistolary style they have 
but slender pretensions1 and are far    
less pleasing than those written to ,mr4
 ,poole and others1 in later life2 but  
let it be remembered that1 as yet1 their
 writer had never enjoyed the advantages
 of literary correspondence4 ,for the   
defects1 however1 of style1 there is    
more than sufficient compensation2 they 
speak from the heart2--they carry with  
them internal evidence of the honest    
simplicity of his mind1 and they throw a
 light upon the peculiarities of his    
genius1 which without such aid might be 
less perfectly understood2 above all1   
they evince an ardour which no          
difficulties could repress1 and a       
confidence which no failures could      
extinguish4 ,we clearly discern from his
 first letters1 that he entered upon his
 career of experiment with an almost    
chivalrous feeling1 flushed with the    
consciousness of native strength1 and   
exulting in the prospect of destined    
achievements4  ,i am aware that there   

are those who still object1 with ,dr4   
,sprat1 to the practice of publishing   
letters which were never intended for   
the public eye1 and ,i experience the   
inconvenience1 while ,i respect the     
delicacy1 of such an opinion4 ,i        
confess1 on my own part1 ,i have always 
considered1 with ,mr4 ,mason1 that the  
objections urged by the learned         
historian of the ,royal ,society are    
wholly untenable4 ,he talks of the souls
 of men thus appearing undressed1 or in 
a habit too negligent to go abroad in   
the streets1 although they might be seen
 by a few in a chamber4 ,but the undress
 he would condemn1 is the nakedness of  
,truth--the negligent attire1 the simple
 and unadorned expression of those      
natural and significant traits1 whose   
value incomparably exceeds the          
premeditated and artificial exhibitions 
of mind and manner4 ,nam in ingenio     
quoque sicut in agro1 quanquam alia diu 
serantur atque elaborantur1 gratiora    
tamen qu sua sponte nascuntur4#ah    #ah

 ,dialogus de ,oratoribus1--,tacit4  ,i 
cannot but suspect that ,dr4 ,sprat was1
 upon this occasion1 more anxious to    
display a metaphor1 than to illustrate a
 truth4 ,i have often thought a very    
curious book might be written to show   
how greatly1 both in physics and in     
morals1 the progress of truth has been  
retarded1 and the judgment of men       
warped1 by the abuse of metaphors2 the  
most correct of which can be nothing    
more than the image of ,truth reflected1
 as it were1 from a mirror1 and         
consequently liable to all the delusions
 of our mental optics4 ,the figure by   
which ,nature was represented as        
abhorring a vacuum1 kept us in ignorance
 of the true theory of the pump for two 
thousand years after the discovery of   
the weight1 or gravity1 of the          
atmosphere2#ai and the unfortunate ,p4  
,l4 ,courier positively owed his        
conviction to a metaphor in the ,judge's
 charge--,un crt plein de poison4--,well
 might the defendant exclaim1           

,sauvez-nous de la ,metaphore6    #ai   
,plutarch1 in expressing the opinion of 
,asclepiades upon this   subject1       
represents him as saying1 that the      
external air1 by   its weight1 opened   
its way with force into the breast4     
,seneca   also was acquainted with the  
weight and elastic force of the air2    
for he describes the constant effort by 
which it expands itself   when it is    
compressed1 and affirms that it has the 
property of   condensing itself1 and of 
forcing its way through all obstacles   
that oppose its passage4--,qust4 ,nat4  
lib4 v4 c4 v4 and vi4  ,the first of the
 letters to which ,i have alluded       
appears to have been written rather more
 than five weeks after his arrival at   
,clifton4       ,,to ,,davies ,,giddy1  
,,esq4      ,clifton1 ,november #ab1    
#agih4      ,,dear ,,sir1      ,i have  
purposely delayed writing until ,i could
 communicate to     you some            
intelligence of importance concerning   
the ,pneumatic     ,institution4 ,the   

speedy execution of the plan will1 ,i   
think1     interest you1 both as a      
subscriber and a friend to science and  
mankind4 ,the present subscription is1  
we suppose1 nearly adequate     to the  
purpose of investigating the medicinal  
powers of factitious     airs2 it still 
continues to increase1 and we may hope  
for the     ability of pursuing the     
investigation to its full extent4 ,we   
are     negotiating for a house in      
,dowrie ,square1 the proximity of which 
to     ,bristol1 and its general        
situation and advantages1 render it very
     suitable to the purpose4 ,the funds
 will1 ,i suppose1 enable us to         
provide for eight or ten patients in the
 hospital1 and for as many     out of it
 as we can procure4      ,we shall try  
the gases in every possible way4 ,they  
may be condensed     by pressure and    
rarefied by heat4 ,quere1--would not a  
powerful     injecting syringe1#bj      
furnished with two valves1 one opening  
into     an air-holder and the other    

into the breathing chamber1 answer      
the purpose of compression better than  
any other apparatus8 ,can     you not1  
from your extensive stores of           
philosophy1 furnish us     with some    
hints on this subject8 ,may not the     
non-respirable gases     furnish a class
 of different stimuli8 of which the     
oxymuriatic     acid gas would stand the
 highest1 if we might judge from its    
effects on the lungs2 then1 probably1   
gaseous oxyd of azote1 and              
hydro-carbonate4      ,i suppose you    
have not heard of the discovery of the  
native     sulphate of strontian in     
,england4 ,i shall perhaps surprise you 
by     stating that we have it in large 
quantities here4 ,it had long been      
mistaken for sulphate of barytes1 till  
our friend ,clayfield1     on           
endeavouring to procure the muriate of  
barytes from it by     decomposition1   
detected the strontian4 ,we opened a    
fine vein of it     about a fortnight   
ago1 at the ,old ,passage near the mouth

 of the     ,severn4 ,it was embodied in
 limestone and gypsum1 the outside of   
the vein1 a striated mass2 the internal 
parts finely crystallized     in cubes1 
of the ,sp4 ,gr4 #da4 ,clayfield has    
been working at it for     some time4   
,we have persuaded him to publish his   
analysis in the     first volume of the 
,western ,physical ,collection4      ,i 
have made with him the phosphuret of    
barytes and of strontian3     they      
possess1 in common with that of lime1   
the property of     producing           
phosphorized hydrogen gas2 the          
phosphuret of strontian1     it appears1
 in a more eminent degree4      ,we have
 likewise attempted to decompose the    
boracic and muriatic     acids1 by      
passing phosphorus1 in vapour1 through  
muriate1 and     borate of lime1 heated 
red4 ,phosphate of lime was found in the
     experiment on the boracic acid2    
but1 as no pneumatic apparatus was      
employed1 the experiment was uncertain4 
,we shall repeat them next     week4    

,we are printing in ,bristol the first  
volume of the ',west ,country           
,collection1' which will1 ,i suppose1 be
 out in the beginning of     ,january4  
,mrs4 ,beddoes hopes that ,miss ,giddy  
received her letter1 and desires     me 
to certify that she wrote almost        
immediately after the reception     of  
her epistle4 ,she is as good1 amiable1  
and elegant as when you     saw her4    
,believe me1 dear ,sir1 with affection  
and respect1      ,truly your's1        
,,humphry ,,davy4    #bj ,here the      
reader will recognise the force of early
   associations4   ,the work announced  
in the above letter was published in the
 commencement of the year #agii1 under  
the title of ,contributions to ,physical
 and ,medical ,knowledge1 principally   
from the ,west of ,england2 collected by
 ,thomas ,beddoes1 ,m4,d4  ,the first   
two hundred pages1 constituting very    
nearly half the volume1 are the         
composition of ,davy1 and consist of    
essays ,on ,heat1 ,light1 and the       

,combinations of ,light4 ,on            
,phos-oxygen1 or ,oxygen and its        
,combinations2 and ,on the ,theory of   
,respiration4  ,his first essay         
commences with an experiment1 in order  
to show that light is not1 as ,lavoisier
 supposed1 a modification1 or an effect1
 of heat1 but matter of a peculiar kind1
 sui generis1 which1 when moving through
 space1 or in a state of projection1 is 
capable of becoming the source of a     
numerous class of our sensations4  ,a   
small gunlock was armed with an         
excellent flint1 and1 on being snapped  
in an exhausted receiver1 did not       
produce any light4 ,the experiment was  
repeated in carbonic acid1 and with a   
similar result4 ,small particles were in
 each case separated from the steel1    
which1 on microscopic examination1      
evidently appeared to have undergone    
fusion4 ,whence ,davy argued1 that light
 cannot be caloric in a state of        
projection1 or it must have been        
produced in these experiments1 where    

heat existed to an extent sufficient to 
fuse steel4 ,nor1 that it can be1 as    
some have supposed1 a vibration of the  
imaginary fluid ether2 for1 granting the
 existence of such a fluid1 it must have
 been present in the receiver4 ,if1     
then1 light be neither caloric in a     
state of projection1 nor the vibration  
of an imaginary ether1 it must1 he says1
 be a substance sui generis4  ,with     
regard to caloric1 his opinion that it  
is not1 like light1 material1 has been  
already noticed4 ,in the present essay  
he maintains the proposition by the same
 method of reasoning as that by which he
 attempts to establish the materiality  
of light1 and which mathematicians have 
termed the reductio ad absurdum4  ,in   
his chapter on ,light and its           
,combinations1 he indulges in           
speculations of the wildest nature1     
although it must be confessed that he   
has infused an interest into them which 
might almost be called dramatic4 ,they  
are certainly highly characteristic of  

that enlightened fancy1 which was       
perpetually on the wing1 and whose      
flight1 when afterwards tempered and    
directed by judgment1 enabled him to    
abstract the richest treasures from the 
recesses of abstract truth4  ,taking it 
for granted that caloric has no         
existence as a material body1 or1 in    
other words1 that the phenomena of      
repulsion do not depend upon the agency 
of a peculiar fluid1 and that1 on the   
contrary1 light is a subtle fluid acting
 on our organs of vision only when in a 
state of repulsive projection1 he       
proceeds to examine the ,french theory  
of combustion2 the defects of which he  
considers to arise from the assumption  
of the imaginary fluid caloric1 and the 
total neglect of light4 ,he conceives   
that the light evolved during combustion
 previously existed in the oxygen gas1  
which he therefore proposes for the     
future to call ,,phos-,,oxygen4#ba      
#ba ,brugnatelli considered that oxygen1
 in certain cases of   combination1     

entered into union with different       
bodies1 without   parting with its      
caloric2 and in that state he gave it   
the   name of ,,therm-,,oxygen2 so that 
,davy had a precedent for his           
nomenclatural innovation4  ,in following
 up this question1 he would seem to     
consider ,light as the ,anima ,mundi1   
diffusing through the universe not only 
organization1 but even animation and    
perception4  ,phos-oxygen he considers  
as capable of combining with additional 
proportions of ,light1 and of thus      
becoming 'luminated ,phos-oxygen6'--from
 the decomposition of which1 and the    
consequent liberation of light1 he seeks
 to explain many of the most recondite  
phenomena of ,nature4  ,we cannot but   
admire the eagerness with which he      
enlists known facts into his service1   
and the boldness with which he ranges   
the wilds of creation in search of      
analogies for the support and           
illustration of his views4 ,he imagines 
that the ,phos-oxygen1 when thus        

luminated1 must necessarily have its    
specific gravity considerably diminished
 by the combination1 and that it will   
therefore occupy the higher regions of  
the atmosphere2 hence1 he says1 it is   
that combustion takes place at the tops 
of mountains at a lower temperature than
 in the plains1 and with a greater      
liberation of light4 ,the hydrogen which
 is disengaged from the surface of the  
earth1 he supposes1 will rise until it  
comes into contact with this luminated  
,phos-oxygen1 when1 by its attracting   
the oxygen to form water1 the light will
 be set free1 and give origin to the    
phenomena of fiery meteors at a great   
altitude4  ,the phenomenon termed       
',phosphorescence1' or that luminous    
appearance which certain bodies exhibit 
after exposure to heat1 is attributed by
 this theory to the light1 which may be 
supposed to quit such substances as soon
 as its particles have acquired         
repulsive motion by elevation of        
temperature4  ,the ,electric ,fluid is  

considered as ,light in a condensed     
state1 or1 in other words1 in that      
peculiar state in which it is not       
supplied with a repulsive motion        
sufficiently energetic to impart        
projection to its particles2 for1 he    
observes1 that its chemical action upon 
bodies is similar to that of ,light2 and
 when supplied with repulsive motion by 
friction1 or by the contact of bodies   
from which it is capable of subtracting 
it1 it loses the projectile form1 and   
becomes perceptible as ,light4 ,it is   
extremely probable1 he adds1 that the   
great quantity of this fluid almost     
everywhere diffused over our earth is   
produced by the condensation of ,light1 
in consequence of the subtraction of its
 repulsive motion by black and dark     
bodies2 while it may again recover the  
projectile force by the repulsive motion
 of the poles1 caused by the revolution 
of the earth on its axis1 and thus      
appear again in the state of sensible   
light2 and hence the phenomenon of the  

,aurora ,borealis1 or ,northern ,lights4
  ,in considering the theory of         
,respiration1 he supposes that          
phos-oxygen combines with the venous    
blood without decomposition2 but that1  
on reaching the brain1 the light is     
liberated in the form of ,electricity1  
which he believes to be identical with  
the nervous fluid4 ,on this supposition1
 sensations and ideas are nothing more  
than motions of the nervous ether2 or   
light exciting the medullary substance  
of the nerves and brain into sensitive  
action6  ,he thinks it would be worth   
while to try1 by a very sensible        
electrometer1 whether an insulated      
muscle1 when stimulated into action1    
would not give indications of the       
liberation of electric fluid1 although  
he suspects that in man the quantity is 
probably too small1 and too slowly      
liberated1 to be ascertainable4 ,in the 
torpedo1 and in some other animals1     
however1 it is unquestionably given out 
perceptibly during animal action4  ,when

 any considerable change takes place in 
the organic matter of the body1 so as to
 destroy the powers of life1 new        
chemical attractions and repulsive      
motions take place1 and the different   
principles of which the body is composed
 enter into new combinations4 ,in this  
process1 which is called putrefaction1  
,davy1 in pursuance of this theory1     
thinks that in land-animals the latent  
light of the system enters into new     
combinations with oxygen and nitrogen1  
but that in fish no such combinations   
occur1 and hence the luminous appearance
 which accompanies their putrefaction4  
,such is the outline of these           
extraordinary ,essays4 ,they stand upon 
record1 and therefore1 as a faithful    
biographer1 ,i was bound to notice them2
 nor are they devoid of interest or     
instruction3 ,i am not quite sure that1 
amidst all the meteors of his fancy1    
there may not be a gleam of truth4 ,i   
allude to his theory of ,respiration3 it
 certainly does not square awith the    

physiological opinions of the day2 nor  
did that of ,newton1 when he conjectured
 that water might contain an inflammable
 element2 but it was the refraction of a
 great truth1 at that time below the    
horizon4  ,it was a very ancient        
opinion1 that life1 being in its own    
nature ariform1 is under the necessity  
of renewing itself by inspiring the air4
 ,modern chemistry1 by teaching us the  
nature of the atmosphere1 has dispelled 
many fanciful theories of its action1   
but it has not yet explained why        
respiration1 the first and last act of  
life1#bb cannot be suspended1 even for a
 minute1 without the extinction of      
vitality4 ,when we reflect upon this    
fact1 it is scarcely possible not to    
believe that the function has been      
ordained for some greater purpose than  
that of removing a portion of carbon    
from the circulating blood4 ,is it      
unreasonable to conclude that some      
principle is thus imparted1 which is too
 subtle to be long retained in our      

vessels1 and too important to be        
dispensed with1 even for the shortest   
period8 ,i offer this opinion1 as       
,montaigne says1 not as being good1 but 
as being my own4    #bb ,breath and life
 are synonymous4 ,in the ,greek1 the    
most   philosophically constructed      
language with which we are   acquainted1
 this first and last act is expressed by
 a verb   composed of alpha and         
omega--,greek3 a4 ,in the ,latin1 the   
connexion between spiro and spiritus1   
breath and life1 is   evident4  ,by     
these observations1 ,i am not to be     
supposed as wishing1 for a moment1 to   
uphold the wild hypotheses which ,i have
 just related2 it must be admitted that 
the theory of phos-oxygen and luminated 
phos-oxygen has scarcely a parallel in  
extravagance and absurdity2 and ,i      
happen to know that1 in after life1     
,davy bitterly regretted that he had so 
committed himself2 any allusion to the  
subject became a source of painful      
irritation4 ,it is to be remarked1 that 

in every course of lectures1 although   
,davy did not refer to these theories1  
he frequently alluded to the            
unphilosophic spirit that had given     
origin to them2 as if he had imposed    
upon himself this penance as an         
atonement for his early follies4 ,the   
following note was taken at one of his  
lectures3--,after what has been said1 it
 will be useless to enter upon an       
examination of any of those theories1   
which1 assuming for their foundation the
 connexion of life with respiration1    
have attempted to prove that oxygen is  
the principle of life1 and that the     
wonderful and mysterious phenomena of   
perception arise from the action of     
common gravitating substances upon each 
other4 ,such theories are the dreams of 
misemployed genius1 which the light of  
experiment and observation has never    
conducted to truth1 and are merely a    
collection of terms derived from known  
phenomena1 and applied by loose         
analogies of language to unknown things4

  ,the reader1 however1 will be disposed
 to treat him with all tenderness when  
he remembers that the author of these   
,essays was barely eighteen years of    
age4 ,if blame is to fall on any one1   
let it fall on ,dr4 ,beddoes1 who never 
should have sanctioned the publication3 
had he curbed the ardent and untamed    
imagination of the young philosopher1 he
 would have acted the part of a wise man
 and of a kind friend4 ,but the truth   
is1 that much as ,davy needed the       
bridle1 ,beddoes#bc required it still   
more2 for1 notwithstanding his talents1 
he was as little fitted for a ,mentor as
 a weathercock for a compass2 and had it
 not been for the ascendency which ,davy
 gained over his mind1 the ardour of his
 temperament would have continually     
urged him beyond the bounds of reason4  
#bc ,the only pun ,davy is said to have 
ever made was upon the   occasion of    
,mr4 ,sadler being appointed by ,dr4    
,beddoes as his   successor4 ,i cannot  
imagine1 said he1 why he has engaged    

,sadler1 unless it is that he may be    
well bridled4  ,caught by the loosest   
analogies1 he would arrive at a         
conclusion without examining all the    
conditions of his problem4 ,in the      
exercise of his profession1 therefore1  
he was frequently led to prescribe plans
 which he felt it necessary to retract  
the next hour4 ,his friend ,mr4 ,t----  
had occasion to consult him upon the    
case of his wife3 the ,doctor prescribed
 a new remedy2 but1 in the course of the
 day he returned in haste1 and begged   
that1 before ,mrs4 ,t---- took the      
medicine1 its effect might be tried on a
 dog6  ,the following anecdote1 which   
was lately communicated to me by ,mr4   
,coleridge1 will not only illustrate a  
trait of character1 but furnish a       
salutary lesson to the credulous patron 
of empirics4 ,as soon as the powers of  
nitrous oxide were discovered1 ,dr4     
,beddoes at once concluded that it must 
necessarily be a specific for paralysis4
 ,a patient was selected for the trial1 

and the management of it was entrusted  
to ,davy4 ,previous to the              
administration of the gas1 he inserted a
 small pocket thermometer under the     
tongue of the patient1 as he was        
accustomed to do upon such occasions1 to
 ascertain the degree of animal         
temperature1 with a view to future      
comparison4 ,the paralytic man1 wholly  
ignorant of the nature of the process to
 which he was to submit1 but deeply     
impressed1 from the representations of  
,dr4 ,beddoes1 with the certainty of its
 success1 no sooner felt the thermometer
 between his teeth than he concluded    
that the talisman was in full operation1
 and in a burst of enthusiasm declared  
that he already experienced the effects 
of its benign influence throughout his  
whole body3--the opportunity was too    
tempting to be lost--,davy cast an      
intelligent glance at ,mr4 ,coleridge1  
and desired the patient to renew his    
visit on the following day1 when the    
same ceremony was again performed1 and  

repeated every succeeding day for a     
fortnight1 the patient gradually        
improving during that period1 when he   
was dismissed as cured1 no other        
application having been used than that  
of the thermometer4 ,dr4 ,beddoes1 from 
whom the circumstances of the case had  
been intentionally concealed1 saw in the
 restoration of the patient the         
confirmation of his opinion1 and the    
fulfilment of his most ardent           
hope--,nitrous ,oxide was a specific    
remedy for ,paralysis6 ,it were criminal
 to retard the general promulgation of  
so important a discovery2 it were cruel 
to delay the communication of the fact  
until the publication of another volume 
of his ',contributions2' the periodical 
magazines were too slow in their rate of
 travelling1--a flying pamphlet would be
 more expeditious2 paragraphs in the    
newspapers2 circulars to the            
hospitals3--such were the reflections   
and plans which successively agitated   
the physician's mind1 when his eyes were

 opened to the unwelcome truth by       
,davy's confessing the delusion that had
 been practised4  ,a short time after   
the publication of the first volume of  
the ,contributions1 ,davy addressed to  
his friend the following letter3--      
,,to ,,davies ,,giddy1 ,,esq4           
,clifton1 ,feb4 #bb1 #agii4      ,,dear 
,,friend1--for ,i love you too well to  
call you by a more     ceremonious      
name1--,i have delayed writing to you   
from day to day1     expecting that some
 of our experiments would produce       
results worthy     of communication4    
,since ,i received your last very       
acceptable     letter1 ,i have been     
chiefly employed in pursuing the        
experiments on     ,heat1 ,light1       
,respiration1 c4 ,of these experiments  
,i shall give you     no account1 as you
 will see them in print4 ,i sent you a  
copy of my     ,essays last week2 if you
 have not received them1 ,i trust you   
will     find them at my mother's1 or at
 ,mr4 ,tonkin's4      ,in the same      

parcel were two small packets1 one from 
,mrs4 ,beddoes     for your father1 the 
other for ,miss ,giddy from ,mrs4       
,willoughby4     ,about a fortnight ago 
,i sent a few chemical instruments to   
,mr4     ,penneck of ,penzance2 and     
inclosed with them were specimens of the
     different varieties of sulphate of 
strontian addressed to you4 ,if     you 
have not received them1 you will get    
them by sending to ,mr4     ,penneck4   
,on looking over a box of minerals last 
week1 which was sent to     ,dr4        
,beddoes from ,cumberland1 ,i found two 
very fine specimens of     sulphate of  
strontian1 marked by the collector      
,laminated ,shorl4 ,i     suspect this  
mineral is not scarce in calcareous     
countries2 it is1     ,i dare say1 often
 mistaken for sulphate of barytes4      
,i have succeeded in combining strontian
 with the oxygenated     muriatic acid4 
,this salt possesses most astonishing   
properties2#bd     you will find an     
account of them in my ,essay4      ,when

 you have perused my papers1 ,i shall be
 very much obliged to     you for a     
criticism upon them4 ,when ,i left      
,penzance1 ,i was quite an     infant in
 speculation1--,i knew very little of   
,light or ,heat4 ,i am     now as much  
convinced of the non-existence of       
caloric1 as ,i am of     the existence  
of light4 ,independent of the           
experiments which appear     to         
demonstrate its non-existence directly1 
and of which you will     find an       
account in my ,essay1 the consideration 
of certain phenomena     leads me to    
suppose that there would be no          
difficulty in proving     its           
non-existence by reasoning4 ,these      
considerations have occurred     to me  
since the publication of the work4 ,i   
could now render it much     more       
perfect2 but ,i hope soon to complete   
the investigation of the                
combinations of ,light1 and to produce a
 much more perfect work on     the      
subject4 ,i shall be infinitely obliged 

to you for any hints     or             
observations1 as far as the detection of
 errors of any kind1     for it is no   
flattery to say that ,i pay greater     
deference to your     opinion than to   
that of any other philosopher4      ,we 
intend next week to endeavour to        
ascertain1 by the aid of a     delicate 
balance1 the quantities of ,light       
liberated in different     combustive   
processes4 ,that there is a deficiency  
of weight1 ,i am     convinced from many
 experiments4      ,the experiments on  
,light1 c4 have prevented me from       
attempting     the decomposition of the 
undecompounded acids4 ,we have ordered  
an     apparatus at the glass-house for 
this purpose1 and ,i hope next     week 
we shall be able to carry on the        
investigation4 ,two modes     of        
effecting these decompositions have     
occurred to me3--first1     to bring    
phosphorus or sulphur1 in the gaseous   
state1 in contact     with the acid     
gases in a tube heated intensely2       

secondly1 to send     sulphur in the    
gaseous state through muriate of copper 
or lead1     heated white4 ,the         
attraction of sulphur for oxygen1 of    
copper     for oxygen1 and of sulphur   
for copper1 will probably effect the    
decomposition4      ,our laboratory in  
the ,pneumatic ,institution is nearly   
finished1 and     we shall begin the    
investigations in about a fortnight4 ,we
 shall     begin by trying the gases in 
their simplest mode of application1     
and gradually carry on the more complex 
processes4      ,i hope the gaseous     
oxide of azote will prove to be a       
specific     stimulus for the           
absorbents4      ,i was last week       
surprised by a letter from ,mr4 ,watt1  
announcing     the success of their     
trial4 ,when ,i was at ,birmingham five 
weeks     ago1 the family were in very  
low spirits4 ,i spent nine or ten       
days there1 chiefly with ,mr4 ,keir and 
,mr4 ,watt3 ,i had a great     deal of  
chemical conversation with them4 ,mr4   

,keir is one of the     best-informed   
men ,i have ever met with1 and extremely
 agreeable4     ,both he and ,mr4 ,watt 
are still phlogitians2 but ,mr4 ,keir   
altogether     disbelieves the doctrine 
of calorique4      ,what news have you  
in ,cornwall8 ,has ,mr4 ,john ,hawkins  
returned to     his native county8 he   
will doubtless be a great acquisition to
 you4      ,pray do you know whether the
 ,zoophyta and marine worms are         
susceptible of the galvanic stimulus8   
,experiments on them would     go far to
 determine whether the irritable or     
sensitive fibre is     primarily        
affected4      ,i know of little general
 scientific news4 ,in the last volume of
 the     ,annales de ,chimie is a       
curious paper by ,berthollet on         
sulphurated     hydrogen3 he makes it   
out to be an acid4 ,i shall most        
anxiously     expect a letter from you1 
and ,i remain with affection and        
respect1      ,yours1     ,,humphry     
,,davy4    #bd ,the following is the    

account given in his ,essay4 ,when      
sulphuric acid was poured into a        
solution of this salt in water1   a     
beautiful and unexpected phenomenon took
 place4 ,the room was   accidentally    
darkened at the moment this experiment  
was made1 so   that we were enabled to  
perceive a vivid luminous appearance4   
,this experiment1 independent of its    
beauty1 is extremely pleasing   as      
affording an instance of true           
combustion1 that is1 the   production of
 ,light and ,heat by the mixture of two 
incombustible   bodies4 ,it may be      
presumed1 that this phenomenon arose    
from the   developement and             
decomposition of a portion of           
,euchlorine1 a   compound which he      
subsequently discovered in #ahaa4 ,in   
the year   #ahac1 ,chevreul announced1  
as a new discovery1 that if strontian   
be heated in contact with muriatic acid 
gas1 the gas is absorbed1   and the     
earthy salt becomes red hot4--,see      
,annals of ,philosophy1   vol4 ii4 p4   

#cab4   ,the letter which follows may be
 considered as a reply to one received  
from ,mr4 ,davies ,gilbert1 which1 it   
would appear1 contained strictures upon 
his recently published ,essays4         
,,to ,,davies ,,giddy1 ,,esq4           
,april #aj1 #agii4      ,,my ,,dear     
,,friend1      ,the engagements         
resulting from the establishment of the 
,pneumatic     ,institution1 and from a 
course of experiments1 to which ,i have 
been obliged to pay great attention1    
have prevented me from     acknowledging
 to you my obligations for the very     
great pleasure ,i     received from your
 last excellent letter4      ,in        
experiments on ,light and ,heat1 we have
 to deal with agents whose     changes  
we are unable directly to estimate4 ,the
 most we can hope     for is such an    
arrangement of facts as will account for
 most of the     phenomena4      ,the   
supposition of active powers common to  
all matter1 from     the different      
modifications of which all the phenomena

 of its     changes result1 appears to  
me more reasonable than the assumption  
of certain imaginary fluids alone       
endowed with active powers1     and     
bearing the same relation to common     
matter1 as the vulgar     philosophy    
supposes spirit to bear to matter4      
,that the particles of bodies must move1
 or separate from each     other1 when  
they become expanded1 is certain4 ,a    
repulsive motion of     the particles is
 directly the cause of expansion2 and   
when bodies     are expanded by         
friction1 under circumstances in which  
there could     be no heat communicated 
by bodies in contact1 no oxidation and  
no diminution of capacity1 ,i see no    
difficulty in conceiving the            
repulsive motion generated by the       
mechanical motion4      ,your excellent 
and truly philosophic observations will 
induce me to     pay greater attention  
to all my positions4 ,it is only by     
forming     theories1 and then comparing
 them with facts1 that we can hope to   

discover the true system of nature4 ,i  
will endeavour very soon to     give an 
answer to the remaining part of your    
excellent letter4      ,i have now just 
room to give you an account of the      
experiments ,i     have lately been     
engaged in1 though they are not much    
connected     with light and heat4      
,first4--,one of ,mr4 ,william ,coate's 
children accidentally     discovered    
that two bonnet-canes rubbed together   
produced a faint     light4 ,the novelty
 of this phenomenon induced me to       
examine it1 and     ,i found that the   
canes on collision produced sparks of   
light1 as     brilliant as those from   
the flint and steel4                    
,secondly4--,on examining the epidermis1
 ,i found1 when it was taken     off1   
that the canes no longer gave light on  
collision4      ,thirdly4--,the         
epidermis1 subjected to chemical        
analysis1 had all     the properties of 
silex4      ,fourthly4--,the similar    
appearance of the epidermis of reeds1   

corn1 and grasses1 induced me to suppose
 that they likewise     contained silex4
 ,by burning them carefully1 and        
analysing their     ashes1 ,i found that
 they contained it in rather larger     
proportions     than the canes4         
,fifthly4--,the corn and grasses contain
 sufficient potash to form     glass    
with their flint4 ,a very pretty        
experiment may be made on     these     
plants with the blow-pipe4 ,if you take 
a straw of wheat1     barley1 or hay1#be
 and burn it1 beginning at the top1 and 
heating     the ashes with the blue     
flame1 you will obtain a perfect globule
 of     hard glass fit for microscopic  
experiments4      ,i made a discovery   
yesterday which proves how necessary it 
is     to repeat experiments4 ,the      
gaseous oxide of azote is perfectly     
respirable when pure4 ,it is never      
deleterious but when it contains        
nitrous gas4 ,i have found a mode of    
obtaining it pure1 and ,i     breathed  
to-day1 in the presence of ,dr4 ,beddoes

 and some others1     sixteen quarts of 
it for near seven minutes4 ,it appears  
to support     life longer than even    
oxygen gas1 and absolutely intoxicated  
me4     ,pure oxygen gas produced no    
alteration in my pulse1 nor any other   
material effect2 whereas this gas raised
 my pulse upwards of twenty     strokes1
 made me dance about the laboratory as a
 madman1 and has     kept my spirits in 
a glow ever since4 ,is not this a proof 
of the     truth of my theory of        
respiration8 for this gas contains more 
light     in proportion to its oxygen   
than any other1 and ,i hope will prove a
     most valuable medicine4      ,we   
have upwards of eighty out-patients in  
the ,pneumatic     ,institution1 and are
 going on wonderfully well4      ,i     
shall hope for the favour of a letter   
from you1 and in my answer     to it    
will fully inform you of our            
proceedings4 ,i have just room to       
add that ,i am      ,yours1 with        
affection and respect1     ,,humphry    

,,davy4    #be ,it is very common1 after
 the burning of a hay-stack1 to find    
glass in the ashes4 ,p4   ,i cannot     
suffer the experiments with the         
bonnet-canes to pass1 without           
endeavouring to infuse into the reader a
 portion of that admiration which ,i    
feel in relating them4 ,they furnish a  
beautiful illustration of that          
combination of observation1 experiment1 
and analogy1 first recommended by ,lord 
,bacon1 and so strictly adopted by ,davy
 in all his future grand researches4    
,in alluding to this discovery--that    
siliceous earth exists generally in the 
epidermis of hollow plants--,davy       
observes in his agricultural lectures1  
that the siliceous epidermis serves as a
 support1 protects the bark from the    
action of insects1 and seems to perform 
a part in the economy of these feeble   
vegetable tribes1 similar to that       
performed in the animal kingdom by the  
shell of the crustaceous insects4  ,the 
circumstance that first led him to the  

investigation of the nature of nitrous  
oxide1 or the gaseous oxide of azote1   
alluded to in the foregoing letter1 has 
been thus recorded by himself4 ,a short 
time after ,i began the study of        
,chemistry1 in ,march #agih1 my         
attention was directed to the           
dephlogisticated nitrous gas of         
,priestley 7nitrous oxide7 by ,dr4      
,mitchell's theory of ,contagion1 by    
which he attempted to prove that        
dephlogisticated nitrous gas6 which he  
calls oxide of septon1 was the principle
 of contagion1 and capable of producing 
the most terrible effects1 when respired
 by animals in the minutest quantities1 
or even when applied to the skin1 or    
muscular fibre4  ,the fallacy of this   
theory was soon demonstrated by a few   
coarse experiments1 made on small       
quantities of this gas procured1 in the 
first instance1 from zinc and diluted   
nitrous acid4 ,wounds were exposed to   
its action2 the bodies of animals were  
immersed in it without injury2 and ,i   

breathed it1 mingled in small quantities
 with common air1 without any remarkable
 effects4 ,an inability to procure it in
 sufficient quantities prevented me1 at 
this time1 from pursuing the experiments
 to any greater extent4 ,i communicated 
an account of them to ,dr4 ,beddoes4    
,his situation in the ,medical          
,pneumatic ,institution in #agii1       
imposing upon him the duty of           
investigating the physiological effects 
of such ariform fluids as held out any  
promise of useful agency1 he resumed the
 investigation2 a considerable period1  
however1 elapsed1 before he succeeded in
 procuring nitrous oxide in a state of  
purity2 he was therefore obliged to     
breathe it in mixture with oxygen gas1  
or common air2 but as no just conclusion
 could be deduced from the action of an 
impure gas1 he commenced an enquiry for 
the purpose of discovering a process by 
which it might be procured in an        
uncontaminated condition2 when1 after a 
most laborious investigation concerning 

its composition1 properties1 and        
combinations1 enquiries which were      
necessarily extended to the different   
bodies connected with nitrous oxide1    
such as nitrous gas1 nitrous acid1 and  
ammonia1 he was enabled1 by a series of 
intermediate and comparative            
experiments1 to reconcile apparent      
anomalies1 and thus1 by removing the    
greater number of those difficulties    
which had previously obscured this      
branch of science1 to present to the    
chemical world the first satisfactory   
history of the ,,combinations ,,of      
,,oxygen ,,and ,,nitrogen4  ,thus       
prepared1 he proceeded to examine the   
action of nitrous oxide upon living     
beings1 and to compare it with the      
effects of other gases upon man2 and in 
this manner he completed its            
physiological1 as he had already done   
its chemical history4  ,these           
interesting results were published in a 
distinct volume1 in the year #ahjj1     
entitled1 ,researches ,chemical and     

,philosophical1 chiefly concerning      
,nitrous ,oxide1 and its ,respiration4  
,by ,humphry ,davy1 ,superintendent of  
the ,medical ,institution4  ,it may be  
observed in passing1 that the merits of 
this work could never have been inferred
 from the title-page1 which its most    
sanguine admirers must admit to be as   
clumsy and unpromising an invitation as 
an author ever addressed to his         
scientific brethren4  ,amongst ,davy's  
letters to ,mr4 ,gilbert1 ,i find one   
written on a proof sheet of the chapter 
of contents of the above work1 and which
 may not be uninteresting in this place4
       ,,to ,,davies ,,giddy1 ,,esq4    
,july #c1 #ahjj4      ,that our         
feelings1 as well as our actions1 are   
rendered stronger     and more vivid by 
habit1 is probable from many facts1 and 
from no     one more so than that of    
procrastination4 ,my much respected     
friend1     two months after my         
return1#bf ,i had formed the resolution 
of     writing to you2 week after week  

this resolution was renewed and put     
off to a future day1 with the hope that 
this day1 by presenting     something   
new1 would enable me to make my letter  
more interesting4     ,in vain6 the     
feeling of procrastination1 thus        
increased by     association1 at length 
became so strong as to prevent me from  
writing at all4#bg      ,i have received
 your letter2 it has awakened my duties1
 and has     been doubly welcome1 as    
being unexpected and undeserved4        
,since my return to the ,pneumatic      
,institution in ,december1 ,i have      
been almost incessantly occupied1 from  
,january to ,april1 in     completing a 
series of experiments on ,gases1 and    
their application2     and from ,april  
to the present time1 in writing and     
printing an     account of them4      ,i
 have written this letter on the table  
of contents of a work which     will be 
published in the course of the month1   
and of which ,i shall     take the      
earliest opportunity to send you a copy4

 ,this table of     contents will give  
you a better idea of the nature and     
extent of     the investigation1 than ,i
 could possibly have given in a letter4 
,we have been repeating the ,galvanic   
experiments with success4               
,nicholson1 by means of a hundred pieces
 of silver and zinc1 has     procured a 
visible spark4 ,cruickshank has revived 
oxidated metals     in solution1 by     
means of the nascent hydrogen produced  
from the     decomposition of water by  
the shock2 and both he and ,carlisle    
have     absolutely resolved water into 
oxygen and hydrogen by means of     it1 
making use of silver and platina wires4 
,an immense field of     investigation  
seems opened by this discovery3 may it  
be pursued so     as to acquaint us with
 some of the laws of life6      ,you    
have1 undoubtedly1 heard of ,herschel's 
discovery concerning     the production 
of heat by invisible rays emitted from  
the sun4 ,by     placing one thermometer
 within the red rays1 separated by a    

prism1     and another beyond them1 he  
found the temperature of the outside    
thermometer raised more than that of the
 inside one4      ,when ,i first heard  
of ,mr4 ,tennant's discovery1#bh ,i was 
very much     struck by an observation  
which you long ago made to me1 on the   
fertility of the ,cornish lands1 in     
which there was decomposed1     feltspar
 or serpentine4      ,mr4 ,tennant spent
 a day here some time ago1 when ,i      
mentioned     your observation to him1  
but he could not give any solution of   
the phenomenon4 ,quere4--,as lime and   
magnesia are probably both              
subservient to vegetation1 only from    
supplying plants with carbonic     acid1
 may not lime1 when mingled with        
magnesia1 in the process of             
vegetation1 render it partially caustic1
 and thus enable it to     destroy them8
      ,your observation on the scale of 
numbers1 and the fact relative     to   
it1 are highly interesting4 ,reasoning  
on this subject would     literally form

 the logic of generalization1 or the    
application of     one term to signify  
many terms1 or many ideas1 on which     
science     ultimately depends4         
,quere4--,how far have the first        
attempts     at generalization arisen   
from accident1 and how far from the     
resemblance between ideas8      ,dr4    
,beddoes has always ridiculed the       
,tractors1 in common with     all other 
reasonable men4 ,he is about to publish 
a new work on the     ,nitrous ,acid4   
,j4 ,wedgwood is returned1 very little  
altered for the better4     ,coleridge  
is gone to reside in ,cumberland2 he was
 here the week     before last1 and     
spent much time with me1 and often spoke
 of you     with the greatest interest4 
,clayfield is at this moment chiefly    
engaged in commercial speculations4 ,he 
has found a new mode of     making soda1
 which there is every reason to believe 
will turn out     profitable4      ,i   
hope some time in the autumn to see you1
 and to enjoy the well     remembered   

pleasure of your conversation2 in the   
mean while1 ,i     remain1 with respects
 to your family1      ,yours with       
sincere affection1     ,,humphry ,,davy4
    #bf ,from his visit to ,london1 as  
noticed at page #fb4    #bg ,with       
respect to the metaphysical speculation 
contained in   this paragraph of his    
letter1 had he not written it in haste1 
we   might presume he would have given a
 more exact expression to his   ideas4  
,by the misapplied term ,feeling of     
,procrastination1 he   doubtless meant  
to describe that aversion to labour     
which becomes   habit by indulgence1 and
 the perception of which1 so far from   
increasing in vividness1 actually       
languishes to obtuseness4 ,to   borrow  
an expression from ,dr4 ,johnson1 ,davy1
 in his metaphysical   speculations1 not
 unfrequently trod upon the brink of    
meaning1   where light and darkness     
begin to mingle4    #bh ,davy here      
alludes to the fact of magnesian earth  
being   prejudicial to vegetation4   ,in

 estimating the early genius of ,davy1  
and his character as a philosopher1 the 
style and matter of his ,,researches    
will afford us much assistance4 ,the    
close philosophical reasoning1--the     
patient and penetrating industry1--the  
candid submission to every intimation of
 experiment1 and the accuracy of        
manipulation1 so remarkably displayed   
throughout this work1 have been rarely  
equalled1 and perhaps never surpassed4  
,there is scarcely to be found a more   
striking illustration of chemical       
genius1 than that afforded by his       
chapter on the ,absorption of ,nitrous  
,gas by solutions of green ,sulphate of 
,iron4  ,the address with which he      
gradually disentangles the subject of   
its difficulties1 and catches at every  
opening to truth1 affords a study which 
may be safely recommended to the        
attention of every young                
experimentalist1 as being no less       
instructive than it is beautiful4  ,the 
phenomena attending the absorption of   

nitrous gas by solutions of sulphate of 
iron had been examined by ,vauquelin and
 by ,berthollet1 but the conclusions of 
these chemical philosophers were fatally
 infected by errors1 arising from the   
neglected action of the atmosphere4     
,davy1 by conducting his experiments    
over mercury1 proved that1 in the       
absence of air1 the absorption was      
simply owing to a combination between   
the gas and the fluid2 but that1 on     
admitting air1 the nitrous gas became   
nitrous acid1 a portion of which1       
together with a part of the water1      
subsequently underwent decomposition1   
and gave origin to ammonia1 and         
ultimately to nitrate of ammonia1 while 
the iron passed into the state of a     
peroxide4  ,we have also to admire in   
this work an ardour for investigation1  
which even the most imminent personal   
danger could not repress4 ,he may truly 
be said to have sought the bubble       
reputation in the very jaws of ,death4  
,what shall we say of that spirit which 

led him to inspire nitrous gas1 at the  
hazard of filling his lungs with the    
vapour of aqua fortis6 or what1 of that 
intrepid coolness which enabled him to  
breathe a deadly gas1 and to watch the  
advances of its chilling power in the   
ebbing pulsations at the wrist6  ,these 
experiments1 however1 are far too       
interesting and important to be related 
in any other than the author's own      
words2 but it is first necessary that   
his trials with the nitrous oxide should
 be considered4  ,he found that this gas
 might be most conveniently1 as well as 
most economically1 prepared by the      
decomposition of a salt known by the    
name of nitrate of ammonia1 by the      
application of a regulated heat2 but1 as
 the researches by which he arrived at  
this conclusion are recorded at length  
in his work1 and as the most important  
of them are now embodied in every       
elementary system of chemistry1 it would
 not only be tedious but useless1 to    
enter into a detail of them upon this   

occasion4  ,in ,april1 he says1 ,i      
obtained nitrous oxide in a state of    
purity1 and ascertained many of its     
chemical properties4 ,reflections upon  
these properties1 and upon former       
trials1 made me resolve to inspire it in
 its pure form1 for ,i saw no other way 
in which its respirability1 or powers1  
could be determined4  ,i was aware of   
the danger of the experiment4 ,it       
certainly would never have been made1 if
 the hypothesis of ,dr4 ,mitchell had in
 the least influenced my mind4 ,i       
thought that the effects might1         
possibly1 be depressing and painful2 but
 there were many reasons which induced  
me to believe1 that a single inspiration
 of a gas1 apparently possessing no     
immediate action on the irritable fibre1
 could neither destroy1 nor materially  
injure1 the powers of life4  ,on ,april 
#aath1 ,i made the first inspiration of 
pure nitrous oxide4 ,it passed through  
the bronchi without stimulating the     
glottis1 and produced no uneasy         

sensations in the lungs4  ,the result of
 this experiment proved that the gas was
 respirable1 and induced me to believe  
that a farther trial of its effects     
might be made without danger4  ,on      
,april #afth1 ,dr4 ,kinglake being      
accidentally present1 ,i breathed three 
quarts of nitrous oxide from and into a 
silk bag1 for more than half a minute1  
without previously closing my nose1 or  
exhausting my lungs4 ,the first         
inspirations occasioned a slight degree 
of giddiness1 which was succeeded by an 
uncommon sense of fulness in the head1  
accompanied with loss of distinct       
sensation and voluntary power1--a       
feeling analogous to that produced in   
the first stage of intoxication2 but    
unattended by pleasurable sensation4    
,dr4 ,kinglake1 who felt my pulse1      
informed me that it was rendered quicker
 and fuller4  ,this trial did not       
satisfy me with regard to its powers3   
comparing it with the former ones1 ,i   
was unable to determine whether the     

operation was stimulant or depressing4  
,i communicated the result to ,dr4      
,beddoes1 and on ,april the #agth1 he   
was present when the following          
experiment was made4  ,having previously
 closed my nostrils1 and exhausted my   
lungs1 ,i breathed four quarts of the   
gas from and into a silk bag4 ,the first
 feelings were similar to those produced
 in the last experiment2 but in less    
than half a minute1 the respiration     
being continued1 they diminished        
gradually1 and were succeeded by a      
sensation analogous to gentle pressure  
on all the muscles1 attended by an      
highly pleasurable thrilling1           
particularly in the chest and in the    
extremities4 ,the objects around me     
became dazzling1 and my hearing more    
acute4 ,towards the last inspirations1  
the thrilling increased1 the sense of   
muscular power became greater1 and1 at  
last1 an irresistible propensity to     
action was indulged in3 ,i recollect but
 indistinctly what followed2 ,i know    

that my motions were various and        
violent4  ,these effects very soon      
ceased after the respiration of the gas4
 ,in ten minutes ,i had recovered my    
natural state of mind4 ,the thrilling in
 the extremities continued longer than  
the other sensations4  ,this experiment 
was made in the morning2 no languor or  
exhaustion was consequent2 my feelings  
throughout the day were as usual1 and ,i
 passed the night in undisturbed repose4
  ,the next morning the recollection of 
the effects of the gas was very         
indistinct2 and had not remarks written 
immediately after the experiment        
recalled them to my mind1 ,i should even
 have questioned their reality4  ,our   
philosopher very naturally doubted      
whether some of these strong emotions   
might not1 after all1 be attributed to  
the enthusiasm necessarily connected    
with the perception of agreeable        
feelings1 when he was prepared to expect
 painful sensations2 but he says1 that  
subsequent experiments convinced him    

that the effects were solely owing to   
the specific operation of the gas4 ,he  
found that he could breathe nine quarts 
of nitrous oxide for three minutes1 and 
twelve quarts for rather more than four2
 but that he could never breathe it1 in 
any quantity1 so long as five minutes4  
,whenever its operation was carried to  
the highest extent1 the pleasurable     
thrilling1 at its height about the      
middle of the experiment1 gradually     
diminished1 the sense of pressure on the
 muscles was lost1 impressions ceased to
 be perceived1 vivid ideas passed       
rapidly through the mind1 and voluntary 
power was altogether destroyed1 so that 
the mouthpiece generally dropped from   
his unclosed lips4 ,when he breathed    
from six to seven quarts1 muscular      
motions were produced to a great extent3
 sometimes he manifested his pleasure by
 stamping1 or laughing only2 at other   
times1 by dancing round the room1 and   
vociferating4  ,during the progress of  
these experiments1 it occurred to him   

that1 supposing nitrous oxide to be     
analogous in its operation to common    
stimulants1 the debility occasioned by  
intoxication from fermented liquors     
ought to be increased after excitement  
from this gas1 in the same manner as the
 debility produced by two bottles of    
wine is increased by a third4 ,to       
ascertain whether this was the case1 he 
drank a bottle of wine1 in large        
draughts1 in less than eight minutes4   
,his usual drink1 he tells us1 was      
water2 he had been little accustomed to 
take spirits or wine1 and had never been
 intoxicated but once before in the     
course of his life4 ,under such         
circumstances1 we may readily account   
for the powerful effects produced by    
this quantity of wine1 and which he     
describes in the following manner3--    
,whilst ,i was drinking1 ,i perceived a 
sense of fulness in the head1 and       
throbbing of the arteries1 not unlike   
that produced in the first stage of     
nitrous oxide excitement3 after ,i had  

finished the bottle1 this fulness       
increased1 the objects around me became 
dazzling1 the power of distinct         
articulation was lost1 and ,i was unable
 to stand steadily4 ,at this moment1 the
 sensations were rather pleasurable than
 otherwise2 the sense of fulness in the 
head1 however1 soon increased1 so as to 
become painful1 and in less than an hour
 ,i sunk into a state of insensibility4 
,in this situation ,i must have remained
 for two hours1 or two hours and a half4
 ,i was awakened by head-ache and       
painful nausea4 ,my bodily and mental   
debility were excessive1 and the pulse  
feeble and quick4  ,in this state1 ,i   
breathed for near a minute and a half   
five quarts of gas1 which was brought to
 me by the operator for nitrous oxide2  
but as it produced no sensations        
whatever1 and apparently rather         
increased my debility1 ,i am almost     
convinced that it was1 from some        
accident1 either common air1 or very    
impure nitrous oxide4  ,immediately     

after this trial1 ,i respired twelve    
quarts of oxygen for nearly four        
minutes4 ,it produced no alteration in  
my sensations at the time1 but          
immediately afterwards ,i imagined that 
,i was a little exhilarated4  ,the      
head-ache and debility still1 however1  
continuing with violence1 ,i examined   
some nitrous oxide which had been       
prepared in the morning1 and finding it 
very pure1 ,i respired seven quarts of  
it for two minutes and a half4 ,i was   
unconscious of head-ache after the third
 inspiration2 the usual pleasurable     
thrilling was produced1 voluntary power 
was destroyed1 and vivid ideas rapidly  
passed through my mind2 ,i made strides 
across the room1 and continued for some 
minutes much exhilarated2 but languor   
and depression1 not very different in   
degree from those existing before the   
experiment1 succeeded2 they however     
gradually went off before bed-time4     
,this experiment proved1 that debility  
from intoxication was not increased by  

excitement from nitrous oxide4 ,the     
head-ache and depression would probably 
have continued longer1 had it not been  
administered4  ,the same work contains  
an account of many other trials2 but    
sufficient has been extracted to show   
the zeal and intrepidity with which he  
conducted his researches4 ,to withhold1 
however1 the testimony which several    
other scientific persons have given1    
with respect to the intoxicating        
influence of this gas1 would be to      
deprive the reader of some very amusing 
descriptions4  ,first appears ,mr4 ,w4  
,tobin1 who tells us that he soon found 
his nervous system agitated by the      
highest sensations of pleasure1 but     
which were difficult of description4    
,when the bags were exhausted and taken 
from him1 he suddenly started from his  
chair1 and vociferating with pleasure1  
made towards those that were present1 as
 he wished they should participate in   
his feelings4 ,he struck gently at      
,davy1 and a stranger entering the room 

at the same moment1 he made towards him1
 and gave him several blows1 but he     
adds1 it was more in the spirit of      
good-humour1 than in that of anger4 ,he 
then ran through different rooms in the 
house1 and at last returned to the      
laboratory1 somewhat more composed1     
although his spirits continued much     
elevated for some hours after the       
experiment2 he felt1 however1 no        
consequent depression1 either in the    
evening or day following4 ,upon another 
occasion1 he states that his sensations 
were superior to any thing he ever      
before experienced2 his step was firm1  
and all his muscular power increased4   
,his nerves were more alive to every    
surrounding impression2 he threw himself
 into several theatrical attitudes1 and 
traversed the laboratory with a quick   
step1 while his mind was elevated to a  
most sublime height3 he says that it is 
giving but a faint idea of his feelings 
to say1 that they resembled those       
produced by a representation of an      

heroic scene on the stage1 or by reading
 a sublime passage in poetry1 when      
circumstances contribute to awaken the  
finest sympathies of the soul4 ,the     
influence1 however1 of this inspiring   
agent appears to have been as transitory
 as its effects were vivid2 for he      
afterwards observes1 ,i have seldom     
lately experienced vivid sensations4    
,the pleasure produced by the gas is    
slight and tranquil1 and ,i rarely feel 
sublime emotions1 or increased muscular 
power4  ,the first time that ,mr4       
,clayfield breathed the gas1 it produced
 feelings analogous to those of         
intoxication4 ,he was for some time     
unconscious of existence1 but at no     
period of the experiment were his       
sensations agreeable2 a momentary nausea
 followed1 but unconnected with languor 
or head-ache4  ,in a subsequent trial1  
it would appear that he did experience  
certain thrillings which were highly    
pleasurable4  ,the account given by ,dr4
 ,kinglake agrees pretty much with those

 already cited4 ,he adds1 however1 that 
the inspiration of the gas had the      
further effect of reviving rheumatic    
irritations in the shoulder and         
knee-joints1 which had not been         
previously felt for many months4  ,next 
appears ,mr4 ,southey1 the ,laureate4   
,the reader will no doubt be prepared to
 hear that the nitrous oxide transported
 him1 at least1 to the summit of        
,parnassus2--by no means3 he laughed    
when the bag was removed from his mouth1
 but it may be fairly questioned whether
 this might not have been an expression 
of joy at the terrors he had escaped2   
for he freely confesses that he could   
not distinguish between the first       
feelings it occasioned1 and an          
apprehension of which he was unable to  
divest himself4  ,the first time ,mr4   
,coleridge inspired the nitrous oxide1  
he felt a highly pleasurable sensation  
of warmth over his whole frame3 he adds1
 that the only motion which he felt     
inclined to make1 was that of laughing  

at those who were looking at him3 a     
symptom as equivocal1 perhaps1 as that  
exhibited by the ,laureate4  ,a number  
of other accounts are given1 but those  
already related are perhaps sufficient  
to establish the fact1 that the gas in  
question possesses an intoxicating      
quality1 to which the enthusiasm of     
persons submitting to its operation has 
imparted a character of extravagance    
wholly inconsistent with truth4  ,it    
will be admitted that there must have   
been something singularly ludicrous in  
the whole exhibition4 ,imagine a party  
of grave philosophers1 with bags of silk
 tied to their mouths1 stamping1        
roaring1 and laughing about the         
apartment2 it is scarcely possible to   
conceive a richer subject for the pencil
 of a ,bunbury4 ,we cannot then be      
surprised at any terms of ridicule in   
which a stranger1 witnessing such an    
operation1 might describe it4 ,m4 ,t4   
,fieve#bi appears to have considered the
 practice as a national vice1 and       

whimsically introduces it amongst the   
catalogue of follies to which he        
considers the ,english nation to be     
addicted4    #bi ,lettres sur           
l',angleterre1 #ahjb4  ,taking leave of 
these laughing philosophers1 we must now
 proceed to a much more serious branch  
of the subject of ,pneumatic ,medicine4 
,having observed1 says ,davy1 that no   
painful effects were produced by the    
application of nitrous gas to the bare  
muscular fibre1 ,i began to imagine that
 this gas might also be breathed with   
impunity1 provided it were possible in  
any way to free the lungs of common air 
before inspiration1 so as to prevent the
 formation of nitrous acid4  ,on this   
supposition1 during a fit of enthusiasm 
produced by the respiration of nitrous  
oxide1 ,i resolved to endeavour to      
breathe nitrous gas3 one hundred and    
fourteen cubic inches of it were        
accordingly introduced into the large   
mercurial air-holder2 two small silk    
bags of the capacity of seven quarts    

were filled with nitrous oxide4  ,after 
a forced exhaustion of my lungs1 my nose
 being accurately closed1 ,i made three 
inspirations and expirations of nitrous 
oxide in one of the bags1 in order to   
free my lungs1 as much as possible1 from
 atmospheric oxygen2 then1 after a full 
expiration of the nitrous oxide1 ,i     
transferred my lips from the mouthpiece 
of the bag to that of the air-holder1   
and1 turning the stop-cock1 attempted to
 inspire the nitrous gas4 ,in passing   
through my mouth and fauces1 it tasted  
astringent and highly disagreeable2 it  
occasioned a sense of burning in the    
throat1 and produced a spasm of the     
epiglottis1 so painful as to oblige me  
to desist immediately from attempts to  
inspire it4 ,after removing my lips from
 the mouthpiece1 when ,i opened them to 
inspire common air1 nitrous acid was    
immediately formed in my mouth1 which   
burnt the tongue and palate1 injured the
 teeth1 and produced an inflammation of 
the mucous membrane1 which lasted for   

some hours4  ,as1 after the respiration 
of nitrous oxide1 a small portion of the
 residual atmospheric air always        
remained in the lungs mingled with the  
gas1 so is it probable that1 in the     
experiment just related1 a minute       
portion of nitrous acid was formed2 and1
 if so1 ,i perhaps owe the preservation 
of my life to the circumstance2 for1    
supposing that ,i had succeeded in      
taking a full inspiration of nitrous    
gas1 and even that it had not produced  
any positive effects1 it is not likely  
that ,i should1 by breathing nitrous    
oxide1 have so completely freed my lungs
 from it1 as to have prevented the      
formation of nitrous acid1 when ,i again
 inspired common air4 ,i never design   
again to attempt so rash an experiment4 
,his attempt to breathe carburetted     
hydrogen gas was scarcely less terrific 
and appalling4  ,mr4 ,watt's            
observations on the respiration of      
diluted hydro-carbonate by man1 and the 
experiments of ,dr4 ,beddoes on the     

destruction of animals by the same gas1 
proved that its effects were highly     
deleterious4  ,as it destroyed life1    
apparently by rendering the muscular    
fibre inirritable1 without producing any
 previous excitement1 ,i was anxious to 
compare its sensible effects with those 
of nitrous oxide1 which at this time ,i 
believed to destroy life by producing   
the highest possible excitement4  ,in   
the first experiment1 ,i breathed for   
nearly a minute three quarts of         
hydro-carbonate1 mingled with nearly two
 quarts of atmospheric air4#cj ,it      
produced a slight giddiness1 pain in the
 head1 and a momentary loss of voluntary
 power2 my pulse was rendered much      
quicker and more feeble4 ,these effects1
 however1 went off in five minutes1 and 
,i had no return of giddiness4    #cj ,i
 believe it had never been breathed     
before by any   individual in a state so
 little diluted4  ,emboldened by this   
trial1 ,i introduced into a silk bag    
four quarts of gas nearly pure1 which   

was carefully produced from the         
decomposition of water by charcoal an   
hour before1 and which had a very strong
 and disagreeable smell4  ,my friend    
,mr4 ,james ,tobin1 junior1 being       
present1 after a forced exhaustion of my
 lungs1 the nose being accurately       
closed1 ,i made three inspirations and  
expirations of the hydro-carbonate4 ,the
 first inspiration produced a sort of   
numbness and loss of feeling in the     
chest1 and about the pectoral muscles4  
,after the second1 ,i lost all power of 
perceiving external things1 and had no  
distinct sensation1 except that of a    
terrible oppression on the chest4       
,during the third expiration1 this      
feeling subsided1 ,i seemed sinking into
 annihilation1 and had just power enough
 to cast off the mouthpiece from my     
unclosed lips4  ,a short interval must  
have passed1 during which ,i respired   
common air1 before the objects around me
 were distinguishable4 ,on recollecting 
myself1 ,i faintly articulated1 ',i do  

not think ,i shall die4' ,placing my    
finger on the wrist1 ,i found my pulse  
thread-like1 and beating with excessive 
quickness4 ,in less than a minute1 ,i   
was able to walk1 and the painful       
oppression on the chest directed me to  
the open air4  ,after making a few      
steps1 which carried me to the garden1  
my head became giddy1 my knees trembled1
 and ,i had just sufficient voluntary   
power to throw myself on the grass4     
,here the painful feelings of the chest 
increased with such violence as to      
threaten suffocation4 ,at this moment ,i
 asked for some nitrous oxide4 ,mr4     
,dwyer brought me a mixture of that gas 
with oxygen1 and ,i breathed it for a   
minute1 and believed myself recovered4  
,in five minutes the painful feelings   
began gradually to diminish2 in an hour 
they had nearly disappeared1 and ,i felt
 only excessive weakness1 and a slight  
swimming of the head4 ,my voice was very
 feeble and indistinct4  ,i afterwards  
walked slowly for half an hour with ,mr4

 ,tobin1 and on my return was so much   
stronger and better as to believe that  
the effects of the gas had entirely     
passed off2 though my pulse was #abj1   
and very feeble4 ,i continued without   
pain for nearly three quarters of an    
hour1 when the giddiness returned with  
such violence as to oblige me to lie on 
the bed2 it was accompanied with nausea1
 loss of memory1 and deficient          
sensation4  ,in about an hour and a     
half1 the giddiness went off1 and was   
succeeded by an excruciating pain in the
 forehead1 and between the eyes1 with   
transient pains in the chest and        
extremities4  ,towards night these      
affections gradually diminished2 and at 
ten no disagreeable feeling1 except     
weakness1 remained4 ,i slept sound1 and 
awoke in the morning very feeble and    
very hungry4 ,no recurrence of the      
symptoms took place1 and ,i had nearly  
recovered my strength by the evening4   
,i have been minute in the account of   
this experiment1 because it proves1 that

 hydro-carbonate acts as a sedative2    
that is1 it produces diminution of vital
 action1 and consequent debility1       
without previously exciting4 ,there is  
every reason to believe that1 had ,i    
taken four or five inspirations1 instead
 of three1 they would have destroyed    
life immediately1 without producing any 
painful sensation4  ,the scientific and 
medical world are alike indebted to     
,davy for this daring experiment2 and1  
if the precautions it suggests be       
properly attended to1 it may become the 
means of preserving human life4 ,the    
experiment is also valuable as affording
 support to physiological views1 with   
which its author was probably not       
acquainted4  ,in the first place1 it may
 be necessary to apprize some of my     
readers1 that the hydro-carbonate here  
spoken of1 differs very little from the 
gas now so generally used to illuminate 
our streets and houses4 ,we have just   
seen how deadly are its qualities1 and  
that even in a state of extreme dilution

 it will affect our sensations4 ,the    
question then necessarily suggests      
itself1 how far this gas can be safely  
introduced into the interior of our     
apartments8 ,did we not possess any     
direct evidence upon the subject1 the   
answer would be sufficiently obvious1   
since it is impossible so to conduct its
 combustion1 that a portion shall not   
escape unburnt4 ,such is the theory2 but
 what is our experience upon the        
subject8--that pains in the head1       
nausea1 and distressing languor1 have   
been repeatedly experienced in our      
theatres and saloons1 by persons        
inhaling the unburnt gas2 that the      
atmosphere of a room1 although spacious 
and empty1 will1 if lighted with gas1   
convey a sense of oppression to our     
organs of respiration1 as if we were    
inhaling an air contaminated with the   
breath of a hundred persons4  ,in the   
next place1 ,davy's experiment is       
important1 inasmuch as it proves that1  
in cases of asphyxia1 or suspended      

animation1 there exists a period of     
danger after the respiration has been   
restored1 and the circulation           
re-established1 at which death may take 
place1 when we are the least prepared to
 expect it4  ,bichat has shown that1    
when dark-coloured blood is injected    
into the vessels of the brain by means  
of a syringe connected with the carotid 
artery1 the functions of the brain      
become immediately disturbed1 and in a  
short time entirely cease3 the effect is
 precisely similar1 whether the         
dark-coloured blood be transmitted to   
the brain by the syringe of the         
experimentalist1 or by the heart itself4
 ,thus in cases of asphyxia1 the        
dark-coloured blood which has been      
propelled through the vessels during the
 suspension or imperfect performance of 
respiration1 acts like a narcotic poison
 upon the brain2 and no sooner1         
therefore1 does it extend its malign    
influence to that organ1 than           
deleterious effects are produced1 and   

the animal1 after apparent recovery1    
falls into a state of stupor1 the pupils
 of the eyes become dilated1 the        
respiration laborious1 the muscles of   
the body convulsed1 and it speedily     
dies1 poisoned by its own blood4  ,we   
are much indebted to ,mr4 ,brodie for a 
series of experiments in confirmation of
 these views2 and a very interesting    
case occurred some time since1 in the   
neighbourhood of ,windsor1 which is well
 calculated for their illustration4 ,a  
corporal in the ,guards1 whose name1 if 
,i am not mistaken1 was ,schofield1 was 
seized with cramp as he was bathing in  
the ,thames1 and remained for several   
minutes under water4 ,by judicious      
assistance1 however1 he was recovered1  
and appeared to those about him to be   
free from any danger1 when he was       
attacked by convulsions and expired4    
,had the respiration been artificially  
supported at this period1 so as to have 
maintained the action of the heart until
 the black blood had returned from the  

brain1 the life of the soldier might    
possibly have been saved4  ,in the      
experiment which has given origin to    
these reflections1 ,davy distinctly     
states1 that after having recovered from
 the primary effects of the carburetted 
hydrogen gas1 and taken a walk with his 
friend ,mr4 ,tobin1 he was again seized 
with violent giddiness1 attended with   
nausea and loss of sensation4 ,the      
imperfectly oxygenized or dark-coloured 
blood had evidently affected the brain1 
and his life1 at this period1 was       
probably in greater jeopardy than in any
 other stage of the experiment4         
,nothing daunted by the dangers to which
 the preceding experiments had exposed  
him1 ,davy did not allow more than a    
week to elapse before he attempted to   
respire fixed air1 or carbonic acid gas2
 but it was in vain that he made        
voluntary efforts to draw it into the   
windpipe2 for1 the moment the epiglottis
 was raised a little1 such a painful    
irritation was induced as instantly to  

close it spasmodically on the glottis2  
and thus1 in repeated trials1 was he    
prevented from taking a single particle 
of carbonic acid into the lungs4 ,when1 
however1 the gas was diluted with a     
little more than double its volume of   
common air1 he was enabled to breathe it
 for nearly a minute1 when it produced a
 slight degree of giddiness1 and an     
inclination to sleep4#ca    #ca ,it     
would thus appear that carbonic acid1 in
 its most   concentrated form1 may kill 
by exciting a spasmodic action1   in    
which the epiglottis is closed1 and the 
entrance of air   into the lungs        
altogether prevented4 ,in a diluted     
form1 it may   destroy by its specific  
influence upon the blood1 which would   
seem to be of a highly sedative         
character4 ,death produced by   such an 
agent is probably attended with little  
or no suffering4   ,the younger         
,berthollet destroyed his life by       
inclosing himself   in an atmosphere of 
this description2 and on commencing his 

fatal experiment1 he registered all the 
successive feelings he   experienced1   
which were such as would have been      
occasioned by a   narcotic3--a pause1   
and then an almost illegible word       
occurred3   it is presumed that the pen 
dropped from his hand1--and he was no   
more4  ,it may perhaps appear           
extraordinary to the reader of the      
,,researches1 that although they were   
published not more than eighteen months 
after the appearance of his ,essays on  
,heat and ,light1 no allusion is made in
 them either to his theory or to his new
 nomenclature4 ,in relating his         
experiments upon ,respiration1 he       
employs the conventional language of the
 schools1 and the word phos-oxygen does 
not once occur in the volume4 ,this is  
fully explained in a communication made 
by him to ,mr4 ,nicholson1 and which was
 printed in his ,journal a short time   
after the publication of his ,essays in 
the ,west ,country ,contributions2 in   
which he says1--,as facts have occurred 

to me with regard to the decomposition  
of bodies1 which ,i had supposed to     
contain light1 without any luminous     
appearance1 ,i beg to be considered as a
 sceptic with respect to my own         
particular theory of the combinations of
 light1 until ,i shall have             
satisfactorily explained those anomalies
 by fresh experiments4 ,on account of   
this scepticism1 and for other reasons1 
,i shall in future use the common       
nomenclature2 excepting that1 as my     
discoveries concerning the gaseous oxide
 would render it highly improper to call
 a principle1 which in one of its       
combinations is capable of being        
absorbed by venous blood1 and of        
increasing the powers of life1          
azote1--,i shall name it1 with ,dr4     
,pearson1 ,chaptal1 and others1         
,,nitrogene2 and the gaseous oxide of   
azote ,i shall call ,,nitrous ,,oxide4  
,the same feeling is expressed at the   
conclusion of his ,third ,research4--,it
 would be easy to form theories         

referring the action of blood           
impregnated with nitrous oxide1 to its  
power of supplying the nervous and      
muscular fibre with such proportions of 
condensed nitrogen1 oxygen1 light1 or   
ethereal fluid1 as enabled them more    
rapidly to pass through those changes   
which constitute their life2 but we are 
unacquainted with the composition of    
dead organized matter2 and new          
instruments of experiment1 and new modes
 of research1 must be found1 before we  
can ascertain even our capabilities of  
discovering the laws of life4  ,there is
 one circumstance connected with the    
views entertained in this work which    
must not be passed over without notice4 
,in several passages he advocates the   
theory of the atmosphere being a        
chemical compound of oxygen and         
nitrogen2 whereas1 in later years1 he   
was amongst the first to insist upon its
 being simply a mechanical mixture of   
these gases4  ,in consequence of the    
highly deleterious experiments which    

have been already described1 and of the 
constant labours of the laboratory1 and 
the repeated inhalation of acid and     
other vapours1 his health began visibly 
to decline1 and he retired into         
,cornwall1 where he informs us that the 
associations of ideas and feelings1     
common exercise1 a pure atmosphere1     
luxurious diet1 and a moderate          
indulgence in wine1 in the course of a  
month1 restored him to health and       
vigour4  ,i find an allusion to this    
visit in a letter from his sister4 ,he  
had1 she says1 written to his mother of 
his intention to visit her1 but before  
the post had quitted ,bristol1 he was   
already on his way to ,penzance1 and    
would have reached it before his letter1
 had not his aunt1 on whom he called in 
the neighbouring town of ,marazion1     
struck with his appearance of ill       
health1 insisted on his remaining there 
till the next day1 lest his mother      
should be doubly alarmed at his         
unexpected visit and altered looks4     

,miss ,davy adds1 ,this one fact will   
serve1 at the same time1 to illustrate  
his attachment to home1 and the         
impetuosity of his mind1 which never    
rested till the object he proposed was  
accomplished4  ,the following letter is 
inserted in this place1 for the purpose 
of fixing the period at which he first  
ascertained those new facts in ,voltaic 
electricity1 which formed the basis of a
 future communication to the ,royal     
,society1 and which may be said to have 
paved the way to his grand discoveries  
in that branch of science2--the dawning 
of that glorious day1 which we shall    
presently view in all its splendour and 
glory4  ,there is1 moreover1 something  
extremely interesting in receiving from 
himself a simple and unadorned statement
 of results1 as they successively       
presented themselves to his             
observation--,truths plucked as they are
 growing1 and delivered to you before   
their dew is brushed off4       ,,to    
,,davies ,,giddy1 ,,esq4      ,pneumatic

 ,institution1 ,october #bj1 #ahjj4     
,be assured1 my respected friend1 that  
your last letter1 though     short1 was 
highly gratifying to me4 ,at the moment 
it was brought     to me1 ,i was about  
to depart with ,king and ,danvers on an 
excursion     to the banks of the ,wye4 
,our design was to see ,tintern ,abbey  
by     moonlight1 and it was perfectly  
accomplished4      ,after viewing for   
three hours all the varieties of light  
and     shade which a bright full moon  
and a blue sky could exhibit in     this
 beautiful ruin1 and after wandering for
 three days among     the many-coloured 
woods and rocks surrounding the river   
between     ,monmouth and ,chepstow1 we 
arrived on the fourth day at ,bristol1  
having to balance against the pleasure  
of the tour1 the fatigue of     a stormy
 voyage down the ,wye1 across the mouth 
of the ,severn1 and     up the ,avon4   
,on analysing1 after our return1        
specimens of the air collected from     
,monmouth1 from the woods on the banks  

of the ,wye1 and from the     mouth of  
the ,severn1 there was no perceptible   
difference2 they were     all of similar
 composition to the air in the middle of
 ,bristol2     that is1 they contained  
about twenty-two per cent4 of oxygen4   
,the air from the bladders of some      
sea-weed1 apparently just cast     on   
shore1 at the ,old ,passage1 likewise   
gave the same results2 so     that1     
comparing these experiments with those  
made by ,cavendish1     ,berthollet1 c4 
and by myself on other occasions1 at    
different     temperatures1 in different
 weather1 and with different winds1 ,i  
am almost convinced that the whole of   
the lower stratum of the     atmosphere 
is of uniform composition4      ,no test
 can be more fallacious and imperfect   
than nitrous gas1 on     account of the 
different composition of nitrous acid1  
formed in the     different             
manipulations of eudiometrical          
experiments4      ,the eudiometer that  
,i have lately employed gives1 in a few 

minutes1     the proportions of oxygen  
without correction4      ,in pursuing   
experiments on galvanism1 during the    
last two months1     ,i have met with   
unexpected and unhoped-for success4     
,some of the     new facts on this      
subject promise to afford instruments   
capable of     destroying the mysterious
 veil which ,nature has thrown over the 
operations and properties of ethereal   
fluids4      ,galvanism ,i have found1  
by numerous experiments1 to be a process
     purely chemical1 and to depend     
wholly on the oxidation of metallic     
surfaces1 having different degrees of   
electric conducting power4      ,zinc is
 incapable of decomposing pure water2   
and if the zinc     plates be kept moist
 with pure water1 the galvanic pile does
 not     act2 but zinc is capable of    
oxidating itself when placed in contact 
with water1 holding in solution either  
oxygen1 atmospheric air1     or nitrous 
or muriatic acid1 c43 and under such    
circumstances1     the galvanic         

phenomena are produced1 and their       
intensity is in     proportion to the   
rapidity with which the zinc is         
oxidated4      ,the galvanic pile only  
acts for a few minutes1 when introduced 
into     hydrogen1 nitrogen1 or         
hydro-carbonate2 that is1 only as long  
as     the water between its plates     
holds some oxygen in solution3 immerse  
it for a few moments in water containing
 air1 and it acts again4      ,it acts  
very vividly in oxygen gas1 and less so 
in the atmosphere4     ,when its plates 
are moistened by marine acid1 its action
 is very     powerful1 but infinitely   
more so when nitrous acid is employed4  
,five plates with nitrous acid gave     
sparks equal to those of the     common 
pile4 ,from twenty plates the shock was 
insupportable4      ,i had almost       
forgotten to mention1 that charcoal is a
 good galvanic     exciter1 and         
decomposes water1 like the metals1 in   
the pile2 but     ,i must stop1 without 
being able to expatiate on the          

connection     which is now obvious     
between galvanism and some of the       
phenomena     of organic motion4 ,i     
never consider the subject without      
having     forcibly impressed upon my   
imagination your observations#cb on the 
science of the ethereal fluids1 and ,i  
cannot help flattering myself     that  
this age will see your predictions      
verified4 ,i remain with     sincere    
respect and affection1      ,yours1     
,,humphry ,,davy4    #cb ,on conversing 
with ,mr4 ,gilbert on the above passage1
 ,i   understand that it is an allusion 
to his opinion1 that the   discovery of 
,galvanic power would ultimately lead to
 a knowledge   of the nature of light   
and heat4   ,that a work1 of the        
character of the ,,researches1 replete  
with ingenious novelty1 and rich in     
chemical discovery1 proceeding from the 
pen of so young a man1 should have      
excited very general admiration in the  
philosophic world1 is a circumstance    
that cannot surprise us2 but in a       

majority of cases1 precocious merit     
enjoys only an ephemeral popularity2 the
 sensations it excites are too vivid to 
be permanent1 and the individual sinks  
into an obscurity rendered ten times    
more profound by the brilliancy of the  
flash which preceded it2 but every event
 of ,davy's life would appear as if     
created1 and directed for his welfare1  
by some presiding genius1 whose         
activity1 in throwing opportunities in  
his way was rivalled only by the address
 with which he converted them to his    
advantage4 ,fortune and talent1 then1   
were both equally engaged in            
accomplishing the elevation of ,davy1   
and it is probable that eminent success 
generally requires a combination of     
these elements for its production1 and  
that the maxim of ,plautus is therefore 
as remote from truth as that of         
,theophrastus1 the one assigning all to 
fortune1 the other all to talent4  ,the 
experiments to which allusions have been
 frequently made during the present     

chapter1 favourably as they were        
received1 might have shared the fate of 
many other discoveries which did not    
admit of an immediate and obvious       
application to the purposes of common   
life2 for statistical value is a        
necessary passport to popular favour4   
,fortunately1 however1 for ,davy1 before
 the vivid impression produced by his   
new work had lost the glow of novelty1  
,count ,rumford was anxiously seeking   
for some rising philosopher1 who might  
contribute his energies towards the     
support1 and farther increase1 of the   
chemical fame of the recently           
established ,,institution ,,of ,,great  
,,britain4  ,it is not surprising that  
his attention should have been readily  
directed to one whose genius had been so
 lately displayed1 and whose views      
regarding ,caloric#cc were in such exact
 conformity with his own opinions4      
#cc ,mr4 ,gilbert no sooner discovered  
the tendency of ,davy's   opinions      
respecting the immateriality of         

,caloric1 than he urged   him to        
communicate them to ,count ,rumford1 but
 he considered   himself pledged to ,dr4
 ,beddoes1 and his ,essays were         
accordingly   printed in the ,west      
,country ,contributions4 ,count         
,rumford1 it may   be observed1         
maintained that ,caloric1 like          
,phlogiston1 was   merely a creature of 
the chemist's imagination1 and had no   
real   existence4 ,he considered heat as
 nothing more than the motions   of the 
constituent particles of bodies amongst 
themselves1--an   hypothesis which has  
no claims to novelty1 being perhaps one 
of the most ancient on record4--,see his
 paper on ,heat1 ,phil4   ,trans4 for   
#ahjd4  ,as the philosophical public    
must feel a lively interest in every    
incident connected with a transaction so
 important to the interests of science1 
as that by which ,davy was placed in the
 chemical chair of the ,institution1 ,i 
am fortunate in being able1 through the 
kindness of his two friends1 ,mr4       

,thomson and ,mr4 ,underwood1 to present
 a clear and satisfactory statement of  
all its circumstances and details4      
,,chapter ,,iii4     ,count ,rumford    
negotiates with ,mr4 ,underwood on the  
subject of    ,davy's appointment to the
 ,royal ,institution4--,terms of his    
engagement communicated in a letter to  
,mr4 ,gilbert4--,davy    arrives1 and   
takes possession of his apartments4--,he
    receives various                    
mortifications4--,he is elected a member
    of the ,tepidarian ,society4--,is   
appointed ,lecturer instead    of       
assistant4--,he makes a tour in         
,cornwall with ,mr4                     
,underwood4--,anecdotes4--,his ,poem on 
,spinosism4--,his letter to    ,mr4     
,gilbert1 communicating a galvanic      
discovery4--,he commences    his first  
grand course of lectures4--,his         
brilliant success4--,a    letter from   
,mr4 ,purkis4--,davy's style            
criticised4--,his    extraordinary      
method of experimenting4--,davy and     

,wollaston    compared as               
experimentalists4--,the style of ,davy  
as a lecturer    and a writer           
contrasted4   ,it may be readily        
supposed that the prominent situation   
held by ,davy at ,bristol1 as well as   
the merited celebrity of his writings1  
must have rendered his name familiar to 
all the leading philosophers of the day4
 ,it were vain1 therefore1 to enquire   
through what channel the echo of his    
fame first reached the ear of ,count    
,rumford2#cd it is sufficient to state  
that ,mr4 ,underwood1 a gentleman       
ardently attached to science1 and       
devoted to the interests of the ,royal  
,institution1 was amongst the first to  
urge the expediency of inviting him to  
,london as a public lecturer4 ,mr4      
,underwood1 in a letter lately addressed
 to me from ,paris1 says1 ,in           
consequence of several conversations    
with ,count ,rumford1 on the subject of 
,davy's superior talents1 and the       
advantages that would accrue to the     

,institution from engaging him as a     
lecturer1 the ,count called upon me on  
the #eth of ,january #ahja1 having      
received from the ,managers of the      
,institution full powers to negotiate   
upon the subject4 ,on this occasion1    
however1 ,i thought it advisable to     
introduce the ,count to ,mr4 ,james     
,thomson1 as being the more eligible    
person to treat in behalf of ,davy1 not 
only on account of his greater intimacy 
with him1 but because1 not being a      
proprietor1 he was unconnected with the 
interests of the ,institution4    #cd   
,amongst other celebrated chemists who  
had become   acquainted with ,davy at   
,bristol1 and subsequently spoken of    
his extraordinary genius1 was ,dr4      
,hope4 ,he informs me that   ,count     
,rumford had applied to him to find some
 chemist who would   undertake the      
office of lecturer at the ,institution2 
but that he   failed in discovering such
 a person as he could1 with propriety1  
introduce2 some time afterwards1        

however1 he became acquainted   with    
,davy1 and having soon perceived his    
talents1 recommended   him without any  
hesitation to the patronage of the      
,count4 ,this   circumstance1 combined  
with several others1 no doubt might have
   had its influence in deciding the    
fate of ,davy4  ,mr4 ,thomson1 who saw  
the prospect of honour and emolument    
thus opened for his friend1 after a     
satisfactory interview with ,count      
,rumford1 immediately wrote to ,davy1   
with an earnest recommendation that he  
should1 without loss of time1 come to   
town1 and conclude an arrangement thus  
auspiciously commenced4  ,davy1 with his
 characteristic ardour1 answered the    
letter in person4 ,he was introduced to 
the ,managers1 and the preliminary      
arrangements were soon completed2 the   
nature of which is disclosed by himself 
in the following letter to ,mr4         
,gilbert4       ,hotwells1 ,march #h1   
#ahja4      ,i cannot think of quitting 
the ,pneumatic ,institution1 without    

giving you intimation of it in a letter2
 indeed1 ,i believe ,i should     have  
done this some time ago1 had not the    
hurry of business1 and     the fever of 
emotion produced by the prospect of     
novel changes in     futurity1 destroyed
 to a certain extent my powers of       
consistent     action4      ,you1 my    
dear ,sir1 have behaved to me with great
 kindness1 and     the little ability ,i
 possess you have very much contributed 
to     develope2 ,i should therefore    
accuse myself of ingratitude1 were ,i   
to neglect to ask your approbation of   
the measures ,i have adopted     with   
regard to the change of my situation1   
and the enlargement of     my views in  
life4      ,in consequence of an        
invitation from ,count ,rumford1 given  
to me     with some proposals relative  
to the ,royal ,institution1 ,i visited  
,london in the middle of ,february1     
where1 after several conferences        
with that gentleman1 ,i was invited by  
the ,managers of the ,royal             

,institution to become the ,director of 
their laboratory1 and their             
,assistant ,professor of chemistry2 at  
the same time ,i was assured     that1  
within the space of two or three        
seasons1 ,i should be made     sole     
,professor of ,chemistry1 still         
continuing ,director of the             
laboratory4      ,the immediate         
emolument offered was sufficient for my 
wants2 and     the sole and uncontrolled
 use of the apparatus of the            
,institution1     for private           
experiments1 was to be granted me4      
,the behaviour of ,count ,rumford1 ,sir 
,joseph ,banks1 ,mr4 ,cavendish1     and
 the other principal managers1 was      
liberal and polite2 and they            
promised me any apparatus that ,i might 
need for new experiments4      ,the time
 required to be devoted to the services 
of the ,institution     was but short1  
being limited chiefly to the winter and 
spring4     ,the emoluments to be       
attached to the office of sole          

,professor of     ,chemistry are great2 
and1 above all1 the situation is        
permanent1     and held very honourable4
      ,these motives1 joined to the     
approbation of ,dr4 ,beddoes1 who       
with great liberality has absolved me   
from my engagements at the              
,pneumatic ,institution1 and the strong 
wishes of most of my friends     in     
,london and ,bristol1 determined my     
conduct4      ,thus ,i am quickly to be 
transferred to ,london1 whilst my sphere
     of action is considerably enlarged1
 and as much power as ,i could          
reasonably expect1 or even wish for at  
my time of life1 secured to     me      
without the obligation of labouring at a
 profession4      ,the ,royal           
,institution will1 ,i hope1 be of some  
utility to society4     ,it has         
undoubtedly the capability of becoming a
 great instrument     of moral and      
intellectual improvement4 ,its funds are
 very great4     ,it has attached to it 
the feelings of a great number of people

     of fashion and property1 and       
consequently may be the means of        
employing1 to useful purposes1 money    
which would otherwise be     squandered 
in luxury1 and in the production of     
unnecessary labour4      ,count ,rumford
 professes that it will be kept distinct
 from party     politics2 ,i sincerely  
wish that such may be the case1 though  
,i     fear it4#ce ,as for myself1 ,i   
shall become attached to it full of     
hope1 with the resolution of employing  
all my feeble powers towards            
promoting its true interests4      ,so  
much of my paper has been given to pure 
egotism1 that ,i have but     little    
room left to say any thing concerning   
the state of science1     and the public
 mind in town2 unfortunately1 there is  
little to say4     ,i have heard of no  
important discoveries4 ,in politics1    
nothing     seems capable of exciting   
permanent interest4 ,the stroke of      
poverty1 though severely felt1 has been 
a torpedo1 benumbing all     energy1 and

 not irritating and awakening it1 as    
might have been     expected4           
,here1 at the ,pneumatic ,institution1  
the nitrous oxide has evidently     been
 of use4 ,dr4 ,beddoes is proceeding in 
the execution of his     great popular  
physiological work1 which1 if it equals 
the plan he     holds out1 ought to     
supersede every work of the kind4       
,i have been pursuing ,galvanism with   
labour1 and some success4 ,i     have   
been able to produce galvanic power from
 simple plates1 by     effecting on them
 different oxidating and deoxidating    
processes2     but on this point ,i     
cannot enlarge in the small remaining   
space of     paper4      ,your remark   
concerning negative ,galvanism1 and     
deoxidation1 is     curious1 and will   
most probably hold good4      ,it will  
give me much pleasure to see your       
mathematical ,paper#cf     in the       
,philosophical ,transactions1 but it    
will be1 unfortunately1     to me the   
pleasure of blind sympathy1 though      

derived from the     consciousness that 
you ought to be acting upon1 and        
instructing the     world at large4     
,it will give me sincere pleasure to    
hear from you1 when you are at          
leisure4 ,after the #aath ,i shall be in
 town--my direction1 ,royal             
,institution1 ,albemarle ,street4 ,i am1
 my dear friend1 with respect     and   
affection1 ,yours1      ,,humphry       
,,davy4    #ce ,in ,england1 politics so
 constantly mix themselves up with   all
 our institutions1 while science        
unfortunately finds so few   disciples  
and patrons in the ranks of aristocracy1
 that every new   society is viewed with
 jealousy and party spirit4 ,johnson    
says1   in his ,life of ,addison--,it   
has been suggested that the ,royal      
,society was instituted soon after the  
,restoration1 to divert the   attention 
of the people from public               
discontent4--,p4    #cf ,he alludes to  
some calculations connected with light1 
and   the imponderable fluids4   ,the   

first notice of ,davy's name1 in the    
,minute ,book of the ,royal             
,institution1 occurs in the ,report     
adopted at a ,meeting of the ,managers1 
on ,monday the #afth of ,february #ahja4
  ,resolved--,that ,mr4 ,humphry ,davy  
be engaged in the service of the ,royal 
,institution1 in the capacities of      
,assistant ,lecturer in ,chemistry1     
,director of the ,laboratory1 and       
,assistant ,editor of the ,journals of  
the ,institution1 and that he be allowed
 to occupy a room in the house1 and be  
furnished with coals and candles2 and   
that he be paid a salary of one hundred 
guineas per annum4  ,on the #afth of    
,march #ahja1 after reporting that a    
room had been prepared and furnished for
 ,davy1 the ,minute proceeds to state   
that ,mr4 ,davy had arrived at the      
,institution on ,wednesday the #aath of 
,march1 and taken possession of his     
situation4  ,it is a curious fact1 that 
the first impression produced on ,count 
,rumford by ,davy's personal appearance1

 was highly unfavourable to the young   
philosopher1 and he expressed to ,mr4   
,underwood his great regret at having   
been influenced by the ardour with which
 his suit had been urged2 and he        
actually would not allow him to lecture 
in the ,theatre1 until he had given a   
specimen of his abilities in the smaller
 lecture-room4 ,his first lecture1      
however1 entirely removed every         
prejudice which had been formed2 and at 
its conclusion the ,count emphatically  
exclaimed--,let him command any         
arrangements which the ,institution can 
afford4 ,he was accordingly1 on the very
 next day1 promoted to the great        
,theatre4  ,davy's uncouth appearance   
and address subjected him to many other 
mortifications on his first arrival in  
,london4 ,there was a smirk on his      
countenance1 and a pertness in his      
manner1 which1 although arising from the
 perfect simplicity of his mind1 were   
considered as indicating an unbecoming  
confidence4 ,johnson1 the publisher1 as 

many of my readers will probably        
remember1 was in the custom of giving   
weekly dinners to the more distinguished
 authors and literary stars of the day4 
,davy1 soon after his appointment1 was  
invited upon one of these occasions1 but
 the host actually considered it        
necessary to explain1 by way of apology1
 to his company1 the motives which had  
induced him to introduce into their     
society a person of such humble         
pretensions4 ,at this dinner a          
circumstance occurred1 which must have  
been very mortifying to the young       
philosopher4 ,fuseli was present1 and1  
as usual1 highly energetic upon various 
passages of beauty in the poets1 when   
,davy most unfortunately observed1 that 
there were passages in ,milton which he 
could never understand4 ,very likely1   
very likely1 ,sir1 replied the artist in
 his broad ,german accent1 but ,i am    
sure that is not ,milton's fault4  ,on  
the #gth of ,april1 he was elected a    
member of a society which consisted of  

twenty-five of the most violent         
republicans of the day2 it was called   
the ,tepidarian ,society1 from the      
circumstance of nothing but tea being   
allowed at their meetings1 which were   
held at ,old ,slaughter's ,coffee ,house
 in ,saint ,martin's ,lane4 ,to the     
influence of this society1 ,mr4         
,underwood states that ,davy was greatly
 indebted for his early popularity4     
,fame gathers her laurels with a slow   
hand1 and the most brilliant talents    
require a certain time for producing a  
due impression upon the public2 the     
,tepidarians exerted all their personal 
influence to obtain an audience before  
the reputation of the lecturer could    
have been sufficiently known to attract 
one4  ,although the acquaintance between
 ,davy and ,count ,rumford commenced so 
inauspiciously1 they very soon became   
friends1 and mutually entertained for   
each other the highest regard4  ,davy's 
improved manners and naturally simple   
habits1 at this period1 were highly     

interesting and exemplary3 towards his  
old friends he conducted himself with   
the greatest amenity1 and frequently    
consulted them upon certain points      
connected with his new station in       
society4 ,the following anecdote was    
communicated by ,mr4 ,underwood4--,i    
introduced him1 says he1 to my old      
friend1 the excellent ,sir ,henry       
,englefield1 who was the first intimate 
acquaintance ,davy had formed in the    
higher circles2 he was received by him  
with all that warmth of manner1 and     
kindness of feeling1 which so eminently 
distinguished him4 ,shortly after this  
introduction1 ,sir ,harry sent him an   
invitation to meet me at dinner4 ,davy  
found himself unable to frame an answer 
to his satisfaction1 and fearing he     
might betray his ignorance of etiquette1
 ran to my house1 and greatly alarmed my
 mother by the extreme anxiety he       
displayed1 and the manner in which he   
entreated her to send me to him the     
moment ,i returned4 ,i went and found   

him cudgelling his brains to produce    
this first attempt at fashionable       
composition2 a dozen answers were on his
 table1 and he was in the highest degree
 excited and annoyed4  ,it would appear 
that1 immediately after his arrival at  
the ,royal ,institution1 he entered upon
 the duties of his station1 and         
performed them so greatly to the        
satisfaction of the ,managers1 that1 at 
a ,meeting held on the first of ,june1  
not more than six weeks afterwards1 the 
following ,resolutions were passed4     
,resolved--,that ,mr4 ,humphry ,davy1   
,director of the ,chemical ,laboratory1 
and ,assistant ,lecturer in ,chemistry1 
has1 since he has been employed at the  
,institution1 given satisfactory proofs 
of his talents as a ,lecturer4          
,resolved--,that he be appointed1 and in
 future denominated1 ,lecturer in       
,chemistry at the ,royal ,institution1  
instead of continuing to occupy the     
place of ,assistant ,lecturer1 which he 
has hitherto filled4  ,from an          

examination of the ,minute ,book1 it    
appears that ,dr4 ,garnett1 whose health
 had long been on the decline1 resigned 
his professorship on the #aeth of       
,june1#cg and that on the #fth of ,july 
in the same year1 ,dr4 ,young was       
engaged as ,professor of ,natural       
,philosophy1 ,editor of the ,journals1  
and general ,superintendent of the      
,house1 at the salary of #cjjl4 per     
annum4    #cg ,he delivered his farewell
 ,lecture on the #ith of the same       
month4  ,with ,dr4 ,garnett he had lived
 on terms of great intimacy2 with his   
successor he associated with less ease  
and freedom4  ,at a meeting of the      
,managers1 also held in ,july1 several  
,resolutions were passed to the         
following effect4  ,resolved--,that a   
,course of ,lectures on the ,chemical   
,principles of the ,art of ,tanning be  
given by ,mr4 ,davy4 ,to commence the   
second of ,november next2 and that      
respectable persons of the trade1 who   
shall be recommended by ,proprietors of 

the ,institution1 be admitted to these  
lectures gratis4  ,resolved             
further--,that ,mr4 ,davy have          
permission to absent himself during the 
months of ,july1 ,august1 and           
,september1 for the purpose of making   
himself more particularly acquainted    
with the practical part of the business 
of tanning1 in order to prepare himself 
for giving the above-mentioned course of
 lectures4  ,davy1 it would appear1     
availed himself of the permission       
granted to him by the above resolution  
of the ,managers1 and during the        
interval visited his native country4    
,he had arranged with his friend        
,underwood to make a tour through       
,cornwall2 but as it was his wish to    
remain at ,bristol for a few days1 on   
his way to the ,west1 it was agreed     
between them that they should meet at   
,penzance4  ,davy1 however1 became      
impatient1 and wrote the following      
letter to his friend1 a composition of  
much wildness1 and obnoxious to the     

suspicion of ,spinosism4       ,,my     
,,dear ,,underwood1      ,that part of  
,almighty ,god which resides in the     
rocks and woods1     in the blue and    
tranquil sea1 in the clouds and sunbeams
 of the     sky1 is calling upon thee   
with a loud voice3 religiously obey its 
commands1 and come and worship with me  
on the ancient altars of     ,cornwall4 
,i shall leave ,bristol on ,thursday    
next1 possibly before1 so that     by   
this day week ,i shall probably be at   
,penzance4 ,ten days or a     fortnight 
after1 ,i shall expect to see you1 and  
to rejoice with you4      ,we will      
admire together the wonders of          
,god1--rocks and the sea1     dead hills
 and living hills covered with verdure4 
,amen4      ,write to me immediately1   
and say when you will come4 ,direct ,h4 
,davy1 ,penzance4 ,farewell1 ,being of  
energy6      ,your's with unfeigned     
affection1     ,h4 ,,davy4   ,mr4       
,underwood transmitted to me the above  
letter with the following extract from  

his journal4  ,on the #beth ,i went to  
,bristol1 and on the #cjth arrived at   
,mrs4 ,davy's at ,penzance4 ,on the #ast
 of ,august we set off on a pedestrian  
excursion1 and proceeded along the edge 
of the cliffs1 round the ,land's ,end1  
,cape ,cornwall1 ,saint ,just1 and      
,saint ,ives1 to ,redruth1 and thence   
back to ,penzance4  ,two days afterwards
 we again started1 and trudged along the
 shore to the ,lizard4 ,kynance ,cove   
had from the commencement of our        
intimacy been a daily theme of his      
conversation4 ,no epithets were         
sufficiently forcible to express his    
admiration at the beauty of the spot3   
the enthusiastic delight with which he  
dwelt upon the description of the       
,serpentine rocks1 polished by the      
waves1 and reflecting the brightest     
tints from their surfaces1 seemed       
inexhaustible1 and when we had arrived  
at the spot he appeared absolutely      
entranced4  ,during these excursions his
 conversation was most romantic and     

poetical4 ,his views of ,nature1 and her
 sublime operations1 were expressed     
without reserve1 as they rapidly        
presented themselves to his imagination3
 they were the ravings of genius2 but   
even his nonsense was that of a superior
 being4  ,at the village of ,mullion1 a 
little incident occurred1 which evinced 
the existence of that gastronomic       
propensity which1 in after years1       
displayed itself in a wider range of    
operations4 ,the tourists had1 on their 
road1 purchased a fine large bass of a  
fisherman1 with the intention of        
desiring the landlady to dress it4 ,on  
arriving at the inn1 ,mr4 ,underwood    
retired into a room for the purpose of  
making some notes in the journal he     
regularly kept4 ,davy had disappeared4  
,in the course of a few minutes a most  
tremendous uproar was heard in the      
kitchen1 and the indignant vociferations
 of the hostess1 which1 even with all   
the advantages of ,cornish recitative1  
was not of the most melodious           

description1 became fearfully audible4  
,davy1 it seems1 had volunteered his    
assistance in making the sauce and      
stuffing for the aforesaid bass2 and had
 he not speedily retreated1 his services
 would have been rewarded1 not according
 to the scientific practice of appending
 a string of letters to his name1 but in
 conformity with the equally ancient    
custom of attaching a certain           
dishonourable addition to the skirts of 
his jacket4  ,i have observed that his  
letter to ,mr4 ,underwood betrayed a    
tincture of ,spinosism4 ,it may be here 
remarked1 that during the year #ahja he 
composed a poem1 which he arbitrarily   
distinguished by that appellation1      
singularly opposed to the tenor of the  
sentiments4 ,through the kindness of    
,mr4 ,greenough ,i possess a copy of it 
in its original state1 for it was       
subsequently altered1 and published in a
 collection1 edited by ,miss ,johanna   
,baillie2 and still more recently1 it   
underwent farther corrections1 and was  

printed for private circulation in the  
form in which ,i shall here introduce   
it4       ,lo6 o'er the ,earth the      
kindling spirits pour       ,the flames 
of life1 that bounteous ,nature gives2  
,the limpid dew becomes the rosy flower2
       ,the insensate dust awakes1 and  
moves1 and lives4      ,all speaks of   
change3 the renovated forms       ,of   
long forgotten things arise again4      
,the light of suns1 the breath of angry 
storms1       ,the everlasting motions  
of the main2      ,these are but engines
 of the ,eternal ,will1       ,the ,one 
,intelligence2 whose potent sway        
,has ever acted1 and is acting still1   
,whilst stars1 and worlds1 and systems1 
all obey3      ,without whose power1 the
 whole of mortal things       ,were     
dull1 inert1 an unharmonious band2      
,silent as are the harp's untuned       
strings       ,without the touches of   
the poet's hand4      ,a sacred spark1  
created by ,his breath1       ,the      
immortal mind of man his image bears2   

,a spirit living midst the forms of     
death1       ,oppress'd but not subdued 
by mortal cares--      ,a germ1         
preparing in the winter's frost1        
,to rise and bud and blossom in the     
spring2     ,an unfledged eagle by the  
tempest tost1       ,unconscious of his 
future strength of wing3--      ,the    
child of trial1 to mortality1       ,and
 all its changeful influences given3    
,on the green earth decreed to move and 
die2       ,and yet by such a fate      
prepared for ,heaven4--      ,soon as it
 breathes1 to feel the mother's form    
,of orbed beauty1 through its organs    
thrill2     ,to press the limbs of life 
with rapture warm1       ,and drink of  
transport from a living rill3      ,to  
view the skies with morning radiance    
bright1       ,majestic mingling with   
the ocean blue1     ,or bounded by green
 hills1 or mountains white2       ,or   
peopled plains of rich and varied hue3  
,the nobler charms astonish'd to behold 
,of living loveliness1 to see it move1  

,cast in expression's rich and varied   
mould1       ,awakening sympathy1       
compelling love3--      ,the heavenly   
balm of mutual hope to taste1           
,soother of life2 affection's bliss to  
share1     ,sweet as the stream amidst  
the desert waste1       ,as the first   
blush of arctic daylight fair3--        
,to mingle with its kindred1 to descry  
,the path of power--in public life to   
shine2     ,to gain the voice of        
popularity2       ,the idol of to-day1  
the man divine3--      ,to govern others
 by an influence strong       ,as that  
high law1 which moves the murm'ring     
main2     ,raising and carrying all its 
waves along1       ,beneath the         
full-orb'd moon's meridian reign3--     
,to scan how transient is the breath of 
praise2       ,a winter's zephyr        
trembling on the snow1     ,chill'd as  
it moves2 or as the northern rays1      
,first fading in the centre1 whence they
 flow3--      ,to live in forests       
mingled with the whole       ,of natural

 forms1 whose generations rise     ,in  
lovely change1 in happy order roll      
,on land1 in ocean1 in the glittering   
skies3--      ,their harmony to         
trace--,the ,eternal ,cause       ,to   
know in love1 in reverence to adore--   
,to bend beneath the inevitable law1    
,sinking in death2 its human strength no
 more3--      ,then1 as awakening from a
 dream of pain1       ,with joy its     
mortal feelings to resign2     ,yet all 
its living essence to retain1       ,the
 undying energy of strength divine3     
,to quit the burdens of its earthly     
days1       ,to give to ,nature all her 
borrow'd powers2     ,ethereal fire to  
feed the solar rays1       ,ethereal dew
 to glad the earth in showers4   ,the   
following letter was written from       
,london1 after his return from his      
,cornish excursion4       ,,to ,,davies 
,,giddy1 ,,esq4      ,royal             
,institution1 ,nov4 #ad1 #ahja4         
,,my ,,dear ,,sir1      ,after leaving  
,cornwall in ,august1 ,i spent about    

three weeks in     ,bristol1 and at     
,stowey1 so that ,i did not arrive in   
,london until     the #bjth of          
,september4      ,on my arrival ,i found
 that ,count ,rumford had altered his   
plans of     absence1 and had left      
,london on that very day for the        
,continent1     purposing to return in  
about two months4 ,he is now at ,paris1 
and in     about a fortnight we expect  
him here4      ,i shall soon have an    
opportunity of submitting ,captain      
,trevitheck's     boiler to his         
observation1 and in my next letter ,i   
shall give you     his opinion of it4   
,you of course have read an account of  
,dr4 ,herschel's experiments on     the 
heat-making rays2 from some late        
observations it appears1 that     there 
are other invisible rays beyond the     
violet ones1 possessed of     the       
chemical agency of ,light4 ,sennebier   
ascertained some time ago     that the  
violet rays blackened muriate of silver 
in three seconds2     whereas the red   

rays required1 for this effect1 twenty  
minutes4     ,ritter and ,dr4 ,wollaston
 have found that beyond the violet rays 
there is exerted a strong deoxidating   
action4 ,muriate of silver     placed in
 the spectrum is not altered beyond the 
red rays2 but it     is instantly       
blackened when placed on the outside of 
the violet     rays4 ,i purpose to try  
whether the invisible deoxidating rays  
will     produce light1 when absorbed by
 solar phosphorus4      ,the most       
curious galvanic facts lately noticed1  
are the combustion     of gold1 silver1 
and platina4 ,professor ,tromsdorf1 by  
connecting     the ends of a moderately 
strong battery with gold and silver     
leaf1     produced the combustion of    
them with vivid light4 ,in repeating the
     experiment on a thin slip of       
platina1 ,i have produced the same      
effect4      ,i yesterday ascertained   
rather an important fact1 namely1 that  
a galvanic battery may be constructed   
without any metallic     substance6 ,by 

means of ten pieces of well-burnt       
charcoal1 nitrous     acid1 and water1  
arranged alternately in wine-glasses1 ,i
 produced     all the effects usually   
obtained from zinc1 silver1 and water4  
,the ,bakerian ,lecture by ,dr4 ,young1 
our ,lecturer on ,natural               
,philosophy1 is now reading before the  
,royal ,society4 ,he attempts to        
revive the doctrine of ,huygens and     
,euler1 that light depends upon         
undulations of an ethereal medium4 ,his 
proofs 7i4e4 his presumptive     proofs7
 are drawn from some strong and curious 
analogies he has     discovered between 
,light and ,sound4      ,i shall        
strongly hope1 now the ,peace has       
arrived1 to see you soon     in ,london1
 as you proposed a tour through the     
,continent2 indeed1     you should fix  
your permanent residence in ,london1    
where alone you     can do what you     
ought--instruct and delight numbers of  
improved men4      ,i am1 my friend1    
yours     ,with unfeigned esteem and    

respect1     ,,humphry ,,davy4          
,although during #ahja ,davy had given  
some desultory ,lectures1 his splendid  
career cannot be said to have commenced 
until the following year1 when on the   
#bast of ,january he delivered his      
,introductory ,lecture to a crowded and 
enlightened audience in the ,theatre of 
the ,royal ,institution2 which was      
afterwards printed at the request of a  
respectable proportion of the ,society4 
,it contains a masterly view of the     
benefits to be derived from the various 
branches of science4 ,he represents the 
,chemist as the ,ruler of all the       
elements that surround us1 and which he 
employs either for the satisfaction of  
his wants1 or the gratification of his  
wishes4 ,not contented with what is to  
be found on the surface of the earth1 he
 describes him as penetrating into her  
bosom1 and even of searching the depths 
of the ocean1 for the purpose of        
allaying the restlessness of his        
desires1 or of extending and increasing 

the boundaries of his power4  ,in       
examining the science of ,chemistry1    
with regard to its great agency in the  
improvement of society1 he offers the   
following almost prophetic remarks4     
,unless any great physical changes      
should take place upon the globe1 the   
permanency of the ,arts and ,sciences is
 rendered certain1 in consequence of the
 diffusion of knowledge1 by means of the
 invention of ,printing2 and by which   
those words which are the immutable     
instruments of thought1 are become the  
constant and widely diffused nourishment
 of the mind1 and the preservers of its 
health and energy4  ,individuals        
influenced by interested motives or     
false views1 may check for a time the   
progress of knowledge2--moral causes may
 produce a momentary slumber of the     
public spirit2--the adoption of wild and
 dangerous theories1 by ambitious or    
deluded men1 may throw a temporary      
opprobrium on literature2 but the       
influence of true philosophy will never 

be despised2 the germs of improvement   
are sown in minds1 even where they are  
not perceived2 and sooner or later1 the 
spring-time of their growth must arrive4
  ,in reasoning concerning the future   
hopes of the human species1 we may look 
forward with confidence to a state of   
society1 in which the different orders  
and classes of men will contribute more 
effectually to the support of each other
 than they have hitherto done4 ,this    
state1 indeed1 seems to be approaching  
fast2 for1 in consequence of the        
multiplication of the means of          
instruction1 the man of science and the 
manufacturer are daily becoming more    
assimilated to each other4 ,the artist1 
who formerly affected to despise        
scientific principles1 because he was   
incapable of perceiving the advantages  
of them1 is now so far enlightened as to
 favour the adoption of new processes in
 his art1 whenever they are evidently   
connected with a diminution of labour2  
and the increase of projectors1 even to 

too great an extent1 demonstrates the   
enthusiasm of the public mind in its    
search after improvement4  ,the arts and
 sciences1 also1 are in a high degree   
cultivated and patronized by the rich   
and privileged orders4 ,the guardians of
 civilization and of refinement1 the    
most powerful and respected part of     
society1 are daily growing more         
attentive to the realities of life1--and
 giving up many of their unnecessary    
enjoyments1 in consequence of the desire
 to be useful1 are becoming the friends 
and protectors of the labouring part of 
the community4  ,the unequal division of
 property and of labour1 the differences
 of rank and condition amongst mankind1 
are the sources of power in civilized   
life--its moving causes1 and even its   
very soul4 ,in considering and hoping   
that the human species is capable of    
becoming more enlightened and more      
happy1 we can only expect that the      
different parts of the great whole of   
society should be intimately united     

together1 by means of knowledge and the 
useful arts2 that they should act as the
 children of one great parent1 with one 
determinate end1 so that no power may be
 rendered useless--no exertions thrown  
away4  ,in this view1 we do not look to 
distant ages1 or amuse ourselves with   
brilliant though delusive dreams1       
concerning the infinite improveability  
of man1 the annihilation of labour1     
disease1 and even death1 but we reason  
by analogy from simple facts1 we        
consider only a state of human          
progression arising out of its present  
condition1--we look for a time that we  
may reasonably expect--,,for ,a ,,bright
 ,,day1 ,,of ,,which ,,we ,,already     
,,behold ,,the ,,dawn4  ,the            
extraordinary sensation produced amongst
 the members of the ,institution by this
 first course of lectures1 has been     
vividly described by various persons who
 had the good fortune to be his         
auditors2 and foreigners have recorded  
in their travels the enthusiasm with    

which the great ,english chemist had    
inspired his countrymen4  ,the members  
of the ,tepidarian ,society1 sanguine in
 the success of their child1--for so    
they considered ,davy1--purposely       
appointed their anniversary festival on 
the day of his anticipated triumph4     
,they were not disappointed in their    
hopes2 and their dinner was marked by   
every demonstration of hilarity4 ,in the
 evening1 ,davy accompanied by a few    
friends1 attended1 for the first time in
 his life1 a masquerade which was given 
at ,ranelagh4  ,on the following day1 he
 dined with ,sir ,harry ,englefield4 ,i 
have a copy of the invitation1 addressed
 to ,mr4 ,underwood1 now before me4     
,,dear ,,underwood1      ,davy1 covered 
with glory1 dines with me to-day at     
five4 ,if you     could meet him1 it    
would give me great pleasure4           
,tilney ,street1 ,friday4      ,yours   
truly1     ,h4 ,c4 ,,englefield4   ,at  
this dinner1 ,sir ,harry wrote a request
 to ,davy to print his ,lecture1 which  

was signed by every one present1 except 
,mr4 ,underwood1 who declined1 from the 
apprehension that the signature of so   
intimate a friend might give to that    
which was a spontaneous homage to       
talent1 the appearance of a previously  
concerted scheme4  ,i shall here weave  
into my narrative some extracts from    
several letters1 with which ,mr4        
,purkis1 one of the earliest friends of 
,davy1 has lately favoured me4  ,on his 
first appointment at the ,royal         
,institution1 ,i was specially          
introduced to him by a common friend1   
,thomas ,poole1 ,esq4 of ,nether ,stowey
 in ,somersetshire2 and ,i continued in 
habits of friendship with him during a  
great portion of his life1 though       
somewhat less intimately during the last
 few years4 ,i loved him living--,i     
lament his early death3 ,i shall ever   
honour his memory4  ,the sensation      
created by his first course of ,lectures
 at the ,institution1 and the           
enthusiastic admiration which they      

obtained1 is at this period scarcely to 
be imagined4 ,men of the first rank and 
talent1--the literary and the           
scientific1 the practical and the       
theoretical1 blue-stockings1 and women  
of fashion1 the old and the young1 all  
crowded--eagerly crowded the            
lecture-room4 ,his youth1 his           
simplicity1 his natural eloquence1 his  
chemical knowledge1 his happy           
illustrations and well-conducted        
experiments1 excited universal attention
 and unbounded applause4 ,compliments1  
invitations1 and presents1 were showered
 upon him in abundance from all         
quarters2 his society was courted by    
all1 and all appeared proud of his      
acquaintance4  ,one instance of         
attention is particularly recalled to my
 memory4 ,a talented lady1 since well   
known in the literary world1 addressed  
him anonymously in a poem of            
considerable length1 replete with       
delicate panegyric and genuine feeling4 
,it displayed much originality1         

learning1 and taste3 the language was   
elegant1 the versification harmonious1  
the sentiments just1 and the imagery    
highly poetical4 ,it was accompanied    
with a handsome ornamental appendage for
 the watch1 which he was requested to   
wear when he delivered his next lecture1
 as a token of having received the poem1
 and pardoned the freedom of the writer4
 ,it was long before the fair authoress 
was known to him1 but they afterwards   
became well acquainted with each other4 
,i should not redeem the pledge given to
 my readers1 nor fulfill the duties of  
an impartial biographer1 were ,i to omit
 acknowledging that the manners and     
habits of ,davy very shortly underwent a
 considerable change4 ,let those who    
have vainly sought to disparage his     
excellence1 enjoy the triumph of knowing
 that he was not perfect2 but it may be 
asked in candour1 where is the man of   
twenty-two years of age1 unless the     
temperature of his blood were below     
zero1 and his temperament as dull and   

passionless as the fabled god of the    
,brahmins1 who could remain uninfluenced
 by such an elevation8 ,look at ,davy in
 the laboratory at ,bristol1 pursuing   
with eager industry various abstract    
points of research2 mixing only with a  
few philosophers1 sanguine like himself 
in the investigation of chemical        
phenomena1 but whose sphere of          
observation must have been confined to  
themselves1 and whose worldly knowledge 
could scarcely have extended beyond the 
precincts of the ,institution in which  
they were engaged4 ,shift the           
scene--behold him in the ,theatre of the
 ,royal ,institution1 surrounded by an  
aristocracy of intellect as well as of  
rank2 by the flowers of genius1 the lite
 of fashion1 and the beauty of ,england1
 whose very respirations were suspended 
in eager expectation to catch his novel 
and satisfactory elucidations of the    
mysteries of ,nature4 ,could the author 
of the ,rambler have revisited us1 he   
would certainly have rescinded the      

passage in which he says--,all          
appearance of science is hateful to     
women2 and he who desires to be well    
received by them1 must qualify himself  
by a total rejection of all that is     
rational and important2 must consider   
learning as perpetually interdicted1 and
 devote all his attention to trifle1 and
 all his eloquence to compliment4  ,it  
is admitted that his vanity was excited1
 and his ambition raised1 by such       
extraordinary demonstrations of         
devotion2 that the bloom of his         
simplicity was dulled by the breath of  
adulation2 and that1 losing much of the 
native frankness which constituted the  
great charm of his character1 he        
unfortunately assumed the garb and airs 
of a man of fashion2 let us not wonder  
if1 under such circumstances1 the       
inappropriate robe should not always    
have fallen in graceful draperies4  ,at 
length1 so popular did he become1 under 
the auspices of the ,duchess of ,gordon 
and other leaders of high fashion1 that 

even their soires were considered       
incomplete without his presence2 and yet
 these fascinations1 strong as they must
 have been1 never tempted him from his  
allegiance to ,science3 never did the   
charms of the saloon allure him from the
 pursuits of the laboratory1 or distract
 him from the duties of the             
lecture-room4 ,the crowds that repaired 
to the ,institution in the morning were1
 day after day1 gratified by newly      
devised and highly illustrative         
experiments1 conducted with the utmost  
address1 and explained in language at   
once perspicuous and eloquent4  ,he     
brought down ,science from those heights
 which were before accessible only to a 
few1 and placed her within the reach of 
all2 he divested the goddess of all     
severity of aspect1 and represented her 
as attired by the ,graces4  ,it is      
perhaps not possible to convey a better 
idea of the fascination of his style1   
than by the relation of the following   
anecdote4 ,a person having observed the 

constancy with which ,mr4 ,coleridge    
attended these lectures1 was induced to 
ask the poet what attractions he could  
find in a study so unconnected with his 
known pursuits4 ,i attend ,davy's       
lectures1 he replied1 to increase my    
stock of metaphors4  ,but1 as ,johnson  
says1 in the most general applause some 
discordant voices will always be heard2 
and so was it upon the present occasion4
 ,it was urged by several modern ,zoili1
 that the style was far too florid and  
imaginative for communicating the plain 
lessons of truth2 that he described     
objects of ,natural ,history by         
inappropriate imagery1 and that violent 
conceits frequently usurped the place of
 philosophical definitions4 ,this was   
,boeotian criticism2 the ,attic spirits 
selected other points of attack3 they   
rallied him on the ground of            
affectation1 and whimsically represented
 him as swayed by a mawkish sensibility1
 which constantly betrayed him into     
absurdity4 ,there might be some show of 

justice in this accusation3 ,the world  
was not large enough to satisfy the     
vulgar ambition of the conqueror1 but   
the minutest production of nature       
afforded ample range for the            
scrutinizing intelligence of the        
philosopher2 and he would consider a    
particle of crystal with so delicate a  
regard for its minute beauties1 and     
expatiate with so tender a tone of      
interest on its fair proportions1 as    
almost to convey an idea that he        
bewailed the condition of necessity     
which for ever allotted it so slender a 
place in the vast scheme of creation4   
,after the observations which have been 
offered with regard to the injurious    
tendency of metaphors in all matters    
relating to science1 ,i may probably be 
charged with inconsistency in defending 
,davy from the attacks thus levelled    
against his style4 ,we need not the     
critic to remind us that the statue of a
 ,lysippus may be spoiled by gilding2   
but ,i would observe that the style     

which cannot be tolerated in a          
philosophical essay1 may under peculiar 
circumstances be not only admissible1   
but even expedient1 in a popular        
lecture4 ,neque ideo minus efficaces    
sunt orationes nostr quia ad aures      
judicantium cum voluptate perveniunt4   
,quid enim si infirmiora horum temporum 
templa credas1 quia non rudi cmento1 et 
informibus tegulis exstruuntur2 sed     
marmore nitent et auro radiantur8  ,let 
us consider1 for a moment1 the class of 
persons to whom ,davy addressed himself4
 ,were they students prepared to toil   
with systematic precision1 in order to  
obtain knowledge as a matter of         
necessity8--,no--they were composed of  
the gay and the idle1 who could only be 
tempted to admit instruction by the     
prospect of receiving pleasure1--they   
were children1 who could only be induced
 to swallow the salutary draught by the 
honey around the rim of the cup4  ,it   
has been well observed1 that necessity  
alone can urge the traveller over barren

 heaths and snow-topped mountains1 while
 he treads with rapture along the       
fertile vales of those happier climes   
where every breeze is perfume1 and every
 scene a picture4  ,if ,science can be  
promoted by increasing the number of its
 votaries1 and by enlisting into its    
service those whom wealth and power may 
render valuable as examples or patrons1 
there does not exist a class of         
philosophers to which we are more       
largely indebted than to popular        
lecturers1 or to those whose eloquence  
has clothed with interest1 subjects     
otherwise severe and uninviting4 ,how   
many disciples did ,mineralogy acquire  
through the lectures of ,dr4 ,clarke at 
,cambridge1 who may truly be said to    
have covered a desert with verdure1 and 
to have raised from barren rocks flowers
 of every hue and fragrance6 ,in the    
sister university1 what an accession of 
strength and spirit have the animated   
discourses of ,dr4 ,buckland brought to 
the ranks of ,geologists6 ,to judge     

fairly of the influence of a popular    
style1 we should acquaint ourselves with
 the effects of an opposite method2 and 
if an appeal be made to experience1 ,i  
may very safely abide the issue4 ,dr4   
,young1 whose profound knowledge of the 
subjects he taught1 no one will venture 
to question1 lectured in the same       
theatre1 and to an audience similarly   
constituted to that which was attracted 
by ,davy1 but he found the number of his
 attendants diminish daily1 and for no  
other reason than that he adopted too   
severe and didactic a style4#ch    #ch  
,from the following minute it would     
appear1 that ,dr4 ,young's   connection 
with the ,royal ,institution was but of 
short duration4   ,it will be remembered
 that his appointment took place on     
,july #f1   #ahja4    ,resolved--,that  
,dr4 ,young be paid the balance of two  
years'   complete salary1 and that his  
engagement with the ,institution        
terminate from this time--,july #d1     
#ahjc4  ,in speaking of ,davy's lectures

 as mere specimens of happy oratory1 we 
do injustice to the philosopher4 ,had he
 merely added the ,corinthian foliage to
 a temple built by other hands1 we might
 have commended his taste1 and admired  
his talent of adaptation1 and there our 
eulogium must have ended2 but the       
edifice itself was his own2 he dug the  
materials from the quarry1 formed them  
into a regular pile1 and then with his  
masterly touch added to its strength    
beauty1 and to its utility grace4  ,in  
addition to these morning lectures1 we  
find that he was also engaged in        
delivering a course in the evening2 of  
which the following notice is extracted 
from one of the scientific journals of  
the time4 ,on the #beth1 ,mr4 ,davy     
commenced a course of lectures on       
,galvanic phenomena4 ,sir ,joseph       
,banks1 ,count ,rumford1 and other      
distinguished philosophers1 were        
present4 ,the audience were highly      
gratified1 and testified their          
satisfaction by general and repeated    

applause4  ,mr4 ,davy1 who appears to be
 very young1 acquitted himself          
admirably4 ,from the sparkling          
intelligence of his eye1 his animated   
manner1 and the tout ensemble1 we have  
no doubt of his attaining a very        
distinguished eminence4  ,from a ,minute
 entered on the ,records of the         
,institution1 it appears that1 at a     
meeting of ,managers held on the #cast  
of ,may #ahjb1 it was moved by ,sir     
,joseph ,banks1 and seconded by ,mr4    
,sullivan1--  ,that ,mr4 ,humphry ,davy 
be for the future styled ,professor of  
,chemistry to the ,royal ,institution4  
,a sufficient proof of the universal    
feeling of admiration which his lectures
 had excited4  ,the success of his      
exertions is communicated by him to his 
early friend1 in the following letter4  
,,to ,,davies ,,giddy1 ,,esq4           
,,dear ,,friend1      ,since the        
commencement of the ,session at the     
,institution1 ,i have     had but few   
moments of leisure4 ,the composition of 

a first course     of lectures1 and the 
preparation for experiments1 have fully 
occupied my time2 and the anxieties and 
hopes connected with a     new          
occupation have prevented me from paying
 sufficient attention     even to the   
common duties and affections of life4   
,under such     circumstances1 ,i trust 
you will pardon me for having suffered  
your letters to remain so long          
unanswered4 ,in human affairs1          
anticipation often constitutes          
happiness3 your correspondence is to    
me a real source of pleasure1 and1      
believe me1 ,i would suffer no          
opportunity to escape of making it more 
frequent and regular4      ,my labours  
in the ,theatre of the ,royal           
,institution have been     more         
successful than ,i could have hoped from
 the nature of them4     ,in lectures1  
the effect produced upon the mind is    
generally     transitory2 for the most  
part1 they amuse rather than instruct1  
and     stimulate to enquiry rather than

 give information4 ,my audience has     
often amounted to four and five hundred1
 and upwards2 and amongst     them some 
promise to become permanently attached  
to ,chemistry4     ,this science is much
 the fashion of the day4      ,amongst  
the latest scientific novelties1 the two
 new planets occupy     the attention of
 ,astronomers1 while ,natural           
,philosophers and     ,chemists are     
still employed upon ,galvanism4      ,in
 a paper lately read before the ,royal  
,society1 ,dr4 ,herschel     examines   
the magnitudes of the bodies discovered 
by ,mr4 ,piazzi     and ,dr4 ,olbers4   
,he supposes the apparent diameter of   
,ceres to     be about #bb1 and that of 
,pallas1 #ag or #ac1 so that their      
real diameters are #afc1 and #ie or #ga 
,english miles--,how small6     ,the    
,doctor thinks that they differ from    
planets in their general     character1 
as to their diminutive size1 the great  
inclination of     their orbits1 the    
coma surrounding them1 and as to the    

proximity of     their orbits4--,from   
comets1 in their want of their          
eccentricity1     and any considerable  
nebulosity4 ,he proposes to call them   
,asteroids4      ,i mentioned to you in 
a former letter the great powers of     
,galvanism in effecting the combustion  
of metals4 ,i have lately had           
constructed for the laboratory of the   
,institution1 a battery of     immense  
size3 it consists of four hundred plates
 of five inches in     diameter1 and    
forty1 of a foot in diameter4 ,by means 
of it1 ,i have     been enabled to      
inflame cotton1 sulphur1 resin1 oil1 and
 ether2 it     fuses platina wire1 and  
makes red hot and burns several inches  
of     iron wire of #a-cjjth of an inch 
in diameter2 it easily causes fluid     
substances1 such as oil and water1 to   
boil1 decompounds them1 and     converts
 them into gases4 ,i am now examining   
the agencies of it     upon certain     
substances that have not as yet been    
decomposed1 and     in my next letter ,i

 hope to be able to give you an account 
of my     experiments4      ,i shall    
hope soon to hear that the roads of     
,england are the     haunts of ,captain 
,trevitheck's dragons4 ,you have given  
them a     characteristic name4      ,i 
wish any thing would happen to tempt you
 to visit ,london4 ,you     would find a
 number of persons very glad to see you1
 with whose     attentions you could not
 be displeased4 ,with unfeigned respect1
      ,yours sincerely1     ,h4 ,,davy4 
,it is perhaps not possible to imagine a
 greater contrast1 than between the     
elegant manner in which ,davy conducted 
his experiments in the theatre1 and the 
apparently careless and slovenly style  
of his manipulations in the laboratory3 
but in the one case he was communicating
 knowledge2 in the other1 obtaining it4 
,mr4 ,purkis relates an anecdote very   
characteristic of this want of          
refinement in his working habits4 ,on   
one occasion1 while reading over to me  
an introductory lecture1 and wishing to 

expunge a needless epithet1 instead of  
taking up the pen1 he dipped his        
forefinger into the ink-bottle1 and thus
 blotted out the unmeaning expletive4   
,it was his habit in the laboratory1 to 
carry on several unconnected experiments
 at the same time1 and he would pass    
from one to the other without any       
obvious design or order3 upon these     
occasions he was perfectly reckless of  
his apparatus2 breaking and destroying a
 part1 in order to meet some want of the
 moment4 ,so rapid were all his         
movements1 that1 while a spectator      
imagined he was merely making           
preparations for an experiment1 he was  
actually obtaining the results1 which   
were just as accurate as if a much      
longer time had been expended4 ,with    
,davy1 rapidity was power4  ,the rapid  
performance of intellectual operations  
was a talent which displayed itself at  
every period of his life4 ,we have heard
 with what extraordinary rapidity he    
read at the age of five years2 and we   

now learn that his chemical enquiries   
were conducted with similar facility and
 quickness4  ,his early friend ,mr4     
,poole bears his testimony to the       
existence of the same quality in the    
following passage1 extracted from a     
letter ,i had lately the favour of      
receiving from him4 ,from my earliest   
knowledge of my admirable friend1 ,i    
consider his most striking              
characteristic to have been the         
quickness and truth of his apprehension4
 ,it was a power of reasoning so rapid1 
when applied to any subject1 that he    
could hardly be himself conscious of the
 process2 and it must1 ,i think1 have   
been felt by him1 as it appeared to me1 
pure intuition4 ,i used to say to him1  
',you understand me before ,i half      
understand myself8'  ,i recollect on our
 first acquaintance1 he knew but little 
of the practice of agriculture4 ,i was  
at that time a considerable farmer1 and 
very fond of the occupation4 ,during his
 visits in those days1 ,i was at first  

something like his teacher1 but my pupil
 soon became my master both in theory   
and practice4  ,the chemical            
manipulations of ,wollaston and ,davy   
offered a singular contrast to each     
other1 and might be considered as highly
 characteristic of the temperaments and 
intellectual qualities of these         
remarkable men4 ,every process of the   
former was regulated with the most      
scrupulous regard to microscopic        
accuracy1 and performed with the utmost 
neatness of detail4 ,it has been already
 stated with what turbulence and        
apparent confusion the experiments of   
the latter were conducted2 and yet each 
was equally excellent in his own style2 
and1 as artists1 they have not unaptly  
been compared to ,teniers and ,michael  
,angelo4 ,by long discipline1 ,wollaston
 had acquired such power in commanding  
and fixing his attention upon minute    
objects1 that he was able to recognise  
resemblances1 and to distinguish        
differences1 between precipitates       

produced by re-agents1 which were       
invisible to ordinary observers1 and    
which enabled him to submit to analysis 
the minutest particle of matter with    
success4 ,davy1 on the other hand1      
obtained his results by an intellectual 
process1 which may be said to have      
consisted in the extreme rapidity with  
which he seized upon1 and applied1      
appropriate means at appropriate        
moments4  ,many anecdotes might be      
related in illustration of the curiously
 different structure of the minds of    
these two ornaments of ,british         
,science4 ,the reader will1 in the      
course of these memoirs1 be furnished   
with sufficient evidence of the         
existence of those qualities which ,i   
have assigned to ,davy2 another         
biographer will no doubt ably illustrate
 those of ,dr4 ,wollaston4  ,i shall    
only observe1 that to this faculty of   
minute observation1 which ,dr4          
,wollaston applied with so much         
advantage1 the chemical world is        

indebted for the introduction of more   
simple methods of experimenting1--for   
the substitution of a few glass tubes1  
and plates of glass1 for capacious      
retorts and receivers1 and for the art  
of making grains give the results which 
previously required pounds4 ,a foreign  
philosopher once called upon ,dr4       
,wollaston with letters of introduction1
 and expressed an anxious desire to see 
his laboratory4 ,certainly1 he replied2 
and immediately produced a small tray   
containing some glass tubes1 a          
blow-pipe1 two or three watch-glasses1 a
 slip of platinum1 and a few test       
bottles4  ,wollaston appeared to take   
great delight in showing by what small  
means he could produce great results4   
,shortly after he had inspected the     
grand galvanic battery constructed by   
,mr4 ,children1 and had witnessed some  
of those brilliant phenomena of         
combustion which its powers produced1 he
 accidentally met a brother chemist in  
the street1 and seizing his button1 7his

 constant habit when speaking on any    
subject of interest17 he led him into a 
secluded corner2 when taking from his   
waistcoat pocket a tailor's thimble1    
which contained a galvanic arrangement1 
and pouring into it the contents of a   
small phial1 he instantly heated a      
platinum wire to a white heat4  ,there  
was another peculiarity connected with  
,wollaston's habit of minute            
observation3 it enabled him to press    
into his service1 at the moment1 such   
ordinary and familiar materials as would
 never have occurred to less observing  
chemists4 ,mr4 ,brande relates an       
anecdote admirably calculated to        
exemplify this habit4 ,he had called    
upon ,dr4 ,wollaston to consult him upon
 the subject of a calculus2--it will be 
remembered that neither phosphate of    
lime1 constituting the 'bone earth'     
species1 nor the ammoniaco-magnesian    
phosphate1 commonly called the 'triple  
phosphate1' is per se fusible2 but that 
when mixed1 these constitute the        

'fusible calculus' which readily melts  
before the blow-pipe4 ,dr4 ,wollaston1  
on finding the substance under          
examination refractory1 took up his     
paper-folder1 and scraping off a        
fragment of the ivory1 placed it on the 
specimen1 when it instantly fused4#ci   
#ci ,i have lately been informed that   
the idea of constructing   an instrument
 like the ,camera ,lucida1 first        
suggested itself to   ,dr4 ,wollaston1  
on his noticing certain phenomena       
occasioned by a   crack in the glass    
before which he was shaving himself4    
,having contrasted the manipulations of 
,davy1 as exhibited in the theatre1 with
 those performed by him in the          
laboratory1 it may1 in this place1 be   
interesting to offer a few remarks upon 
the difference of his style as a        
lecturer and as a writer4 ,whatever     
diversity of opinion may have been      
entertained as to the former1 ,i believe
 there never was but one sentiment with 
respect to the latter4 ,there is an     

ethereal clearness of style1 a          
simplicity of language1 and1 above all1 
a freedom from technical expression1    
which render his philosophical memoirs  
fit studies and models for all future   
chemists4 ,mr4 ,brande1 in a late       
lecture delivered before the members of 
the ,royal ,institution1 very justly    
alluded to this latter quality of his   
writings1 and forcibly contrasted it    
with the system of ,berzelius1 of whom  
it is painful to speak but in terms of  
the most profound respect1 and yet it is
 impossible not to express a deep regret
 at this distinguished chemist's        
introduction of a system of technical   
expressions1 which from its obscurity is
 calculated to multiply rather than to  
correct error1 and from its             
complications1 to require more labour   
than the science to which it            
administers3 to apply the quaint        
metaphor of ,locke1 it is no more suited
 to improve the understanding1 than the 
move of a jack is to fill our bellies4  

,from the readiness with which some     
continental chemists have adopted such  
terms1 and from the spirit in which they
 have defended them1 one might almost be
 led to suspect that they believed them1
 like the words used by the ,magi of    
,persia1 to possess a cabalistic power4 
,davy foresaw the injury which science  
must sustain from such a practice1 and  
endeavoured1 both by precept and        
example1 to discountenance it4  ,with   
regard to the introduction of a         
figurative and ornamental style into    
memoirs purely scientific1 no one could 
entertain a more decided objection2 and 
in his ,last ,days1 he warns us against 
the practice4  ,in detailing the results
 of experiments1 and in giving them to  
the world1 the chemical philosopher     
should adopt the simplest style and     
manner2 he will avoid all ornaments1 as 
something injurious to his subject1 and 
should bear in mind the saying of the   
first king of ,great ,britain1          
respecting a sermon which was excellent 

in doctrine1 but overcharged with       
poetical allusions and figurative       
language1--'that the tropes and         
metaphors of the speaker were like the  
brilliant wild flowers in a field of    
corn1 very pretty1 but which did very   
much hurt the corn4'     ,,chapter ,,iv4
     ,davy makes a tour with ,mr4       
,purkis1 through ,wales4--,beautiful    
phenomenon observed from the summit of  
,arran ,benllyn4--,letter    to ,mr4    
,gilbert4--,journal of the              
,institution4--,davy's papers on        
,eudiometry1 and other subjects4--,his  
first communication to the    ,royal    
,society1 on a new galvanic pile4--,he  
is proposed as a    ,fellow1 and elected
 into the ,society4--,his paper on      
astringent    vegetable substances1 and 
on their operation in tanning           
leather4--,his letter to ,mr4           
,poole4--,he is appointed ,chemical     
,lecturer to the ,board of              
,agriculture4--,he forms friendships    
with the ,duke of ,bedford1 ,mr4 ,coke1 

and many other celebrated               
agriculturists4--,attends the           
sheep-shearing at ,holkham and          
,woburn4--,composes a ,prologue to the  
,honey-,moon4   ,after the fatigues and 
anxieties of his first session1 ,davy   
sought relaxation and repose amidst the 
magnificent scenery of ,wales4 ,the     
following letter will serve more fully  
to exhibit the enthusiasm he experienced
 in contemplating ,nature in her wild   
and simplest forms4       ,,to ,,samuel 
,,purkis1 ,,esq4      ,matlock1 ,august 
#ae1 #ahjb4      ,,my ,,dear ,,friend1  
,had ,i been alone1 and perfectly       
independent as to my plans1 ,i          
should probably have written to you long
 ago4 ,i should have begged     you to  
hasten your departure1 so that we might 
have rejoiced     together in ,wales1   
under the influence of that moon which  
is now     full in all its glory2 for   
,derbyshire1 taken as a whole1 has not  
pleased me4 ,a few beautiful valleys1   
placed at the distance of many     miles

 from each other1 do not compensate for 
the almost uniform     wildness and     
brown barrenness of the hills and       
plains2 and in the     watering places1 
there is little amongst the living      
beings to     awaken deep moral         
feelings1 or to call the nobler powers  
of the     mind1 which act in           
consequence of sympathy1 into existence4
      ,i have longed for the mountain   
scenery1 and for the free               
inhabitants of ,north ,wales2 and even  
the majestic valleys of the     ,wye and
 the ,derwent have been to me but       
typical of something more     perfect in
 beauty and grandeur4      ,whenever it 
shall seem fitting to you1 ,i shall be  
prepared     for our long contemplated  
journey1 and do not delay your          
departure2--before the #bast would be   
more agreeable to me than     after that
 period2 and then we shall be able to   
view the horns of     the next moon1    
where they are most beautiful4      ,i  
have enquired much concerning           

,dove-dale1 since ,i have been here1    
and1 from the most accurate accounts1 ,i
 am inclined to believe that     it is  
inferior1 in point of sublime scenery1  
to ,chee ,tor1 near     ,bakewell1 and  
in beauty1 to the valley of the ,great  
,tor1 in which     ,i am now writing4   
,on the whole1 ,i think your best plan  
will be to     meet me at ,matlock1     
which you must see1 and then1 in our    
route to     ,buxton1 we can visit the  
valley of the ,wye1 and the most noble  
,chee ,tor4      ,concerning the        
excursion of ,dove-dale1 ,i am          
undecided1 and it     shall depend upon 
you to determine with regard to it4     
,as one great object in our excursions  
is to view ,nature and man     in their 
most simple forms1 and to gain a        
temporary life of new     impressions1  
,i submit to you whether it will not be 
best to steer     clear of towns1       
cities1 and civilized society1 in which1
 for     the most part1 we can see what 
we have only seen before4      ,if we   

visit ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 it certainly 
should be only en     passant3 and to   
see that most excellent personage1 and  
to be     obliged to quit him           
immediately1 will be at least painful2  
for the     respectful feelings he      
produces in the mind are always modified
 by     affection4      ,i have no room 
to give you the quantity of information 
that ,i     have gained concerning the  
places and people of ,wales2 this shall 
serve for our ,derbyshire chat4 ,i thank
 you much for your last kind     letter1
 which gave me high pleasure4 ,you      
possess the true spirit of              
composition1 which embodies facts in    
words4      ,i am1 c4     ,h4 ,,davy4   
,i am informed by ,mr4 ,purkis1 that in 
the latter end of this summer1 he made a
 pedestrian tour with ,davy1 through    
,north and ,south ,wales1 and he has    
transmitted to me the following account 
of this excursion4--,we visited every   
place possessing any remains of         
antiquity1 any curious productions of   

nature or art1 and every spot           
distinguished by romantic and           
picturesque scenery4 ,our friend's      
diversified talents1 with his knowledge 
of ,geology1 and ,natural ,history in   
general1 rendered him a most delightful 
companion in a tour of this description4
 ,every mountain we beheld1 and every   
river we crossed1 afforded a fruitful   
theme for his scientific remarks4 ,the  
form and position of the mountain1 with 
the several strata of which it was      
composed1 always procured for me        
information as to its character and     
classification2 and every bridge we     
crossed invariably occasioned a         
temporary halt1 with some appropriate   
observations on the productions of the  
river1 and on the diversion of angling4 
,in one of our morning excursions in    
,north ,wales1 we ascended the summit of
 ,arran ,benllyn1 a celebrated mountain1
 inferior only to ,snowdon and ,cader   
,idris1 a few miles from the lake of    
,bala4 ,here we were fortunate in       

beholding a scene of extraordinary      
sublimity1 seldom witnessed in this     
climate4 ,from the top of this mountain 
we looked down1 about mid-day1 on a deep
 valley eight or ten miles in length1   
and as many in breadth1 the whole of    
which1 for a considerable height from   
the surface of the ground1 was filled   
with beautiful clouds1 while the        
atmosphere around the summit on which we
 stood was perfectly clear1 and the sky 
above us of a deep blue colour4 ,the    
clouds in the valley were in irregular1 
gentle undulations1 dense1 compact1 and 
continuous1 of that kind which is       
denominated by ,meteorologists          
cirro-cumulus1 and by the vulgar1       
woolpack clouds1 such as are often seen 
in the higher regions on a fine summer's
 day4 ,the sun shone with great         
brilliancy1 and illumined their various 
forms with silver1 grey and blue tints  
of exquisite beauty4 ,as there was      
scarcely a breath of air stirring below 
the mountain1 this aggregation of       

clouds1 probably occasioned by some     
electrical agency1 remained fixed and   
stationary1 as if identified with the   
valley4 ,the higher parts of most of the
 surrounding hills were enveloped in    
mist1 above which the tops of ,snowdon  
and ,cader ,idris towered distinctly    
visible1 and appeared like small islands
 rising out of the sea4 ,this scene     
altogether was one of inexpressible     
magnificence and grandeur1 filling the  
mind with awe and rapture4 ,we seemed to
 feel ourselves like beings of a higher 
order in a celestial region1 looking    
down on the lower world with conscious  
superiority4  ,after sitting and        
ruminating on this sublime spectacle for
 two or three hours1 we left the summit 
of the mountain with reluctance1 and1   
slowly descending1 rested at intervals1 
and often cast a longing1 lingering look
 behind4  ,on reaching our comfortable  
inn at ,bala1 while waiting for dinner1 
,davy walked about the room1 and1 as if 
by inspiration1 broke out in a beautiful

 impassioned apostrophe on the striking 
scene we had so recently witnessed4 ,it 
was in a kind of unmeasured blank verse1
 highly animated and descriptive1 at    
once poetical and philosophical4 ,at the
 conclusion of this eloquent effusion1  
,i endeavoured to recollect and commit  
it to writing1 but ,i could not succeed1
 and ,davy was too modest to assist my  
memory4  ,in a tour through ,north      
,wales1 where the few small inns have   
seldom any spare rooms1 different       
parties are often obliged to sit in the 
same apartment1 and to eat at the same  
table4 ,hence we were occasionally      
introduced to characters of various     
descriptions1 some of whom gratified us 
by their agreeable qualities1 while     
others disgusted us by their ignorance  
and impertinence4 ,on one occasion1     
after a heavy shower of rain in the     
middle of ,august1 we were drying our   
clothes by the fire in the little ,inn  
at ,tan y ,bwlch1 when the landlord     
requested us to admit a gentleman1 who  

was very wet4 ,a young man1 of pleasing 
appearance and manner1 was then         
introduced1 and after some common-place 
observations1 we sat down to dinner4    
,the stranger was evidently a man of    
education and acquirements1 and after   
the cloth had been removed1 he began to 
discourse very fluently on scientific   
subjects4 ,he talked of oxygen and      
hydrogen1 of hornblende1 and the        
,grawack of ,werner1 and geologists1 in 
the most familiar tone of               
self-complacency4  ,davy's youth1       
simplicity of manner1 and cautious      
concealment of superior knowledge1 not  
exciting constraint1 our companion was  
naturally induced to deliver his        
opinions with the utmost freedom and    
confidence on all subjects4 ,we         
commenced on poetry and painting2 the   
sublime and beautiful2 then proceeded to
 mineralogy1 astronomy1 c4 and          
occasionally digressed on topics of     
mirth and humour1 so that the evening   
was passed with general satisfaction4   

,when ,davy had retired to rest1 and ,i 
was left alone with our companion1 ,i   
enquired how he liked my friend1 and    
whether he considered him a proficient  
in science1 and versed in chemistry and 
geology8 ,he answered coolly1 that 'he  
appeared to be rather a clever young    
man1 with some general scientific       
knowledge4' ,he then asked his name1 and
 when ,i announced ',davy1 of the ,royal
 ,institution1' the stranger seemed     
thunderstruck1 and exclaimed1 ',good    
,god6 was that really ,davy8 ,how have  
,i exposed my ignorance and             
presumption6' ,it is scarcely necessary 
to add1 that at the breakfast table the 
next morning1 he talked on subjects of  
science with less volubility than on the
 preceding evening4  ,after ,davy's     
return from this expedition1 he wrote   
the following letter4       ,,to        
,,davies ,,giddy1 ,,esq4      ,royal    
,institution1 ,oct4 #bf1 #ahjb4         
,,my ,,dear ,,sir1      ,it is long     
since ,i have had the pleasure of       

hearing from you4     ,you probably     
received a hasty letter that ,i wrote to
 you in the     beginning of the summer4
 ,since that period1 ,i have been idling
 away     much of my time in ,derbyshire
 and ,north ,wales4      ,till very     
lately1 ,i had hopes of being able to   
spend a few weeks     of the autumn in  
,cornwall1 but ,i now find that it will 
not suit     with my occupations4 ,not  
having it in my power to see you1 you   
may     believe that ,i am most anxious 
to hear from you4      ,we hear1 at this
 time1 in ,london of comparatively few  
scientific     novelties4 ,the wonders  
of revolutionized ,paris occupy many of 
our     scientific men2 and the summer  
and autumn are not the working          
seasons in great cities4 ,the rich and  
fashionable part of the     community   
think it their duty to kill time in the 
country1 and     even philosophers are  
more or less influenced by the spirit of
 the     times4      ,in the last volume
 of the ,manchester ,memoirs1 i4e4 the  

fifth1 are     some papers of ,mr4      
,dalton on the ,constitution of the     
,atmosphere2     on the expansive powers
 of ,steam2 and on the dilatation of    
,elastic     ,fluids by ,heat4 ,as far  
as ,i can understand his subjects1 the  
author     appears to me to have        
executed them in a very masterly way4 ,i
 wish     very much to have your        
judgment upon his opinions1 some of     
which     are new and very singular4    
,have you yet seen the theory of my     
colleague1 ,dr4 ,young1 on the          
undulations of an ,ethereal ,medium as  
the cause of ,light8 ,it is not         
likely to be a popular hypothesis1 after
 what has been said by     ,newton      
concerning it4 ,he would be very much   
flattered if you could     offer any    
observations upon it1 whether for or    
against it4 ,the     paper is in the    
last volume of the ,transactions4       
,i believe ,i mentioned to you in a     
former letter that ,terra     ,japonica1
 or ,extractum ,catechu1 contained a    

very large     proportion of the tanning
 principle4 ,my friend ,mr4 ,purkis1 an 
excellent practical tanner1 has lately  
tried some experiments upon     it in   
the large way4 ,it answers very well1   
and ,i am now wearing     a pair of     
shoes1 the leather of one of which was  
tanned with     oak-bark1 and that of   
the other with ,terra ,japonica2 and    
they     appear to be equally good4 ,we 
are in great hopes that the ,east       
,india ,company will consent to the     
importation of this article4 ,one       
pound of it goes at least as far as nine
 pounds of oak-bark2 and it     could   
certainly be rendered in ,england for   
less than four-pence     the pound3     
oak-bark is nearly one penny per pound4 
,the ,zoonic acid1 which ,m4 ,berthollet
 supposed to be a peculiar     acid1 has
 been lately shown by ,m4 ,thnard to be 
only acetous acid1     holding a        
peculiar animal matter in solution4     
,gregory ,watt is just returned from the
 ,continent1 where he has     passed the

 last fifteen months4 ,he has been much 
delighted with his     excursion1 but   
his health is at present bad4 ,i trust1 
however1 that     ,english roast-beef   
and ,english customs will speedily      
restore it4      ,we are publishing1 at 
the ,royal ,institution1 a ,journal of  
,science1     which contains chiefly    
abridged accounts of what is going on in
     different parts of ,europe1 with   
some original papers2 and in hopes      
that its diffusion may become more      
general1 we have fixed its price     at 
one shilling4 ,as soon as ,i have an    
opportunity1 ,i will send you     the   
last numbers of it4      ,i am beginning
 to think of my ,course of ,lectures for
 the winter4 ,in     addition to the    
common course of the ,institution1 ,i   
have to deliver     a few lectures on   
,vegetable ,substances1 and on the      
connection     of ,chemistry with       
,vegetable ,physiology1 before the      
,board of     ,agriculture4 ,i have     
begun some experiments on the powers of 

soils     to absorb moisture1 as        
connected with their fertility4 ,i have1
 for     this purpose1 made a small     
collection of those of the calcareous   
and secondary countries1 and ,i wish    
very much for some specimens     from   
the granitic and schistose hills of     
,cornwall4 ,if you     could1 without   
much trouble1 cause to be procured from 
your     estates different pieces of    
uncultivated soil1 of about a pound     
weight each1 ,i should feel much obliged
 to you4 ,they should be     accompanied
 by specimens of the stone or strata on 
which they lie4      ,i am1 dear ,sir1  
with affection and respect1 yours1      
,h4 ,,davy4   ,of the ,journals alluded 
to in the above letter1 it would seem   
that ,davy and ,dr4 ,young were the     
joint editors4 ,the former appears both 
as a reviewer and an original writer1   
and in each capacity we recognise the   
peculiarities of his genius3 in the one 
case1 by the quickness with which he    
detects error2 and in the other1 by the 

avidity with which he apprehends truth4 
,it will not be uninteresting to take a 
short review of his original            
communications1 especially as the work  
has become extremely scarce2 indeed1 as 
it was published in numbers1 it is very 
probable that only a few copies have    
escaped the common fate of periodicals4 
,his first paper is entitled1 ,an       
,account of a ,new ,eudiometer1 and has 
for its principal object the            
recommendation of the solution of the   
green muriate1 or sulphate of iron1     
impregnated with nitrous gas2 the       
knowledge of the properties of which1 in
 absorbing oxygen gas1 arose out of     
those experiments to which an allusion  
has been already made4#dj    #dj ,see   
page #hh4  ,this test is prepared by    
transmitting a current of nitrous gas   
through a saturated solution of the salt
 of iron4 ,as the absorption of the gas 
proceeds1 the solution acquires the     
colour of a deep olive brown2 and when  
the impregnation is completed1 it       

appears opaque and almost black4 ,the   
process is apparently owing to a simple 
elective attraction2 in no case is the  
gas decomposed2 and under the exhausted 
receiver it resumes its elastic form1   
leaving the fluid with which it was     
combined1 unaltered in its properties4  
,the test1 therefore1 can only be       
regarded as a convenient modification of
 that of ,priestley1 in which the       
nitrous gas was presented to the        
atmospheric air to be examined1 without 
the intervention of any third body4     
,the only apparatus required for the    
application of the test1 as suggested by
 ,davy1 is a small graduated tube1      
having its capacity divided into one    
hundred parts1 and a vessel for         
containing the fluid4 ,the tube1 after  
being filled with the air to be         
examined1 is introduced into the        
solution1 and shaken in contact with it2
 when the air will be rapidly diminished
 in volume1 and the whole of its oxygen1
 in a few minutes1 condensed into       

nitrous acid4  ,by means of this test1  
,davy informs us that he examined the   
atmosphere in different places1 without 
being able to ascertain any notable     
difference in the proportions of its    
component parts4  ,twenty-eight years   
have elapsed since the publication of   
this paper2 and yet1 amidst the rapid   
progress of discovery1 ,eudiometry has  
not been able even to modify the results
 it has given us2 but the reader will be
 pleased to remember1 that by these     
tests it is only professed to show the  
relative proportions of oxygen in air2  
the salubrity of an atmosphere depends  
upon many other causes1 especially its  
condition with regard to moisture1      
which1 in a variety of ways1 exerts an  
influence upon the structures of the    
body4  ,in this ,journal we also find   
several original communications from    
,davy on galvanic phenomena1 which will 
be noticed on a future occasion4 ,there 
is likewise a paper of considerable     
interest1 entitled1 ,an ,account of a   

method of copying ,paintings upon       
,glass1 and of making ,profiles1 by the 
agency of ,light upon ,nitrate of       
,silver1 invented by ,t4 ,wedgwood1     
,esq43 with ,observations by ,h4 ,davy4 
,in the first place1 he gives an account
 of the experiments of ,mr4 ,wedgwood1  
and then1 with his usual sagacity1      
extends our knowledge of the subject by 
his own researches4  ,chemists had been 
long acquainted with the fact1 that     
white paper1 or white leather1 moistened
 with a solution of the nitrate of      
silver1 although it does not undergo any
 change when kept in a dark place1 will 
speedily change colour on being exposed 
to daylight2 and that1 after passing    
through different shades of grey and    
brown1 it will at length become nearly  
black4 ,these alterations in colour take
 place more speedily in proportion as   
the light is more intense4 ,in the      
direct beams of the sun1 two or three   
minutes are sufficient1--in the shade1  
several hours are required1 to produce  

the full effect2 and light transmitted  
through differently coloured glass1 acts
 upon it with different degrees of      
intensity4 ,it is found1 for instance1  
that red rays1 or the common sunbeams   
passed through red glass1 have very     
little action upon it2 yellow and green 
are more efficacious2 but blue and      
violet produce the most decided and     
powerful effects4 ,davy observes that   
these facts were analogous to those     
which were long ago observed by         
,scheele1 and confirmed by ,senebier4   
,to ,mr4 ,wedgwood1 however1 belongs the
 merit of having first applied them for 
the ingenious purpose of copying        
engravings1 c4 ,his first attempt was to
 copy the images formed by the camera   
obscura2 but they were found to be too  
faint to produce1 in any moderate time1 
the necessary changes upon the nitrate  
of silver4 ,with paintings on glass he  
was more successful2 for the copying of 
which1 the solution should be applied on
 leather1 which is more readily acted   

upon than paper4 ,when a surface thus   
prepared is placed behind a painting on 
glass1 exposed to the solar light1 the  
rays transmitted through the differently
 coloured surfaces produce distinct     
tints of brown or black1 sensibly       
differing in intensity1 according to the
 shades of the picture2 and where the   
light is unaltered1 the colour of the   
nitrate becomes deepest4  ,besides this 
application of the method of copying1   
there are many others4 ,it may be       
rendered subservient for making         
delineations of all such objects as are 
possessed of a texture partly opaque1   
and partly transparent2 such1 for       
instance1 as the woody fibres of leaves1
 and the wings of insects2 for which    
purpose1 it is only necessary to cause  
the direct solar light to pass through  
them1 and to receive the shadows upon   
prepared leather4  ,to ,davy we are     
indebted for an extremely beautiful     
application of this principle1--that of 
copying small objects produced by means 

of the solar microscope4 ,for the       
success1 however1 of this experiment1 it
 is necessary that the prepared leather 
should be placed at a small distance    
only from the lens4  ,the copy of a     
painting1 or the profile of an object1  
thus obtained1 must of course be        
preserved in an obscure place2 for all  
the attempts that have been made to     
prevent the uncoloured parts of the copy
 from being acted upon by light1 have   
hitherto been unsuccessful4 ,they have  
been covered with a thin coating of fine
 varnish2 and they have been submitted  
to frequent washings2 yet1 even after   
this latter operation1 it would seem    
that a sufficient quantity of the active
 matter will still adhere to the white  
parts of the surface1 and cause them to 
become dark on exposure to the rays of  
the sun4 ,from this circumstance1 ,davy 
thinks it probable that a portion of the
 metallic oxide abandons its acid1 to   
enter into union with the animal or     
vegetable substance1 so as to form with 

it an insoluble compound4  ,it will be  
remembered that ,davy had made some     
early experiments on the collision of   
flint and steel in vacuo3#da we find in 
the ,royal ,institution ,journal a      
farther investigation of the subject2   
when he admits that1 although sparks are
 not produced under these circumstances1
 yet that a faint light becomes visible4
 ,in many instances1 he refers the      
phenomenon to electricity excited by    
friction1 more especially in the        
instances of glass1 quartz1 sugar1 c4   
which give out light when rubbed4 ,in   
other cases1 he considers it probable   
that a species of phosphorescence may be
 occasioned by the heat2 and he thinks  
that there may occasionally take place  
an actual ignition of abraded particles1
 in consequence of their imperfect      
conducting power3 a supposition which he
 thinks receives strong support from an 
experiment of ,mr4 ,wedgwood1 who found 
that a piece of window-glass1 when      
brought into contact with a revolving   

wheel of grit1 became red hot at its    
point of friction1 and gave off luminous
 particles that were capable of         
inflaming gunpowder and hydrogen gas4   
#da ,see page #fg4  ,we shall also find 
in this volume an account of some       
observations which he made upon the     
motions of small pieces of acetate of   
potash1 during their solution1 upon the 
surface of water4 ,after the interesting
 and extraordinary observations of ,mr4 
,brown1 every phenomenon of this kind is
 calculated to excite attention4  ,davy 
states that the fragments were agitated 
by very singular motions during the time
 of their solution1 sometimes revolving 
for a second or two1 and then moving    
rapidly backwards and forwards in       
various directions4 ,he considers the   
phenomenon as evidently connected with  
the rapid process of solution1 since the
 motions became weaker as the point of  
saturation approached4 ,the thinnest    
film of oil1 or of ether1 wholly        
destroyed the effect4 ,those pieces     

which were most irregular in their forms
 underwent1 by far1 the most rapid      
motions2 from which1 he thinks1 it would
 appear1 that the phenomenon was in some
 measure owing to changes in the centre 
of gravity of the particles during their
 solution4 ,the projectile motions1     
however1 would seem to depend upon the  
continual descent of a current of the   
saline solution from the agitated       
particle1 in consequence of which1 the  
surrounding water would press upon      
different parts of it with different    
degrees of force4 ,besides which1 an    
increase of temperature1 which was found
 to accompany the solution of the salt1 
might in a degree modify the effect4    
,his first communication to the ,royal  
,society was entitled ,an ,account of   
some ,galvanic ,combinations1 formed by 
an arrangement of single metallic plates
 and fluids1 analogous to the ,galvanic 
,apparatus of ,m4 ,volta4  ,it was read 
on the #ahth of ,june #ahja1 and will be
 examined in a future part of these     

memoirs4  ,the certificate1 recommending
 him as a candidate for the honour of a 
seat in the ,royal ,society1 was read   
for the first time on the #bast of      
,april #ahjc2 and having been duly      
suspended in the meeting-room1 during   
ten sittings of the ,society1 according 
to the statute1 he was put to the       
ballot1 and elected on the #agth of     
,november in the same year4  ,as every  
circumstance connected with the progress
 of ,davy will be hereafter viewed with 
considerable interest1 ,i shall here    
introduce the form of the certificate1  
and record the names of those ,fellows  
who sanctioned it by their signatures4  
,,humphry ,,davy1 ,,esq4 ,professor of  
,chemistry in the ,royal ,institution   
of ,great ,britain1 a gentleman of very 
considerable scientific     knowledge1  
and author of a paper in the            
,philosophical ,transactions1     being 
desirous of becoming a ,fellow of the   
,royal ,society1 we     the undersigned 
do from our personal knowledge recommend

 him     as deserving that honour1 and  
as likely to prove an useful and        
valuable member4      7,signed7         
,,morton1              ,r4 ,j4          
,,sullivan1              ,,kinnaird1    
,,charles ,,hatchett1                   
,,thomas ,,young1              ,,webb   
,,seymour1              ,w4 ,g4 ,,maton1
              ,,thomas ,,rackett1       
,,james ,,edward ,,smith1               
,w4 ,g4 ,,jordan1              ,,john   
,,walker1              ,,richard        
,,chenevix1              ,,alexander    
,,crichton1              ,,henry ,c4    
,,englefield1              ,,charles    
,,wilkins1              ,,giffin        
,,wilson1              ,,gilbert        
,,blane1              ,,edward          
,,forster4   ,on the #gth of ,july1 in  
the same year1 he was elected an        
,honorary ,member of the ,dublin        
,society1 having been proposed from the 
chair by the ,vice-,president1 ,general 
,vallancey4  ,it has been stated that1  
shortly after ,davy's arrival at the    

,institution1 the ,managers1 being      
anxious to encourage all investigations 
of a practical tendency1 directed him to
 deliver a series of lectures on the art
 of tanning4 ,with this view1 he entered
 into a scientific examination of the   
subject1 in which he was encouraged by  
,sir ,joseph ,banks1 the liberal patron 
and promoter of all useful knowledge1   
who supplied him with various materials 
for experiment4  ,the subject had       
recently attracted considerable         
attention1 both at home and abroad1 but 
much still remained to be effected2 and 
,davy succeeded in adding many important
 facts to the general store4  ,in the   
,royal ,institution ,journal already    
noticed1 we find several communications 
from him1 under the titles of           
,observations on different methods of   
obtaining ,gallic ,acid2--,on the       
processes of ,tanning1 c4 ,all the new  
facts however1 discovered in the course 
of his experiments1 were embodied in a  
long and elaborate memoir1 which was    

read before the ,royal ,society on the  
#bdth of ,february #ahjc1 and published 
in the ,philosophical ,transactions for 
that year4 ,it was entitled ,an ,account
 of some ,experiments and ,observations 
on the constituent parts of certain     
astringent ,vegetables1 and on their    
operation in ,tanning4 ,by ,humphry     
,davy1 ,professor of ,chemistry in the  
,royal ,institution4 ,communicated by   
the ,right ,honourable ,sir ,joseph     
,banks1 ,p4 ,r4 ,s4  ,although ,seguin  
and ,proust had already examined many of
 the properties of that vegetable       
principle to which the name of tannin   
had been given1 yet its affinities had  
been but little examined2 and the manner
 in which its action upon animal matters
 may be modified by combination with    
other substances1 had been still less   
considered4  ,his principal design in   
this enquiry was to elucidate the       
practical part of the art of tanning    
skins1 so as to form leather2 but in    
pursuing this object1 he was necessarily

 led into chemical investigations       
connected with the analysis of the      
various bodies containing the tanning   
principle1 and the peculiar properties  
and value of each4  ,the vegetable      
principles that had been regarded as    
more usually present in astringent      
infusions1 are tannin1 gallic acid1 and 
extractive matter4 ,in attempting to    
ascertain the relative proportions of   
tannin contained in different infusions1
 ,davy was led1 after various trials1 to
 prefer the generally received method of
 precipitating by means of gelatine     
procured from isinglass4 ,in using this 
test1 however1 he discovered that       
several precautions were                
necessary2--that the solution should be 
quite fresh1--that it should be as much 
saturated as may be compatible with its 
fluidity1--and that the precipitate     
obtained should be reduced to a uniform 
degree of dryness4  ,it is evident that 
if the quantity of gelatine in the      
solution1 employed as the precipitant1  

be known1 it will only be necessary to  
ascertain the weight of the precipitate 
produced by it1 in order to learn the   
absolute proportion of tannin present in
 any specimen4  ,he next directed his   
attention to the discovery of some      
method by which the gallic acid might be
 separated from extractive matter1 in   
cases where they exist in combination1  
but the enquiry was not successful2 for1
 as he observes1 it is difficult to     
render the extractive insoluble1 so as  
to separate it1 without at the same time
 decomposing the gallic acid4 ,it is    
true that ther will dissolve the latter1
 without exerting much action upon the  
former2 but then1 he adds1 whenever the 
gallic acid is in large quantities1 this
 method will fail1 in consequence of    
that affinity which is connected with   
mass4 ,here then he adopts that         
celebrated theory of ,berthollet1#db    
which he afterwards so vigorously and   
successfully attacked4#dc    #db        
,rcherches sur les ,lois de             

l',affinit4--,mm4 de l',institut        
,national1 ,tome ,,iii4 p4 #e4    #dc   
,the masterly manner in which he        
combated the successive   arguments of  
,berthollet upon this question is       
admirable4 ,in the   first place1 he    
attacked the theory upon general        
principles1 and   then exposed the      
fallacy of the several experiments      
adduced in   its support4 ,were the     
proposition correct1 that in all cases  
of decomposition in which two bodies act
 upon a third1 that   third is divided  
between them in proportion to their     
relative   affinities1 and their        
quantities of matter1 it is quite       
evident   that there could be scarcely  
any definite proportions3 a salt        
crystallizing in a strong alkaline      
solution would be strongly   alkaline2  
in a weak one1 less alkaline2 and in an 
acid solution   it would be acid4 ,with 
regard to glasses and alloys1 adduced   
by ,m4 ,berthollet as compounds of      
indefinite proportions1 ,davy           

answers--,it is not easy to prove1 in   
such cases1 that the   elements are     
chemically combined1 for the points of  
fusion of   alkali1 glass1 and certain  
metallic oxides1 are so near to each    
other1 that transparent mixtures of them
 may be formed4 ,the   experiment upon  
which ,m4 ,berthollet laid great stress1
 viz4   that a large quantity of potash 
will separate a small quantity   of     
sulphuric acid from sulphate of baryta1 
,davy invalidates in   a most complete  
manner4 ,he says--,this experiment was  
made in   contact with the atmosphere1  
in which carbonic acid is always        
present2 and carbonate of potash and    
sulphate of baryta mutually   decompose 
each other4  ,as general tests of the   
respective quantities of these two      
principles 7gallic acid and extractive  
matter71 he employed the solutions of   
the salts of alumina and those of the   
peroxidated salts of iron4 ,the former  
of these precipitates extractive1       
without materially acting upon gallic   

acid1 which is thrown down by the       
latter3 the greatest care1 however1 must
 be taken not to add the iron in excess1
 as in that case the black precipitate  
formed will be redissolved1 and an      
olive-coloured and clear fluid be only  
obtained4  ,he details the results of a 
number of experiments made upon galls1  
and ascertains the relative proportions 
of their several elements2 and he proves
 that tannin may exist in such a state  
of combination in different substances  
as to elude the test of gelatine2 in    
which case1 to detect its presence1 it  
is necessary to have recourse to the    
action of the diluted acids4  ,sir      
,joseph ,banks had concluded1 from the  
sensible properties of catechu1#dd or   
terra ,japonica1 that it was rich in    
tannin3 ,davy confirmed this opinion by 
experiment4 ,the leather tanned by it   
appeared to possess the same qualities  
as when tanned in the usual manner2 and 
although this substance contains a small
 portion of extractive matter1 yet the  

increase of weight of the skin was      
rather less than when solutions of galls
 were used4    #dd ,catechu is an       
extract obtained from the wood of a     
species   of the ,mimosa that grows in  
,india1 by boiling and subsequent       
evaporation4 ,it is of two kinds2 one   
from ,bengal1 the other from   ,bombay4 
,the former contains rather less1 the   
latter rather more1   than half its     
weight of tannin4 ,the remainder in both
 cases is a   peculiar extractive matter
 mixed with mucilage4--,p4  ,in         
examining different barks1 he was not   
able to procure from them any free      
gallic acid1 but their infusions gave1  
on evaporation1 tannin and extractive4  
,the greater number of his experiments  
were made on the barks of the oak1 the  
,leicester willow1 the ,spanish         
chestnut1 the elm1 and the common       
willow4 ,the largest quantity of tannin 
he found to be contained in the         
interior1 or white cortical layers2 and 
the largest quantity of extractive      

matter in the exterior layers2 the      
epidermis1 or rough outward bark1 did   
not contain either the one or the other4
  ,from his general observations he is  
inclined to suppose that1 in all the    
astringent vegetables1 the tannin is of 
the same species1 and that all the      
differences attributed to it depend upon
 its state of combination with other    
principles4  ,in applying the results of
 his experiments to the theory of       
tanning1 he considers the process as    
simply depending upon the union of the  
tannin with the matter of the skin1 in  
such a manner as to form with it an     
insoluble compound4 ,gallic acid1 he    
feels assured1 does not produce any     
notable effects in the process2 but he  
thinks that the quality of the leather  
depends1 in some degree1 upon the       
quantity of extractive matter it may    
imbibe4  ,skin1 combined with extractive
 matter only1 would be increased in     
weight1 become coloured1 and be         
extremely flexible1 but it would not be 

insoluble in water2 and were it combined
 with tannin alone1 it would be heavier 
and less supple than when both these    
principles enter into the compound4  ,he
 examines with great acuteness and      
precision some of the more popular      
opinions entertained by tanners1 and    
brings his science to bear very         
satisfactorily upon several of their    
processes4  ,the grand secret1 on which 
the profit of the trade mainly depends1 
is to give the hides the greatest       
increase of weight in the least possible
 time4 ,to effect this1 various schemes 
have been proposed1 many of which1 from 
the ignorance of the operators1 instead 
of promoting1 have defeated the object4 
,different menstrua have been suggested 
for expediting the process1 and amongst 
them lime-water and the solutions of    
pearl-ash2 but1 as he has clearly shown1
 these two substances form compounds    
with tannin which are not decomposable  
by gelatine2 whence it follows that     
their effects must be pernicious2 and   

there is very little reason to suppose  
that any bodies will be found which1 at 
the same time that they increase the    
solubility of tannin in water1 will not 
likewise diminish its attraction for    
skin4  ,his experiments having proved   
that the saturated infusions of         
astringent barks contain much less      
extractive matter1 in proportion to     
their tannin1 than those which are      
weaker1 it follows1 that by quickly     
tanning the skin1 we render the leather 
less durable4 ,these observations show  
that there is some foundation for the   
vulgar opinion of workmen1 concerning   
what is technically called the feeding  
of leather in the slow method of        
tanning4  ,such is an outline of this   
interesting paper1 in which the author  
has displayed the talent so             
characteristic of his mind--that of     
bringing science and art into useful    
alliance with each other4 ,it forms1 at 
this day1 the guide of the tanner2 and  
those who previously carried on the     

process by a routine of operations1 of  
which they knew not the reasons1 are now
 capable of modifying it1 without the   
risk of spoiling the result4 ,many of   
those expedients which have been brought
 forward as novelties in later years1   
may be found in this paper2 or1 at      
least1 have arisen out of the principles
 disclosed during his investigations4   
,it has been stated that1 shortly after 
,davy's successful dbut as a lecturer1  
his manners underwent a change1 and     
that1 to the regret of his friends1 he  
lost much of his native simplicity4 ,on 
the #eth of ,february #ahjb1 he had     
dined with ,sir ,harry ,englefield at   
his house at ,blackheath2 and eighteen  
years afterwards1 the worthy ,baronet   
alluded to his interesting demeanour    
upon that occasion1 in terms            
sufficiently expressive of his          
feelings--,it was the last flash of     
expiring ,nature4 ,it was natural that  
his best friends1 on perceiving this    
change of manner1 should entertain some 

apprehensions as to the deeper qualities
 of his heart4 ,mr4 ,purkis has placed  
in my hands the following letter        
addressed to him by ,mr4 ,coleridge2 it 
will interest the reader by the force   
and truth with which its talented writer
 characterises the perils which beset   
the elevated path of the young          
philosopher at the commencement of his  
career4       ,,to ,,samuel ,,purkis1   
,,esq4      ,nether ,stowey1 ,feb4 #ag1 
#ahjc4      ,,my ,,dear ,,purkis1       
,i received your parcel last night1 by  
post1 from ,gunville1 whither           
7crossly enough7 ,i am going with our   
friend ,poole to-morrow     morning4 ,i 
do from my very heart thank you for your
 prompt and     friendly exertion1 and  
for your truly interesting letter4 ,i   
shall     write to ,wedgwood by this    
post2 he is still at ,cote1 near        
,bristol2     but ,i shall take the     
,bang back with me to ,gunville1 as     
,wedgwood     will assuredly be there in
 the course of ten days4 ,jos4 ,wedgwood

 is     named the ,sheriff of the       
,county4 ,when ,i have heard from       
,wedgwood1     or when he has tried this
 ,nepenthe1 ,i will write to you4 ,i    
have     been here nearly a fortnight2  
and in better health than usual4        
,tranquillity1 warm rooms1 and a dear   
old friend1 are specifics for     my    
complaints4 ,poole is indeed a very1    
very good man4 ,i like even     his     
incorrigibility in small faults and     
deficiencies3 it looks     like a wise  
determination of ,nature to let well    
alone2 and is a     consequence1 a      
necessary one perhaps1 of his           
immutability in his     important good  
qualities4 ,his journal1 with his own   
comments1 has     proved not only       
entertaining but highly instructive to  
me4      ,i rejoice in ,davy's progress4
 ,there are three ,suns recorded in     
,scripture3--,joshua's1 that stood      
still2 ,hezekiah's1 that went           
backward2 and ,david's1 that went forth 
and hastened on his course1     like a  

bridegroom from his chamber4 ,may our   
friend's prove the     latter6 ,it is a 
melancholy thing to see a man1 like the 
,sun in the     close of the ,lapland   
summer1 meridional in his horizon2 or   
like     wheat in a rainy season1 that  
shoots up well in the stalk1 but does   
not kern4 ,as ,i have hoped1 and do     
hope1 more proudly of ,davy than     of 
any other man2 and as he has been       
endeared to me more than any     other  
man1 by the being a ,thing of ,hope to  
me 7more1 far more than     myself to my
 own self in my most genial             
moments17--so of course my              
disappointment would be proportionally  
severe4 ,it were falsehood1     if ,i   
said that ,i think his present situation
 most calculated1     of all others1 to 
foster either his genius1 or the        
clearness     and incorruptness of his  
opinions and moral feelings4 ,i see two 
,serpents at the cradle of his genius1  
,dissipation with a perpetual           
increase of acquaintances1 and the      

constant presence of ,inferiors     and 
,devotees1 with that too great facility 
of attaining admiration1     which      
degrades ,ambition into ,vanity--but the
 ,hercules will strangle     both the   
reptile monsters4 ,i have thought it    
possible to exert     talents with      
perseverance1 and to attain true        
greatness wholly     pure1 even from the
 impulses of ambition2 but on this      
subject ,davy     and ,i always         
differed4      ,when you used the word  
gigantic1 you meant1 no doubt1 to give  
me a specimen of the irony ,i must      
expect from my ,philo-,lockian          
critics4 ,i trust1 that ,i shall steer  
clear of almost all offence4     ,my    
book is not1 strictly speaking1         
metaphysical1 but historical4     ,it   
perhaps will merit the title of a       
,history of ,metaphysics in     ,england
 from ,lord ,bacon to ,mr4 ,hume1       
inclusive4 ,i confine myself     to     
facts in every part of the work1        
excepting that which treats of     ,mr4 

,hume3--him ,i have assuredly           
besprinkled copiously from the          
fountains of ,bitterness and ,contempt4 
,as to this1 and the other     works    
which you have mentioned1 have patience1
 ,lord6 and ,i will     pay thee all6   
,mr4 ,t4 ,wedgwood goes to ,italy in the
 first days of ,may4 ,whether ,i        
accompany him is uncertain4 ,he is      
apprehensive that my health may         
incapacitate me4 ,if ,i do not go with  
him1 7and ,i shall be certain1     one  
way or the other1 in a few weeks17 ,i   
shall go by myself1 in the     first    
week of ,april1 if possible4            
,poole's kindest remembrances ,i send   
you on my own hazard2 for he     is busy
 below1 and ,i must fold up my letter4  
,whether ,i remain in     ,england or am
 abroad1 ,i will occasionally write you2
 and am ever1     my dear ,purkis1 with 
affectionate esteem1      ,your's       
sincerely1     ,s4 ,t4 ,,coleridge4     
,remember me kindly to ,mrs4 ,purkis and
 your children4 ,t4 ,wedgwood's disease 

is not painful3 it is a complete tdium  
vit2 nothing pleases long1 and novelty  
itself begins to cease to act like      
novelty4 ,life and all its forms move1  
in his diseased moments1 like shadows   
before him1 cold1 colourless1 and       
unsubstantial4  ,from the tone of the   
following letter1 it may be presumed    
also1 that ,mr4 ,poole1 to whom it is   
addressed1 had expressed some anxiety   
upon the dangers to which his flattering
 station exposed him4       ,,to        
,,thomas ,,poole1 ,,esq4      ,london1  
,may #a1 #ahjc4      ,,my ,,dear        
,,poole1      ,have you no thoughts of  
coming to ,london8 ,i have always       
recollected     the short periods that  
you have spent in town1 with a kind of  
mixed     feeling of pleasure and       
regret4      ,in the bustling activity  
occasioned in cities by the action and  
re-action of diversified talents1       
occupations1 and passions1 our          
existence is1 as it were1 broken into   
fragments1 and with you ,i     have     

always wished for unbroken intercourse  
and continuous feeling4         99      
99       99       99       99      ,be  
not alarmed1 my dear friend1 as to the  
effect of worldly society     on my     
mind4 ,the age of danger has passed     
away4 ,there are in the     intellectual
 being of all men1 permanent elements1  
certain habits     and passions that    
cannot change4 ,i am a lover of ,nature1
 with an     ungratified imagination4 ,i
 shall continue to search for untasted  
charms1--for hidden beauties4      ,my  
real1 my waking existence is amongst the
 objects of     scientific research3    
common amusements and enjoyments are    
necessary     to me only as dreams1 to  
interrupt the flow of thoughts too      
nearly     analogous to enlighten and to
 vivify4      ,coleridge has left       
,london for ,keswick2 during his stay in
 town1 ,i     saw him seldomer than     
usual2 when ,i did see him1 it was      
generally     in the midst of large     
companies1 where he is the image of     

power and     activity4 ,his eloquence  
is unimpaired2 perhaps it is softer and 
stronger4 ,his will is probably less    
than ever commensurate with     his     
ability4 ,brilliant images of greatness 
float upon his mind3     like the images
 of the morning clouds upon the waters1 
their forms     are changed by the      
motion of the waves1 they are agitated  
by every     breeze1 and modified by    
every sunbeam4 ,he talked in the course 
of     one hour1 of beginning three     
works1 and he recited the poem of       
,christobel unfinished1 and as ,i had   
before heard it4 ,what talent     does  
he not waste in forming visions1        
sublime1 but unconnected with     the   
real world6 ,i have looked to his       
efforts1 as to the efforts of     a     
creating being2 but as yet1 he has not  
even laid the foundation     for the new
 world of intellectual forms4      ,when
 my ,agricultural ,lectures are         
finished1 ,i propose to visit           
,paris1 and perhaps ,geneva4 ,how ,i    

regret that circumstances had not       
enabled us to make the same tour at the 
same time6 ,i think1 at     all events1 
,i shall see you before the ,autumn1 on 
your own lands1     amidst your own     
images and creations4      ,your        
affectionate friend1      ,,humphry     
,,davy4       ,,to ,,the ,,same4        
,royal ,institution4      ,,my ,,dear   
,,poole1      ,often1 very often1 in the
 midst of the tumults of the multitude  
in     this great city1 has my spirit   
turned in quietness and solitude        
towards you4      ,i hope soon to see   
you in ,somersetshire1 where we may     
worship     ,nature1 and the spirit that
 dwells in ,nature1 in your green fields
     and under your tranquil sky4 ,my   
communications with you and             
,coleridge and ,southey1 and other      
ornaments of the great existing         
,being1 have excited feelings which     
cheer me in the apathy of     ,london1  
and which make me love human nature4    
99       99       99       99       99  

,your account of the young man who      
murdered his wife1 ,i read with     deep
 interest4 ,it is from such narratives  
of the conduct of common     persons1   
that the laws of simple human nature    
must be deduced4     ,beings acted on by
 few objects1 awakening in them few but 
deep     passions1 are the beings which 
,metaphysicians and ,moralists ought    
to study2 not those who exist in general
 life1 having their     energies and    
feelings so attached to multiplied and  
indefinite     things--so mixed up and  
connected with myriads of circumstances1
 as     to be imperceptible1 unless by a
 microscopic moral eye4      ,i am1 c4  
c4      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,from the former  
letter1 we learn that ,davy1 at this    
period1 proposed delivering some        
lectures on the ,chemistry of           
,agriculture4 ,from the memorandums of  
my late friend ,mr4 ,arthur ,young1 the 
celebrated ,secretary to the ,board of  
,agriculture1 ,i have succeeded1 through
 the kindness of his daughter1 in       

procuring the following extracts2 the   
only source from which ,i have been able
 to obtain any correct information upon 
this point in his scientific life4--,may
 #aeth1 #ahjc4 ,mem4 ,two lectures by   
,mr4 ,davy have taken place1 and been   
very well attended2 they intend         
retaining him by a salary of a hundred  
pounds a year1--a very good plan4       
,amongst the pamphlets at ,bradfield    
,hall is a small quarto of fourteen     
pages1 entitled1 ,outlines of a ,course 
of ,lectures on the ,chemistry of       
,agriculture1 to be delivered before the
 ,board of ,agriculture1 #ahjc4 ,it was 
evidently only printed for private      
circulation amongst the members4 ,at the
 same time1 he printed a small pamphlet1
 containing an explanation of the terms 
used in chemistry1 for the instruction  
of those amongst his audience who had   
not particularly directed their         
attention to the science4  ,the first   
lecture was delivered on ,tuesday1 ,may 
the #ajth1 at twelve at noon1 and five  

others on the succeeding ,tuesdays and  
,fridays4  ,in an address to the ,board 
of ,agriculture by ,sir ,john ,sinclair1
 delivered in ,april #ahjf1 in reviewing
 the various objects to which the       
attention of the ,board had been        
directed1 he thus alludes to the        
subject3--,in the year #ahjb1 when my   
,lord ,carrington was in the chair1 the 
,board resolved to direct the attention 
of a celebrated lecturer1 ,mr4 ,davy1 to
 agricultural subjects2 and in the      
following year1 during the ,presidency  
of ,lord ,sheffield1 he first delivered 
to the members of this ,institution1 a  
course of lectures on the ,,chemistry   
,,of ,,agriculture4 ,the plan has       
succeeded to the extent which might have
 been expected from the abilities of the
 gentleman engaged to carry it into     
effect4 ,the lectures have hitherto been
 exclusively addressed to the ,members  
of the ,board2 but to such a degree of  
perfection have they arrived1 that it is
 well worthy of consideration1 whether  

they ought not to be given to a larger  
audience4 ,if such an idea met with the 
approbation of the ,board1 a hall might 
be procured for that purpose1 or a      
special course of lectures read in this 
room exclusively for strangers4  ,davy  
would appear to have been very early    
impressed with the importance of        
,chemistry1 in its various applications 
to ,agriculture4 ,allusions are         
constantly made to it in his letters2   
and at the conclusion of his            
,,researches1 he glances at this        
department of the chemistry of          
vegetation1 and observes that1 although 
it is immediately connected with the art
 upon which we depend for subsistence1  
it has been but little investigated4    
,in his introductory lecture of #ahjb1  
he speaks more forcibly upon the        
subject4  ,agriculture1 to which we owe 
our means of subsistence1 is an art     
intimately connected with chemical      
science2 for although the common soil of
 the earth will produce vegetable food1 

yet it can only be made to produce it in
 the greatest quantity1 and of the best 
quality1 by methods of cultivation      
dependent upon scientific principles4   
,the knowledge of the composition of    
soils1 of the food of vegetables1 of the
 modes in which their products must be  
treated1 so as to become fit for the    
nourishment of animals1 is essential to 
the cultivator of land2 and his         
exertions are profitable and useful to  
society1 in proportion as he is more of 
a chemical professor4 ,since indeed the 
truth has been understood1 and since the
 importance of agriculture has been     
generally felt1 the character of the    
agriculturist has become more dignified1
 and more refined2--no longer a mere    
machine of labour1 he has learned to    
think1 and to reason4 ,he is aware of   
his usefulness to his fellow-men1 and he
 is become1 at once1 the friend of      
nature1 and the friend of society4  ,his
 appointment1 as chemical professor to  
the ,board of ,agriculture1 was         

accompanied with the obligation of      
reading lectures before its members2    
which he continued to deliver every     
successive season for ten years1        
modifying and extending their views1    
from time to time1 in such a manner as  
the progress of chemical discovery might
 render necessary4  ,these discourses   
were collated1 and published in the year
 #ahac1 at the request of the ,president
 and members of the ,board1 and they    
form the only systematic work we1 at    
present1 possess on the subject4 ,its   
views1 however1 are too generally       
interesting to be briefly dismissed2 ,i 
shall therefore enter more fully into   
their merits in a more advanced part of 
these memoirs4  ,his connexion with the 
,board necessarily brought him in       
contact with the practical              
agriculturists and capitalists of the   
day1 with many of whom he formed        
friendships which lasted through life4  
,with ,mr4 ,coke of ,holkham he became  
well acquainted1 and generally formed   

one of the party at his annual          
sheep-shearing4#de ,he was also a       
frequent visitor at ,woburn1 and        
received from the ,duke the means by    
which he was enabled to submit to the   
test of practice various theories which 
his science had suggested4    #de ,in   
the #djth volume of the ,annals of      
,agriculture1 an   account is given of  
the ,holkham ,sheep-shearing for #ahjc1 
and in   the list of the company is the 
name of ,mr4 ,professor ,davy4--,at     
the meeting of #ahjh1 he was also       
present1 and is mentioned as the   great
 chemist1 whose discoveries will        
immortalize his name4 ,mr4   ,coke1 in  
the course of his speech after dinner1  
alluding to the   question of long and  
short dung1 said1 ,it is the opinion of 
a   friend of mine1 who sits near me1   
,professor ,davy1 and upon whose        
judgment1 on account of his extensive   
chemical as well as other   scientific  
knowledge1 ,i place the highest         
reliance1 that the   manure carried     

immediately on the field1 without being 
disturbed1   will have a greater effect 
in exciting rapid vegetation1 and in    
encouraging the growth of the turnip    
plant1 than when applied   in the       
ordinary manner2 for1 under such        
circumstances1 it will   not only be    
more moist and alkaline1 but it will be 
protected   from a loss of substance1   
amounting very nearly to one-third of   
its original bulk4 ,davy afterwards1 in 
company with the ,duke of   ,bedford1   
,lord ,william ,russell1 ,lord ,thanet1 
,sir ,joseph ,banks1   and other        
agriculturists1 inspected several       
farms4--,in #ahab1 his   health was     
drunk at the ,woburn ,sheep-shearing by 
the ,duke of   ,bedford2 and in the     
following festival it was proposed by   
,lord   ,hardwicke4    ,in the print of 
the ,woburn ,sheep-shearing1 published  
by   ,garrard1 in #ahaa1 ,no4 #ge       
represents ,davy2 he is standing1 in a  
listening attitude1 behind ,mr4 ,coke1  
who is conversing with ,sir   ,joseph   

,banks1 ,sir ,john ,sinclair1 and ,mr4  
,arthur ,young4  ,in a letter to ,mr4   
,gilbert1 dated ,october #ahjc1 he says3
 ,i have just quitted the coast of      
,sussex1 where ,i have spent the last   
three weeks with ,lord ,sheffield1 the  
worthy biographer of ,gibbon4 ,in fact1 
there was not a nobleman1 distinguished 
for intellectual superiority1 who did   
not feel a pride in receiving him as a  
guest2 and he passed his vacations in   
the society of those exalted persons    
who1 in possessing rank1 fortune1 and   
talents1 felt that they only held such  
gifts from ,providence1 in trust for the
 welfare of their fellow-countrymen4    
,we can scarcely picture to ourselves a 
being upon whom fortune ever showered   
more favours than upon ,davy1 during    
this golden period of his career4       
,independent in an honourable           
competence1 the product of his genius   
and industry2 resident in the centre of 
all scientific information and          
intelligence2 every avenue of knowledge1

 and every mode of observation open to  
his unwearied intellect1 he must have   
experienced a satisfaction which few    
philosophers have ever before felt1--the
 power of pursuing experimental research
 to any extent1 and of commanding the   
immediate possession of all the means it
 might require1 without the least regard
 either to cost or labour4 ,what a      
contrast does this picture afford to    
that which has been too faithfully      
represented as the more usual fate of   
the philosopher and man of letters1 and 
which exhibits little more than the     
unavailing struggles of genius against  
penury6 ,instead of a life consumed in  
fruitless expectation of patronage and  
reward1 we behold ,davy1 in the full    
bloom of reputation1 courted by all whom
 rank1 talent1 or station1 had rendered 
conspicuous4  ,his life flowed on like a
 pure stream1 under a sky of perpetual  
sunshine1--not a gust ruffled its       
surface1 not a cloud obscured its       
brightness4 ,in the morning1 he was the 

sage interpreter of ,nature's laws2 in  
the evening1 he sparkled in the galaxy  
of fashion2 and not the least           
extraordinary point in the character of 
this great man1 was the facility with   
which he could cast aside the cares of  
study1 and enter into the trifling      
amusements of society4--,ne otium quidem
 otiosum1 was the exclamation of        
,cicero2 and it will generally apply to 
the leisure of men actively engaged in  
the pursuits of science2 but ,davy1 in  
closing the door of his laboratory1     
opened the temple of pleasure4 ,when not
 otherwise engaged1 his custom was to   
play at billiards1 frequent the theatre1
 or read the last new novel4 ,in        
ordinary cases1 the genius of evening   
dissipation is an arrant ,penelope2 but 
,davy1 on returning to his morning      
labours1 never found that the thread had
 been unspun during the interruption4   
,the following anecdote is well         
calculated to illustrate that           
versatility of talent of which ,i have  

frequently spoken1 as well as the power 
he possessed of abstracting himself1    
without detriment1 from the most        
elaborate investigations4 ,a friend of  
the late ,mr4 ,tobin called upon him at 
the ,institution1 and found him deeply  
engaged in the laboratory2 their        
conversation turned upon ,the ,honey    
,moon1 which was to be brought out on   
the following evening4#df ,no sooner had
 ,davy heard that1 although pressing    
applications had been made to several of
 the poets of the day1 a ,prologue had  
not yet been written1 than he instantly 
quitted the laboratory1 and in two hours
 produced that which was recited on the 
occasion by ,mr4 ,bartley1 and printed  
in the first edition of the comedy4 ,i  
insert it in this place4    #df ,the    
,honey ,moon was produced at ,drury     
,lane1 on ,thursday1   the #cjth of     
,january1 #ahje4      ,no uniformity in 
life is found3--     ,in ev'ry scene    
varieties abound2     ,and inconsistency
 still marks the plan     ,of that      

immortal noble being1--,man4     ,as    
changeful as the ,april's morning skies1
     ,his feeling and his sentiments    
arise2     ,and ,nature to his wond'rous
 frame has given     ,the mingled       
elements of ,earth and ,heaven4     ,in 
diff'rent climes and ages1 still we find
     ,the same events for different ends
 design'd3     ,and the same passion    
diff'rent minds can move     ,to        
thoughts of sadness or to acts of love4 
,hence ,genius draws his novel copious  
store2     ,and hence the new creations 
we adore3     ,and hence the scenic     
art's undying skill     ,submits our    
feeling to its potent will2     ,from   
common accidents and common themes      
,awakens rapture and poetic dreams2     
,and1 in the trodden path of life1      
pursues     ,some object clothed in     
,fancy's loveliest hues--     ,to       
strengthen nature1 or to chasten art1   
,to mend the manners or exalt the heart4
        ,so thought the man whom you    
must judge to-night2     ,and as he     

thought1 he boldly dared to write4      
,not new the subject of his first-born  
rhyme2     ,but one adorn'd by bards of 
elder time2--     ,bards with the       
grandest sentiments inspired--          
,bards that in rapture he has still     
admired2     ,and tried to imitate1 with
 ardour warm1     ,and catch the spirit 
of their pow'rful charm4     ,with      
loftiest zeal and anxious hope1 he      
sought     ,to bring to modern times    
their strength of thought2     ,and1 in 
their glowing colours1 to display       
,the follies and the virtues of the day4
        ,whether his talents have his   
wish belied1     ,your judgment and your
 candour must decide4     ,he1 though   
your loftiest plaudits you should       
raise--     ,he cannot thank you for the
 meed of praise4     ,rapture he cannot 
feel1 nor fear1 nor shame2              
,connected with his love of earthly     
fame1     ,he is no more4--,yet may his 
memory live     ,in all the bloom that  
early worth can give6     ,should you   

applaud1 'twould check the flowing tear 
,of those to whom his name and hopes are
 dear4     ,but should you an unfinish'd
 structure find1     ,as in its first   
and rudest forms design'd1     ,as yet  
not perfect from the glowing mind1      
,then with a gentle voice your censure  
spread1     ,and spare the living--spare
 the sacred ,,dead6  ,davy would appear 
to have frequently amused himself with  
writing sonnets1 and inclosing them in  
letters to his several friends3 the     
following letter will also show that he 
was ambitious of being considered a     
poet4       ,,to ,,samuel ,,purkis1     
,,esq4      ,,my ,,dear ,,purkis1       
,i inclose the little poem1#dg on which 
your praise has stamped a     higher    
value1 ,i fear1 than it deserves4       
,if ,i thought that people in general   
would think as favourably of my         
poetical productions1 ,i would write    
more verses1 and would write     them   
with more care2 but ,i fear you are     
partial3 ,i am very glad1     however1  

that you like the little song2 at some  
future period ,i     will send you      
another4      ,with kind remembrances1  
unalterably your sincere friend1        
,h4 ,,davy4    #dg ,the subject was     
,julia's ,eyes4   ,on examining the     
laboratory notes made at this period1   
many of which1 however1 are nearly      
illegible from blots of ink and stains  
of acid1 it would appear that his       
researches into the composition of      
mineral bodies were most extensive1 and 
that he obtained many new results1 of   
which he does not seem to have availed  
himself in any of his subsequent papers4
 ,to borrow a metaphor from his         
favourite amusement1 he treated such    
results as small fry1 which he returned 
to their native element to grow bigger1 
or to be again caught by some less      
aspiring brother of the angle4  ,had    
,davy1 at this period of his life1 been 
anxious to obtain wealth1#dh such was   
his chemical reputation1 and such the   
value attached to his judgment1 that1 by

 lending his assistance to manufacturers
 and projectors1 he might easily have   
realized it2 but his aspirations were of
 a nobler kind--,,scientific ,,glory was
 the grand object for which his heart   
panted3 by stopping to collect the      
golden apples1 he might have lost the   
race4    #dh ,i am assured by one of his
 earliest friends1 that1 at this        
period1 he did not appear even to have  
an idea of the value of   property4 ,any
 thing not immediately necessary to him 
he gave   away1 and never retained a    
book after he had read it4     ,,chapter
 ,v4     ,sir ,thomas ,bernard allots   
,davy a piece of ground for             
,agricultural ,experiments4--,history of
 the ,origin of the ,royal              
,institution4--,its early               
labours4--,davy's ,letters to ,mr4      
,gilbert    and to ,mr4 ,poole4--,death 
of ,mr4 ,gregory ,watt4--,davy's passion
    for ,fishing1 with ,anecdotes4--,he 
makes a ,tour in ,ireland3 his          
,letters on the subject4--,his paper on 

the ,analysis of the                    
,wavellite4--,his ,memoirs on a new     
method of analysing ,minerals    which  
contain a fixed ,alkali4--,reflections  
on the discovery of    ,galvanic        
,electricity4   ,very shortly after     
,davy had arrived in ,london1 he formed 
an intimate friendship with ,mr4        
7afterwards ,sir ,thomas7 ,bernard2 and 
no sooner had he directed his attention 
to the subject of ,philosophical        
,agriculture1 than the worthy ,baronet  
allotted him a considerable piece of    
ground near his villa at ,roehampton1   
where1 under his sole direction1        
numerous experiments were tried1 many of
 which proved highly successful1 and    
afterwards served for the illustration  
of various subjects in his work on      
,,agricultural ,,chemistry4  ,although  
devoted as ,davy was to the pursuits of 
science1 he entered warmly into all     
political plans for improving the       
condition of the people1 and advancing  
the progress of civilization4 ,no one1  

says his friend ,mr4 ,poole1 was less a 
sectarian1 if ,i may use the word1 in   
religion1 politics1 or in science4 ,he  
regarded with benevolence the sincere   
convictions of any class on the subject 
of belief1 however they might differ    
from his own4 ,in politics1 he was the  
ardent friend of rational liberty4 ,he  
gloried in the institutions of his      
country1 and was anxious to see them    
maintained in their purity by timely and
 temperate reform4 ,indeed1 in carefully
 analysing his mind1 and tracing its    
developement1 it appears that           
benevolence was one of its leading      
elements2 the form in which it displayed
 its energies varying with the varying  
conditions of intelligence4 ,in boyish  
life1 his imagination1 acting upon his  
zeal for the welfare of his species1    
delighted1 as we have seen1 in the ideas
 of encountering dragons1 and quelling  
the might of giants2 but as fancy paled 
with the light of advancing years1 and  
the judgment1 presented distincter      

appearances1 the philanthropic antipathy
 which had been directed to those       
chimeras of the nursery1 was transferred
 to the two great oppressions of        
society1 and in ,superstition he saw the
 dragons--in ,despotism1 the giants that
 spread mischief and misery through the 
world4  ,some of his early manuscripts  
are still in existence2 and ,i shall    
here introduce a passage from one which 
has been lately transmitted to me by a  
gentleman resident in ,penzance4 ,the   
most trifling record becomes            
interesting1 when we can trace in it the
 germ of a particular opinion1 or the   
first symptom of a quality which may    
afterwards have distinguished its       
possessor4  ,science is as yet in her   
infancy2 but in her infancy she has done
 much for man4 ,the discoveries hitherto
 so beneficial to mankind have been     
generally effected by the energies of   
individual minds3--what hopes may we not
 entertain of the rapid progress of the 
happiness of man when illumination shall

 become general--when the united powers 
of a number of scientific men shall be  
employed in discovery6 ,every thing     
seems to announce the rapid advance of  
this period of improvement4 ,the time is
 approaching when despotism and         
superstition1 those enormous chains that
 have so long enfettered mankind1 shall 
be annihilated1--when liberated man     
shall display the mental energies for   
which he was created4 ,at that period1  
nations shall know that it is their     
interest to cultivate science1 and that 
the benevolent philosophy is never      
separated from the happiness of mankind4
  ,in his published writings1 we        
discover evidences of the same tendency2
 he suffers no opportunity to escape    
which can enable him to enforce his     
principle1 and he extracts from the most
 common as well as from the least       
probable sources1 comparisons and       
analogies for its illustration4 ,the    
ingenuity with which this is            
accomplished often surprises and        

delights us2 the effect upon the reader 
is frequently not unlike that occasioned
 by the flashes of wit1 to which it     
surely must be closely allied1 if wit be
 correctly defined by ,johnson a        
combination of dissimilar images1 or the
 discovery of occult resemblances in    
things apparently unlike4 ,is not this  
opinion strikingly illustrated by the   
happy turn given to his observations    
upon the process of obtaining nitrous   
oxide from nitre1--when he says1 ,thus1 
if the hopes which these experiments    
induce us to indulge do not prove       
fallacious1 a substance which has       
heretofore been almost exclusively      
appropriated to the destruction of      
mankind1 may become1 in the hands of    
philosophy1 the means of producing      
health and pleasure6  ,mr4 ,poole1 who  
watched the whole of his progress from  
obscurity to distinction1 and enjoyed   
his friendship for nearly thirty years1 
says1 ,to be useful to science and      
mankind was1 to use his favourite       

expression1 the pursuit in which he     
gloried4 ,he was enthusiastically       
attached to science1 and to men of      
science2 and his heart yearned to       
promote their interests4  ,that ,davy1  
with a mind so constituted1 should have 
formed a strong and ardent attachment to
 ,sir ,thomas ,bernard1 and that this   
friendship should have been reciprocally
 cultivated1 cannot be a matter of      
surprise4  ,i am happy in this          
opportunity of paying a tribute of      
respect to the memory of this most      
excellent person1 with whom ,i had the  
pleasure of being well acquainted4 ,his 
life was one continued scheme of active 
benevolence2 and he merits a particular 
notice in these memoirs1 as being one of
 the principal founders and patrons of  
the ,royal ,institution4 ,actuated by   
that noble and rational ambition which  
makes private pursuits subservient to   
public good1 he directed all the        
energies of his mind1 the influence of  
his station1 and the resources of his   

wealth1 towards promoting societies and 
schemes for encouraging the virtues and 
industry1 and for ameliorating the      
condition1 of the lower classes4  ,in   
the beginning of ,november #agif1 in    
conjunction with the late ,bishop of    
,durham1 ,mr4 ,wilberforce1 and ,mr4    
,elliot1 he established the ,,society   
,,for ,,bettering ,,the ,,condition ,,of
 ,,the ,,poor4 ,as one of the primary   
objects of the original promoters of    
this society was the formation of an    
institution which might teach the       
application of science to the           
advancement of the arts of life1 and to 
the increase of domestic comforts1 a    
select committee was appointed from its 
body1 in ,january #agii1 for the purpose
 of conferring with ,count ,rumford on  
the means of carrying such a scheme into
 practical effect4 ,this committee      
consisted of the ,earl of ,winchelsea1  
,mr4 ,wilberforce1 ,mr4 ,sullivan1 the  
,bishop of ,durham1 ,sir ,thomas        
,bernard1 and some other members of the 

society2 and in a few weeks they        
completed the arrangements1 circulated  
printed proposals1 and collected the    
subscriptions1 which gave birth to the  
,,royal ,,institution ,,of ,,great      
,,britain1 the future cradle of         
experimental science1 and the destined  
scene of ,davy's glory4  ,in addition to
 the general objects of promoting the   
arts and manufactures1 and of advancing 
the taste and science of the country1   
its more immediate purpose was the      
improvement of the means of industry and
 domestic comfort among the poor4  ,that
 this benevolent design was constantly  
kept in sight may be shown by the       
several resolutions passed at the       
different meetings of the ,managers1    
especially at that held in ,march #ahjj2
 when it was resolved to appoint        
fourteen different committees1 for the  
purpose of scientific investigation and 
improvement2 amongst which were the     
following3--  ,for the investigation    
into the processes of making bread1 and 

into the methods of improving it4  ,for 
enquiring into the art of preparing     
cheap and nutritious soups for feeding  
the poor4  ,for improving the           
construction of cottages1 and cottage   
fire-places1 and for improving kitchen  
fire-places1 and kitchen utensils4  ,for
 ascertaining1 by experiment1 the       
effects of the various processes of     
cookery upon the food of cattle4  ,for  
improving the construction of           
lime-kilns1 and the composition of      
mortar and cements1 c4 c4  ,so that the 
foundation and original arrangements of 
the ,royal ,institution were not only   
calculated to extend the boundaries of  
science1 but to increase its            
applications1 and to promote and improve
 those arts of life on which the        
subsistence of all1 and the comfort and 
enjoyment of the great majority of      
mankind absolutely depend4  ,at this    
early period of its history1 the ,royal 
,institution presented a scene of the   
most animated bustle and exhilarating   

activity4 ,persons most distinguished in
 the various departments of science and 
art were to be seen zealously and       
liberally co-operating for the promotion
 and diffusion of public happiness1     
under the cheering beams of popular     
favour and exalted patronage4 ,it was   
like 'a busy ant-hill in a calm         
sunshine4'  ,i shall only add1 that ,sir
 ,thomas ,bernard was the original      
promoter of the ,school for the         
,indigent ,blind2 of an institution for 
the protection and instruction of       
,climbing ,boys2 of a society for the   
relief of ,poor ,neighbours in          
,distress2 of the ,cancer ,institution2 
and of the ,london ,fever ,hospital4    
,the philanthropic ,baronet was1        
moreover1 the founder of the ,british   
,institution1 for promoting the ,fine   
,arts in the ,united ,kingdom2 and he   
was also the originator of the ,alfred  
,club4  ,the vast range and practical   
utility of these exertions were duly    
appreciated by his contemporaries1 who  

were ever ready to promote any scheme   
which had received the sanction of his  
patronage4 ,it is an anecdote worthy of 
being preserved1 that the late ,sir     
,robert ,peel called upon him one       
morning1 and after a general            
conversation on the different           
philanthropic objects they had in view1 
said on leaving the room1 he had to     
request that ,sir ,thomas would dispose 
of something for him1 in any manner he  
thought most serviceable1 and laid on   
the table an enclosure4 ,after he had   
left the house1 ,sir ,thomas was greatly
 surprised1 on opening it1 to find a    
bank-note of a thousand pounds4  ,the   
active zeal of ,sir ,t4 ,bernard1 like  
every other circumstance which exceeds  
the ordinary standard of our conduct1 or
 becomes prominent from the rarity of   
its occurrence1 called forth the wit as 
well as the admiration of his           
contemporaries4 ,one of those modern    
travellers who delight in astonishing   
their auditors by incredible tales and  

marvellous anecdotes1 happening to be in
 company with a noble lord as much      
distinguished for the playfulness of his
 wit as for the profundity of his       
learning1 told the following improbable 
story3 that1 in a sequestered part of   
,italy1 when pressed by hunger and      
fatigue1 he sought refreshment and      
repose in a wild dwelling in the        
mountains1 and was agreeably surprised  
at being offered a pie2 but1 horror of  
horrors6 on examining its contents he   
found--a human finger6--,nothing more   
probable1 ,sir1 interrupted his         
,lordship2 and ,i well know the person  
to whom that finger belonged--to ,sir   
,thomas ,bernard1 ,sir1 for he had a    
finger in every pie4  ,the following    
letters will be read in this place with 
interest4       ,,to ,,davies ,,giddy1  
,,esq4      ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1      ,i  
am now on my way to ,christchurch1 in   
company with ,mr4 ,bernard1     who was 
the founder1 and has been the great     
supporter1 of the     ,society for      

bettering the condition of the ,poor4   
,in a conversation that has just passed 
between us1 ,i mentioned the     state  
of improvement of the ,downs between    
,helston and ,marazion1 in              
consequence of grants of small portions 
of land to miners and other     tenants 
for cultivation1 many of which have1 ,i 
believe1 been made     by ,lord         
,dunstanville4 ,mr4 ,bernard expressed a
 desire to know what     the effect of  
this plan had been on the condition of  
the persons     thus raised into        
property-men4      ,he is accumulating  
facts as to the manner in which the poor
 have     been most effectually         
benefited1 and to assist his labour     
would     be to assist a good and most  
important cause2 perhaps1 you will      
have the goodness to give me a statement
 on this subject1 which of     course   
shall be used as you may think proper4  
,you may likewise have     similar facts
 nearer home1 on your own estates4      
,i am convinced that the effects of     

enabling the common labourer     to     
acquire property must be striking1 and  
must often have been an     object of   
your contemplation4      ,in making any 
statement of these facts1 you will      
probably think     it right to mention  
some particular cases1 with dates1      
names1     and accounts of the          
quantities of lands1 the nature of the  
improvements1 c4      ,in the reports of
 the ,society for bettering the         
condition of the     ,poor1 there is one
 made on this minute plan of ,lord      
,winchelsea's     grants of land to     
cottagers1 which conveys very full and  
useful     information4      ,i trust to
 your kindness1 and believe me          
,your obliged1      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,the  
following letter was written by ,davy   
after his return from an excursion to   
that beautiful district1 the north-west 
of the county of ,somerset4       ,,to  
,,thomas ,,poole1 ,,esq4      ,october1 
#ahjd4      ,,my ,,dear ,,poole1      ,i
 ,,returned to town a little while ago1 

not sorry to see the great     city of  
activity and life2 not sorry to see it1 
though ,i had just     spent two months 
in enjoying a scenery beautiful and1 to 
me1 new2     in witnessing much         
hospitality and unadulterated manners1  
and in     gaining much useful          
information4      ,mr4 ,bernard is      
writing a history of the poor4 ,i have  
lived much     with him at ,roehampton  
since my return1 and he has read to me  
part     of his work1 which is popularly
 eloquent1 very intelligent1 and        
full of striking and important truths2  
but pray say nothing of     this1 for it
 is likely that it will appear without  
his name3 the     facts will be strong1 
and perhaps to some people offensive4   
,i have received a letter from          
,coleridge within the last three        
weeks3 he writes from ,malta1 in good   
spirits1 and1 as usual1 from     the    
depth of his being4 ,god bless him6--,he
 was intended for a great     man2 ,i   
hope and trust he will1 at some period1 

appear as such4      ,i am working very 
hard at this moment1 and ,i hope soon to
 send     you some of the fruits of my  
labours4 ,i am likewise devising some   
plans at our ,institute1 for the        
improvement of this generation of       
vipers2 but1 although ,i am so vain as  
to announce them1 ,i will not     be so 
tedious as to detail them4      ,in your
 answer1 which ,i hope ,i shall soon    
receive1 pray give me an     account of 
the situation of ,poole's ,marsh1 with  
regard to the     ,parrot1#di for ,i    
have mentioned the soil in a paper to   
the ,board     of ,agriculture1 which is
 now in the press4      ,i am1 my dear  
,poole1      ,your truly affectionate   
friend1      ,h4 ,,davy4     #di ,he    
alludes to a rich piece of land near the
 river ,parrot2 a   specimen of the soil
 of which ,mr4 ,poole had sent him for  
analysis4  ,in this year1 ,davy was     
deprived of one of his earliest and most
 attached friends1 after a lingering    
illness1 during which his symptoms1 by  

the alternations which characterise     
consumption1 had inspired his friends   
with hope1 only to chill them with      
despondency2--,gregory ,watt terminated 
his earthly career4#ej    #ej ,gregory  
,watt was one of those philosophers to  
whose memory   justice has not awarded  
its due4 ,he was a meteor1 whose light  
no sooner flashed upon us than it       
expired4 ,his paper upon   the gradual  
refrigeration of ,basalt1 alone entitled
 him to a   distinguished rank amongst  
experimentalists4 ,it was read before   
the ,royal ,society in ,may2 and he     
expired in the following ,october4  ,on 
the first impression which this         
melancholy event produced upon his      
feelings1 ,davy wrote a letter to his   
friend ,clayfield1 from which the       
following is an extract4  ,i scarcely   
dare to write upon the subject--,i would
 fain do what ,hamlet does1 when1 in awe
 and horror at the ghost of his father1 
he attempts to call up the ludicrous    
feeling1 but being unable to do so1 he  

merely employs the words which are      
connected with it4--,i would be gay1 or 
,i would write gaily1 in alluding to the
 loss we have both sustained1 but ,i    
feel that it is impossible4 ,poor       
,watt6--,he ought not to have died4 ,i  
could not persuade myself that he would 
die2 and until the very moment when ,i  
was assured of his fate1 ,i would not   
believe he was in any danger4  ,his     
letters to me1 only three or four months
 ago1 were full of spirit1 and spoke not
 of any infirmity of body1 but of an    
increased strength of mind4 ,why is this
 in the order of ,nature1 that there is 
such a difference in the duration and   
destruction of her works8 ,if the mere  
stone decays1 it is to produce a soil   
which is capable of nourishing the moss 
and the lichen2 when the moss and the   
lichen die and decompose1 they produce a
 mould which becomes the bed of life to 
grass1 and to a more exalted species of 
vegetables4 ,vegetables are the food of 
animals1--the less perfect animals of   

the more perfect2 but in man1 the       
faculties and intellect are             
perfected1--he rises1 exists for a      
little while in disease and misery1 and 
then would seem to disappear1 without an
 end1 and without producing any effect4 
,we are deceived1 my dear ,clayfield1 if
 we suppose that the human being who has
 formed himself for action1 but who has 
been unable to act1 is lost in the mass 
of being3 there is some arrangement of  
things which we can never comprehend1   
but in which his faculties will be      
applied4  ,the caterpillar1 in being    
converted into an inert scaly mass1 does
 not appear to be fitting itself for an 
inhabitant of air1 and can have no      
consciousness of the brilliancy of its  
future being4 ,we are masters of the    
earth1 but perhaps we are the slaves of 
some great and unknown beings4 ,the fly 
that we crush with our finger1 or feed  
with our viands1 has no knowledge of    
man1 and no consciousness of his        
superiority4 ,we suppose that we are    

acquainted with matter1 and with all its
 elements1 and yet we cannot even guess 
at the cause of electricity1 or explain 
the laws of the formation of the stones 
which fall from meteors4 ,there may be  
beings1--thinking beings1 near us1      
surrounding us1 which we do not         
perceive1 which we can never imagine4   
,we know very little2 but1 in my        
opinion1 we know enough to hope for the 
immortality1 the individual immortality 
of the better part of man4  ,i have been
 led into all this speculation1 which   
you may well think wild1 in reflecting  
upon the fate of ,gregory6 my feeling   
has given erring wings to my mind4 ,he  
was a noble fellow1 and would have been 
a great man4--,oh6 there was no reason  
for his dying--he ought not to have     
died4  ,blessings wait on you1 my good  
fellow6 ,pray remember me to ,tobin1    
and1 if you read this letter to him1    
protest1 the moment he begins to argue  
against the immortality of man6  ,i came
 yesterday from the borders of          

,dorsetshire1 where ,i have been since  
,monday1 seduced to travel by a friend4 
,i was within sixty miles of you1 and   
saw divers fair trout-streams3 let the  
fish beware of me1--,i shall be at them 
on ,monday4  ,i have included this      
latter sentence in my extract1 as being 
highly characteristic of the writer4    
,his passion for angling betrayed itself
 upon all occasions2 and the sport was  
alike his relief in toil1 and his solace
 in sorrow4 ,to his conversation1 as    
well as to his letters1 we may aptly    
apply the words of the ,augustan poet3--
      ,desinit in piscem----formosa     
superne4  ,whenever ,i had the honour of
 dining at his table1 the conversation1 
however it might have commenced1        
invariably ended on fishing2 and when a 
brother of the angle happened to be     
present1 you had the pleasure of hearing
 all his encounters with the finny      
tribe--how he had lured them by his     
treachery1 and vanquished them by his   
perseverance4 ,he would occasionally    

strike into a most eloquent and         
impassioned strain upon some subject    
which warmed his fancy2 such1 for       
example1 as the beauties of mountain    
scenery2 but before you could fully     
enjoy the prospect which his imagination
 had pictured1 down he carried you into 
some sparkling stream1 or rapid current1
 to flounder for the next half hour with
 a hooked salmon6  ,i remember          
witnessing1 upon one of these occasions1
 a very amusing scene1 which may be     
related as illustrative of some         
peculiarities of his temper4 ,i believe 
all those who have accompanied ,davy in 
his fishing excursions1 will allow that 
no sportsman was ever more ambitious to 
appear skilful and lucky4 ,nothing      
irritated him so much as to find that   
his companions had caught more fish than
 himself2 and if1 during conversation1 a
 brother fisherman surpassed him in the 
relation of his success1 he betrayed    
similar impatience4  ,there happened to 
be present1 on the occasion to which ,i 

allude1 a skilful angler1 and an        
enterprising chemist4 ,the latter       
commenced on some subject connected with
 his favourite science2 but ,davy1 who1 
generally speaking1 disliked to make it 
a subject of conversation1 suddenly     
turned to the angler1 and related what  
he considered a very surprising instance
 of his success3 his sporting friend1   
however1 mortified him by the relation  
of a still more marvellous anecdote2    
upon which ,davy as quickly returned to 
the chemist1 who1 in turn1 again sent   
him back to the angler3--and thus did he
 appear to endure the unhappy fate of   
the flying fish1 who no sooner escapes  
from an enemy in the regions of air1    
than he is pursued by one equally       
rapacious in the waters4--,but to return
 to the thread of our history4  ,in     
referring to the records of the         
,institution1 it appears that in        
,january #ahje1 ,davy greatly enriched  
the cabinets of the ,institution by a   
present of minerals4 ,the following are 

the ,minutes of the ,committee upon this
 occasion3  ,january #ba1 #ahje4--,mr4  
,hatchett reported that1 in pursuance of
 the request of the ,managers1 he had   
inspected the minerals presented to the 
,royal ,institution by ,mr4 ,davy1 and  
that the aggregate value 7including the 
duplicate specimens7 appears to him to  
exceed one hundred guineas4  ,january   
#bh4--,the ,managers took into          
consideration ,mr4 ,hatchett's report at
 the last meeting1 and resolved that    
,mr4 ,davy is entitled to the thanks of 
the ,managers for having added so       
valuable a present to the collection of 
minerals belonging to the ,institution4 
,on the #dth of ,february1 it was       
,resolved--,that ,mr4 ,davy be appointed
 ,director of the ,laboratory1 at a     
salary of one hundred pounds a-year2 by 
which his annual income from the        
,institution was raised to four hundred 
pounds4 ,at this period he delivered a  
series of lectures on ,geology1 or on   
the chemical history of the earth2 to   

which we find an allusion in the        
following letter4       ,,to ,,thomas   
,,poole1 ,,esq4      ,february1 #ahje4  
,,my ,,dear ,,poole1      ,i ,,am very  
much obliged to you for your last kind  
letter1 and ,i     thank you most       
sincerely for the exertion of your      
friendship at     ,bath4 ,i thank you   
with very warm feelings4      ,i hope   
you will soon come to town2 that you    
will stay a long time2     and that we  
shall be very much together4      ,i    
paid your subscription to ,arthur ,young
 for the ,smithfield ,club4     ,pray1  
at all times1 command me to do any thing
 ,i can for you in     ,london3--you    
cannot teaze me2 and though ,i am a very
 idle fellow1     yet ,i can always work
 if the stimulus be the desire of       
serving such     a friend as yourself4  
,i am giving my course of lectures on   
,geology to very crowded     audiences4 
,i take a great interest in the subject2
 and ,i hope the     information given  
will be useful4      ,there has been no 

news lately from ,coleridge2 the last   
accounts     state that he was well in  
the autumn1 and in ,sicily4 ,on that    
poetic     ground1 we may hope and trust
 that his genius will call forth some   
new creations1 and that he may bring    
back to us some garlands of             
never-dying verse4 ,i have written to   
urge him strongly to give a     course  
of lectures on ,poetry at the ,royal    
,institution1 where his     feeling     
would strongly impress1 and his         
eloquence greatly delight4     ,i am1 my
 dear ,poole1 most affectionately       
,yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,on the #bjth
 of ,may1 in this year1 ,mr4 ,hatchett  
reported to the ,managers of the        
,institution--that ,mr4 ,davy proposed  
making a journey into ,wales and        
,ireland this summer1 having in view to 
collect specimens for enriching the     
mineralogical cabinets2 in consequence  
of which it was ,resolved--,that the sum
 of one hundred pounds be entrusted to  
,mr4 ,davy to purchase minerals1 and to 

defray the incidental charges2 and that 
the boy of the ,laboratory1 ,william    
,reeve1#ea be ordered to attend him on  
his tour1 and that the steward be       
directed to defray his expenses4    #ea 
,there are some circumstances of        
interest connected with the   history of
 this young man4 ,he possessed much     
chemical talent2 but   during his       
residence in ,ireland he was converted  
to the ,catholic   religion1 and is at  
this time a ,catholic priest in some    
part of   the ,continent4  ,from the    
following letters1 it would appear that1
 having accomplished his purpose of     
visiting ,ireland1 he made a rapid      
journey into ,cornwall for the sake of  
seeing his mother and sisters4          
,,to ,,davies ,,giddy1 ,,esq4           
,okehampton1 ,september #ahje4      ,,my
 ,,dear ,,sir1      ,i am accompanying  
my friend ,mr4 ,bernard in a tour       
through the ,west     of ,england1 and  
,i hope we shall reach ,penzance in two 
or three days4      ,mr4 ,bernard wishes

 much for the honour of your            
acquaintance1 and ,i     trust you will 
permit me to have the pleasure of making
 you known     to him4 ,much kindness   
and long knowledge of him1 may have made
 me     partial to that gentleman1 and  
may perhaps influence me when ,i say1   
that there is not a more patriotic1     
good1 and public-spirited man     in    
,great ,britain4      ,i came from      
,ireland by the western road1 about a   
fortnight ago4     ,my expectations were
 fully satisfied with the appearances of
 the     ,giant's ,causeway4 ,the       
arrangements of rocks of the ,northern  
,cape     of ,ireland appear to me to   
present facts equally irreconcilable    
upon either the ,plutonic or ,neptunian 
theory2 and ,i am convinced     that    
general fanciful theories will lose     
ground in proportion as     minute      
observations are multiplied4      ,the  
,irish are a noble race1 degraded by    
slavery1 and bearing     the insignia of
 persecution1 extreme savageness1 or the

 lowest     servility2 yet they are     
ingenious and active1 and seem to me to 
possess all the elements of power and   
usefulness2 but amongst the     lower   
orders there is a most unfortunate      
equality1 destructive of     all great  
and efficient exertion2 and amongst the 
higher classes     the greatest degree  
of activity is awakened only by the     
desire of     imitating the ,english1   
and that not so much in their virtues   
and     talents1 as in their luxuries   
and follies4      ,i hear from all      
quarters of the good effects of your    
late exertions     in ,parliament4 ,may 
your efforts tend to establish the reign
 of good     sense and pure philosophy1 
in a place where they have been too     
often found to yield to empty sounds6   
,yours1 c4 ,h4 ,,davy4       ,,to       
,,thomas ,,poole1 ,,esq4      ,london1  
,oct4 #i1 #ahje4      ,,my ,,dear       
,,poole1      ,i ,,made a very rapid    
journey to ,cornwall with ,mr4 ,bernard1
 merely     for the sake of showing him 

the country1 and for the purpose of     
spending a week with my mother and      
sisters4      ,we made an effort to come
 to you at ,nether ,stowey1 but the     
people     at ,bridgewater would not    
take us round1 through ,stowey1 to      
,taunton1     without four horses2 and  
at all events we could only have spent  
two or three hours with you2 and it is  
difficult to say whether     the        
pleasure of meeting1 or the regret at   
parting so soon1 would     have been the
 greatest4 ,i long very much for the    
intercourse of     a week with you4 ,i  
have very much to say about ,ireland4   
,it is     an island which might be made
 a new and a great country4 ,it now     
boasts a fertile soil1 an ingenious and 
robust peasantry1 and     a rich        
aristocracy2 but the bane of the nation 
is the equality     of poverty amongst  
the lower orders4 ,all are slaves       
without the     probability of becoming 
free2 they are in the state of equality 
which the ,sansculottes wished for in   

,france2 and until emulation     and    
riches1 and the love of clothes and neat
 houses1 are introduced     amongst     
them1 there will be no permanent        
improvement4      ,changes in political 
institutions can at first do little     
towards     serving them4 ,it must be by
 altering their habits1 by diffusing    
manufactories1 by destroying middle-men1
 by dividing farms1#eb     and by       
promoting industry by making the pay    
proportioned to the     work4 ,but ,i   
ought not to attempt to say any thing on
 the subject     when my limits are so  
narrow2 ,i hope soon to converse with   
you     about it4      ,i found much to 
interest me in geology in ,ireland1 and 
,i have     brought away a great deal of
 information1 and many specimens4       
,i shall now be in ,london till         
,christmas1 with the exception of next  
week1 which ,i am obliged to pass in    
,bedfordshire4 ,i am1 my dear           
,poole1      ,most affectionately       
your's1      ,h4 ,,davy4    #eb ,he     

means that the middle-men being         
discontinued1 their   large allotments  
should be divided into farms of         
convenient   extent1 the occupiers of   
which should rent immediately from the  
owners of the soil4   ,after the        
,giant's ,causeway1 the scenery which   
called forth ,davy's greatest admiration
 in ,ireland was that of ,fair-,head4   
,to an enthusiastic lover of the wild   
and sublime features of ,nature1 an     
object of greater interest could        
scarcely be presented than a vast       
promontory1 the summit of which rises   
five hundred feet above the sea1 and at 
whose base lies a waste of rude and     
gigantic columns1 swept by the hand of  
,time from the mountain to which they   
formerly belonged4  ,the following      
fragment1 written by ,davy at the time1 
has been placed in my hands by ,mr4     
,greenough4           ----,but chiefly  
thee1 ,fair-,head6     ,unrivall'd in   
thy form and majesty6     ,for on thy   
loftiest summit ,i have walk'd     ,in  

the bright sunshine1 while beneath thee 
roll'd     ,the clouds in purest        
splendour1 hiding now     ,the ,ocean   
and his islands--parting now     ,as if 
reluctantly3 whilst full in view        
,the blue tide wildly roll'd1 skirted   
with foam1     ,and bounded by the green
 and smiling land1     ,the dim pale    
mountains1 and the purple sky4          
,majestic cliff6 thou birth of unknown  
,time1     ,long had the billows beat   
thee1 long the waves     ,rush'd o'er   
thy hollow'd rocks1 ere life adorn'd    
,thy broken surface1 ere the yellow moss
     ,had tinted thee1 or the mild dews 
of ,heaven     ,clothed thee with       
verdure1 or the eagles made     ,thy    
cave their ary3 so in after time        
,long shalt thou rest unalter'd mid the 
wreck     ,of all the mightiness of     
human works2     ,for not the lightning 
nor the whirlwind's force1     ,nor all 
the waves of ocean1 shall prevail       
,against thy giant strength--and thou   
shalt stand     ,till the ,almighty     

voice which bade thee rise     ,shall   
bid thee fall4   ,amongst ,davy's       
letters to ,mr4 ,gilbert1 in the years  
#ahjd and #ahje1 ,i find several upon   
the subject of the elastic force of     
steam1 at different temperatures1 with  
reference to ,mr4 ,trevitheck's         
improvements in the steam-engine2 in one
 of which he says1 ,i shall be extremely
 happy to hear of the results of your   
enquiries1 and ,i hope you will not     
confine them to your friends1 but make  
them public4 ,whenever speculative leads
 to practical discovery1 it ought to be 
well remembered1 and generally known3   
one of the most common arguments against
 the philosophical exercise of the      
understanding is1 ,cui bono8 ,it is an  
absurd argument1 and every fact against 
it ought to be carefully registered4    
,trevitheck's engine will not be        
forgotten2 but it ought to be known and 
remembered that your reasonings and     
mathematical enquiries led to the       
discovery4  ,on the #bhth of ,february  

#ahje1 was read before the ,royal       
,society1 and published in the          
,transactions of that year1 a paper     
entitled1 ,an ,account of some          
analytical ,experiments on a mineral    
production from ,devonshire1 consisting 
principally of ,alumina and ,water2 by  
,humphry ,davy1 c4  ,this mineral was   
first discovered by ,dr4 ,wavel1 in     
small veins and cavities1 in a tender   
argillaceous slate1 near ,barnstaple in 
,devonshire4 ,at first it was considered
 as a species of ,zeolite1 until ,mr4   
,hatchett concluded1 from its geological
 position1 that it did not belong to    
that family of minerals4 ,dr4 ,babington
 subsequently suspected from its        
physical characters1 and from some of   
its habitudes with acids1 that it was a 
mineral not before described1 and       
accordingly placed a quantity of it in  
,davy's hands for analysis2 who1 on     
finding in its composition little more  
than clay and water1 proposed to change 
the name of ,wavellite for that of      

,hydrargyllite1 as better expressive of 
its chemical nature4 ,he however1 at the
 same time1 alludes to traces of an acid
 which he was unable to identify4  ,in a
 letter to ,mr4 ,nicholson1 dated       
,killarney1 ,june #ae1 #ahjf1 and which 
was afterwards published in his         
,journal1 ,davy refers to this fact in  
the following manner3--       ,,dear    
,,sir1      ,i ,,shall feel much obliged
 to you to mention that ,i have found   
the     acid which exists in minute     
quantities in ,wavellite to be the      
,fluoric acid1 in such a peculiar state 
of combination as not to     be rendered
 sensible by sulphuric acid4 ,i am1 c4  
,h4 ,,davy4   ,my late friend the       
,reverend ,william ,gregor1 having found
 the ,wavellite at ,stenna ,gwynn1 in   
,cornwall1 submitted it to experiment1  
and the result certainly established the
 conclusion of the presence of fluoric  
acid1 though not rendered apparent by   
the usual tests4 ,the facts were        
transmitted to the ,royal ,society1 and 

published in a paper entitled1 ,on a    
mineral ,substance1 formerly supposed to
 be ,zeolite2 by the ,reverend ,william 
,gregor4  ,the subsequent experiments of
 ,berzelius1 however1 cleared away the  
obscurity in which the subject was still
 involved4 ,he showed that this mineral 
not only contained in its composition a 
small portion of the neutral fluate of  
alumina1 but he demonstrated the        
presence of a sub-phosphate of that     
earth1 to no inconsiderable an amount4  
,much has been said of the error        
committed on this occasion by ,davy1 in 
overlooking thirty-three per cent4 of   
phosphoric acid2 but the phosphate of   
alumina is a body that might very easily
 have escaped notice at a period when   
mineral analysis was in a far less      
advanced state than it is at present4   
,on the #afth of ,may #ahje1 ,davy      
communicated to the ,royal ,society a   
paper ,on the method of analyzing       
,stones containing a fixed ,alkali1 by  
means of the ,boracic ,acid4 ,this      

method was founded upon two important   
facts3 first1 on the considerable       
attraction of boracic acid for the      
different simple earths at the heat of  
ignition2 and1 secondly1 on the facility
 with which the compounds so formed are 
decomposed by the mineral acids4 ,the   
processes are extremely simple1 and the 
method must be considered as having     
advanced the art of mineral analysis4   
,for this and his preceding papers1 the 
,president and ,council of the ,royal   
,society adjudged to him their ,copley  
medal4  ,in #ahjf1 ,mr4 ,poole1 having  
consulted ,davy on the subject of a     
,mine occurring near ,nether ,stowy1    
received from him the following letter1 
which is interesting from the political 
opinions it displays4       ,,to        
,,thomas ,,poole1 ,,esq4      ,,my      
,,dear ,,poole1      ,what you have     
written concerning the indifference of  
men with     regard to the interest of  
the species in future ages1 is perfectly
     just and philosophical2 but the    

greatest misfortune is1 that men     do 
not attend even to their own interest1  
and to the interest of     their own age
 in public matters4 ,they think in      
moments1 instead     of thinking1 as    
they ought to do1 in years2 and they are
 guided     by expediency rather than by
 reason4 ,the true political maxim      
is1 that the good of the whole community
 is the good of every     individual2   
but how few statesmen have ever been    
guided by this     principle6 ,in almost
 all governments1 the plan has been to  
sacrifice one part of the community to  
other parts3--sometimes1     the people 
to the aristocracy2 at other times1 the 
aristocracy to     the                  
people2--sometimes1 the ,colonies to the
 ,mother-country2 and     at other      
times1 the ,mother-country to the       
,colonies4 ,a generous     enlightened  
policy has never existed in ,europe     
since the days     of ,alfred2 and what 
has been called the balance of          
power--the     support of               

civilization1--has been produced only by
 jealousy1 envy1     bitterness1        
contest1 and eternal war1 either carried
 on by pens or     cannon1 destroying   
men morally and physically6 ,but if ,i  
proceed in     vague political          
declamation1 ,i shall have no room left 
for the main     object of my           
letter--your ,mine4 ,i wish it had been 
in my power to     write decidedly on   
the subject2 but your county is a       
peculiar one3     such indications would
 be highly favourable in ,cornwall2 but 
in     a shell-limestone of late        
formation1 there have as yet been no    
instances of great copper mines4 ,i     
hope1 however1 that your mine     will  
produce a rich store of facts4          
,miners from ,alston ,moor1 or from     
,derbyshire1 would understand your      
country better than ,cornish miners1 for
 the ,cornish shifts are     wholly     
different from yours4 ,it would be well 
for you to have some     workmen at     
least from the ,north1 as they are well 

acquainted with     shell-limestone4    
,the ,ecton copper mine in              
,staffordshire is in this rock3 it would
 be     right for you to get a plan and 
a history of that mine1 which might     
possibly assist your views4      ,had ,i
 been rich1 ,i would adventure2 but ,i  
am just going to embark     with all the
 little money ,i have been able to save 
for a scientific     expedition to      
,norway1 ,lapland1 and ,sweden4 ,in all 
climes1 ,i shall     be your warm and   
sincere friend1      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,on  
the death of ,dr4 ,edward ,whitaker     
,gray1 ,secretary of the ,royal         
,society1 ,davy was elected into that   
office1 at an extraordinary meeting of  
the ,society1 on the #bbnd of ,january  
#ahjg2 and at the same time he was      
elected a member of the ,council4  ,we  
are now advancing to that brilliant     
period in the history of our            
philosopher1 at which he effected those 
grand discoveries in science1 which will
 transmit his name to posterity1        

associated with those of ,newton1       
,bacon1 ,locke1 and the great           
master-spirits of every age and         
country3--,i speak of his developement  
of the ,,laws ,,of ,,voltaic            
,,electricity4  ,i approach the subject 
with that diffidence which the          
contemplation of mighty achievements    
must ever produce in the mind of the    
historian1 when he compares the extent  
and magnitude of his subject with the   
limited and feeble powers which are to  
describe them4  ,as the advantages      
afforded by the history of any great    
discovery consist as much in exhibiting1
 step by step1 the intellectual         
operations by which it was accomplished1
 as in detailing its nature and         
applications1 or in examining its       
relations with previously established   
truths2 so shall ,i be unable to        
preserve a chronological succession in  
the examination of those several memoirs
 which he presented to the ,royal       
,society1 without breaking asunder that 

fine intellectual thread1 by which his  
mind was conducted through the intricate
 paths of nature from known to unknown  
phenomena4 ,for this reason1 although ,i
 announced1 according to the date of its
 publication1 the subject of his first  
paper on electricity1 ,i deferred       
entering upon its examination1 until ,i 
might be able to bring into one         
uninterrupted view the whole enquiry1 in
 all its branches and bearings4  ,it is 
impossible to enter upon the subject of 
galvanism1 or ,voltaic electricity1     
without recurring to the circumstance   
which first betrayed the existence of   
such an energy in nature1 and to the    
sanguine expectations which the         
discovery so naturally excited4  ,on    
witnessing the powerful contraction of a
 muscular fibre by the mere contact of  
certain metals1 it was rational to      
conclude1 that the nature and operation 
of the mysterious power of vital        
irritability might1 at length1 be       
discovered by a new train of scientific 

research4 ,it is a curious fact1 that an
 experiment so full of promise to the   
physiologist should have hitherto failed
 in affording him any assistance in his 
investigations2 while the chemist1 to   
whom it did not1 at first1 appear to    
offer any one single point of interest1 
has derived from it a new and highly    
important instrument of research1 which 
has already1 under the guidance of      
,davy1 multiplied discoveries with such 
rapidity1 and to such an extent1 that it
 is not even possible to anticipate the 
limits of its power4  ,we have here1    
then1 another striking instance of a    
great effect produced by means          
apparently insignificant4 ,who could    
have imagined it possible1 that the     
spasmodic action occasioned in the limb 
of a frog1 by the accidental contact of 
a pair of scissors1 should have become  
the means of changing the whole theory  
of chemistry--of discovering substances1
 whose very existence was never         
suspected--of explaining the anomalous  

associations of mineral bodies in the   
veins of the earth--of protecting       
surfaces of metal from the corrosive    
action of the elements--of elucidating  
the theories of volcanoes and           
earthquakes--and1 may we not add8 of    
leading the way to a knowledge of the   
laws of terrestrial magnetism6  ,such an
 unexpected extension of an apparently  
useless fact should dispose us to       
entertain a kinder regard for the       
labours of one another1 and teach us to 
judge with diffidence of the abstract   
results of science4 ,a discovery which  
may appear incapable of useful          
application to-day1 may be our glory    
to-morrow1--it may even change the face 
of empires1 and wield the destiny of    
nations4  ,the conic sections of        
,apollonius ,pergus remained useless for
 two thousand years3 who could have     
supposed that1 after the lapse of twenty
 centuries1 they would have formed the  
basis of astronomy8--a science giving to
 navigation safety1 guiding the pilot   

through unknown seas1 and tracing for   
him in the heavens an unerring path to  
his native shores4  ,some apology may be
 necessary for this digression2 but1 ,i 
confess1 the subject has always appeared
 to me to be capable of much interesting
 illustration1 and ,i heartily concur in
 the opinion expressed by the           
accomplished author of ,lettres         
,sophie--,l',histoire des grands effets 
par les petites causes ferait un livre  
bien curieux4     ,,chapter ,,vi4       
,the ,history of ,galvanism divided into
 six grand ,epochs4--,davy    extends   
the experiment of ,nicholson and        
,carlisle4--,his ,pile    of one metal  
and two fluids4--,dr4 ,wollaston        
advocates the    doctrine of oxidation  
being the primary cause of ,voltaic     
,phenomena4--,davy's modification of    
that theory4--,his ,bakerian    ,lecture
 of #ahjf4--;,he discovers the sources  
of the ,acid and    ,alkaline matter    
eliminated from water by ,voltaic       
action4--,on    the nature of           

,electrical decomposition and           
transfer4--,on    the relations between 
the ,electrical energies of bodies1     
and their ,chemical                     
,affinities4--,general developement of  
the    ,electro-chemical                
,laws4--,illustrations1 ,applications1  
and    ,conclusions4   ,the ,history of 
,galvanism may be divided into six grand
 epochs2 each being distinguished by the
 discovery of facts variously           
interesting from their novelty1 and from
 the extent and importance of their     
applications4  ,it cannot be expected   
that ,i should enter into a minute      
history of the science2 such a labour   
would require a distinct work for its   
accomplishment4 ,i shall therefore      
follow the plan of the architect1 who1  
in presenting a finished drawing of a   
part1 sketches a faint outline of the   
whole edifice to which it belongs1 in   
order that its fair proportions may     
appear in proper breadth and relief4    
,the ,,first ,,epoch may be considered  

as arising out of the fundamental fact  
discovered by ,galvani in #agij--that   
the contact of two different metals with
 the nerve of a recently killed frog    
will excite distinct muscular           
contractions4  ,,the ,,second ,,epoch   
may be dated from the discovery of what 
might be termed ,organic ,galvanism1 or 
the production of its influence1 without
 the presence of animal organs1 by the  
peculiar action of metals upon water1 as
 first observed by ,dr4 ,ash4  ,,the    
,,third ,,epoch will long be celebrated 
on account of the discovery of the      
accumulation of the ,galvanic power1 by 
the invention of the pile of ,volta1    
made known in the first year of the     
present century1 and which so distinctly
 exhibited the analogy between          
,galvanism and ,electricity1 that the   
energy thus excited is now generally    
spoken of as ,voltaic ,electricity4     
,,the ,,fourth ,,epoch may be considered
 as founded upon the knowledge of the   
general connexion between the excitement

 of ,voltaic electricity and chemical   
changes4  ,,the ,,fifth ,,epoch is      
exclusively indebted for its origin to  
,davy--the establishment of the general 
law1 that ,galvanism decomposes all     
compound bodies1 and that the           
decomposition takes place in a certain  
determinate manner4  ,,the ,,sixth ,,and
 ,,last ,,epoch is founded upon the     
discovery of the relations subsisting   
between electricity and magnetism2      
giving origin to a new branch of        
science1 which has been distinguished by
 the name of ,,electro-,,magnetism4     
,galvani1#ec from the moment of his     
first discovery1 always referred the    
effects he produced to an electrical    
origin2 but he considered that the      
metals employed merely acted as         
conductors1 which effected a            
communication between the different     
parts of an animal1 naturally1 or by    
some process of nature1 in opposite     
states of electricity1 and that the     
muscular contractions took place during 

the restoration of the equilibrium4     
#ec ,the simple fact relating to the    
action of metals on the   animal organs 
was certainly not first observed by     
,galvani1 but by   ,sulzer1 who has     
described the sensation of taste        
produced by the   contact of lead and   
silver with the tongue1 in his ,thorie  
des   ,plaisirs1 in #agfg4  ,until the  
researches of ,dr4 ,ash1#ed ,ritter1    
,fabroni1 and ,creve1 had been made     
known1 the ,galvanic influence was      
generally considered as existing only in
 the living organs of animals1 from     
which it might be elicited by certain   
processes4    #ed ,m4 ,humboldt 7,ueber 
die gereize ,faser1 l4 #dgc1 #agig17    
quotes part of a letter from ,dr4 ,ash1 
in which it is said that1   if two      
finely polished plates of homogeneous   
zinc be moistened   and laid together1  
little effect follows2 but if zinc and  
silver   be tried in the same way1 the  
whole surface of the silver   will be   
covered with oxidated zinc4 ,lead and   

quicksilver act   as powerfully upon    
each other1 and so do iron and copper4  
,m4   ,humboldt says1 that1 in repeating
 this experiment1 he saw air   bubbles  
ascend1 which he supposes to have been  
hydrogen gas from   the decomposition of
 water4  ,in the ,bakerian ,lecture#ee  
read before the ,royal ,society in      
#ahbf1 ,davy1 in giving a retrospective 
view of the progress of                 
,electro-chemical ,science1 very justly 
remarks1 that the true origin of all    
that has been done in this department of
 philosophy was the accidental discovery
 of ,nicholson and ,carlisle1 of the    
decomposition of water by the pile of   
,volta1 on the #cjth of ,april1 in the  
year #ahjj2 which was immediately       
followed by that of the decomposition of
 certain metallic solutions1 and by the 
observation of the separation of alkali 
on the negative plates of the apparatus4
 ,mr4 ,cruickshank1 in pursuing these   
experiments1 obtained many new and      
important results1 such as the          

decomposition of the muriates of        
magnesia1 soda1 and ammonia2 and also   
observed the fact1 that alkaline matter 
always appeared at the negative1 and    
acid matter at the positive pole4#ef    
#ee ,as this lecture will be frequently 
mentioned in the progress   of these    
,memoirs1 in connexion with most        
important discoveries1   it may be      
interesting to the reader to learn      
something of its   foundation and       
design4 ,i have therefore collected the 
necessary   information from the        
,minutes of the ,royal ,society4 ,mr4   
,baker is   well known in the history of
 ,science1 as an accurate observer      
with the microscope1 and as the author  
of several works on the   subject4 ,by  
his will1 dated ,july #agfc1 he         
bequeathed the sum   of one hundred     
pounds1 the interest of which he        
directed to   be applied for an ,oration
 or ,discourse1 to be read or spoken    
yearly by some one of the ,fellows of   
the ,royal ,society1 on such   parts of 

,natural ,history1 or ,experimental     
,philosophy1 at such   time1 and in such
 manner1 as the ,president and ,council 
of the   said ,society shall please to  
order and appoint2 on condition1        
nevertheless1 that if any one year shall
 pass after the payment   of the said   
hundred pounds1 without such oration or 
discourse   having been read or spoken  
at some ,meeting of the said ,royal     
,society1 the said hundred pounds shall 
then become forfeited1 and   shall be   
repaid by the said ,society to his      
executors1 c4 ,baker   died in ,november
 #aggd1 and in the following year a     
,fellow was   nominated to read the     
lecture4 ,it is a whimsical             
circumstance1   that the first lecturer 
should have been ,,peter ,,woulfe1 the  
last   of the alchemists4 ,the names of 
the successive lecturers were as        
follow3--,dr4 ,ingenhouz1 ,mr4 ,cavallo1
 ,mr4 ,vince1 ,dr4 ,wollaston1   ,dr4   
,young1 ,sir ,h4 ,davy1 ,mr4 ,brande1   
,captain ,kater1 ,captain ,edward       

,sabine1 and ,mr4 ,herschel4    #ef     
,nicholson's ,journal1 vol4 iv4 p4 #aij4
  ,no sooner had ,davy become acquainted
 with the curious experiments of        
,nicholson and ,carlisle1 than1 as we   
learn from his letter to ,mr4           
,gilbert1#eg bearing the date of ,july  
#ahjj1 he proceeded to repeat them4     
,indeed1 it was the early habit of his  
mind not only to originate enquiries1   
but without delay to examine the novel  
results of other philosophers2 and in   
numerous instances it would seem1 that  
he only required to confirm their       
accuracy before he succeeded in         
rendering the application of them       
subservient to farther discovery4 ,this 
was certainly the case with respect to  
the subject before us3 he was a         
discoverer as soon as he became an      
enquirer4 ,it is admirable to observe   
with what a quick perception he         
discovered the various bearings of a new
 fact1 and with what ingenuity he       
appropriated it for the explanation of  

previously obscure phenomena4 ,in       
referring to the ,additional            
,observations appended to his ,chemical 
,researches1 we shall find that the     
moment he became acquainted with the    
experiments of ,dr4 ,ash1 he proceeded  
to enquire how far the fact1 previously 
noticed by himself1 of the conversion of
 nitrous gas into nitrous oxide1 by     
exposure to wetted zinc1 might depend   
upon galvanic action4    #eg ,see page  
#he4  ,in the month of ,september #ahjj1
 he published his first paper on the    
subject of ,galvanic ,electricity1 in   
,nicholson's ,journal1 which was        
followed by six others1 in which he so  
far extended the original experiment of 
,nicholson and ,carlisle1 as to show    
that oxygen and hydrogen might be       
evolved from separate portions of water1
 though vegetable and even animal       
substances intervened2 and conceiving   
that all decompositions might be polar1 
he electrized different compounds at the
 different extremities1 and found that  

sulphur and metallic bodies appeared at 
the negative pole1 and oxygen and azote 
at the positive pole1 though the bodies 
furnishing them were separated from each
 other4 ,here was the dawn of the       
,electro-chemical theory4  ,in a letter 
to ,mr4 ,gilbert1 already printed in    
these ,memoirs1#eh he announced his     
opinion that ,galvanism is a process    
principally chemical2 and in a          
subsequent communication#ei to the same 
gentleman1 written on the eve of his    
departure from ,bristol to the ,royal   
,institution1 we discover a farther     
developement of the same theory1 which1 
although modified by future researches1 
became1 as we shall hereafter find1     
materially instrumental in establishing 
juster views of the nature of ,voltaic  
action4    #eh ,see page #aaj4    #ei   
,page #aah4  ,as soon as it was         
discovered that galvanic power might be 
excited by the contact of metals1       
without the interposition of animal     
organs1 it was imagined that the        

electricity was set in motion by the    
contact of bodies possessing different  
conducting powers1 without any reference
 to the chemical action which           
accompanied the process4 ,this theory   
was naturally suggested by the fact     
discovered by ,mr4 ,bennett several     
years before--that electricity is       
excited by the mere contact of different
 metals3 thus1 when a plate of copper   
and another of zinc1 each furnished with
 an insulating glass handle1 are made to
 touch by their flat surfaces1 the zinc1
 after separation1 exhibits positive1   
and the copper negative electricity4 ,in
 this case1 it is fair to conclude that 
a certain quantity of electricity had   
moved from the copper to the zinc4  ,on 
trying other metals1 ,volta found that  
similar phenomena arose2 from which     
property such bodies have been          
denominated motors of electricity1 and  
the process which takes place           
electro-motion3 terms which have since  
been sanctioned and adopted by ,davy4   

,it is on this transference of          
electricity from one surface to another1
 by simple contact1 that ,volta explains
 the action of the pile invented by     
himself1 as well as that of all similar 
arrangements4 ,the interposed fluids1 on
 this hypothesis1 have no effect as     
chemical agents1 in producing the       
phenomena2 they merely act as conductors
 of the electricity4  ,we have seen how 
early ,davy had observed the intimate   
connexion subsisting between the        
electrical effect1 and the chemical     
changes going on in the pile1 and that  
he accordingly drew the conclusion of   
the dependence of the one upon the      
other4 ,in fact1 the most powerful      
,voltaic combinations are those formed  
by substances that act chemically upon  
each other with the greatest energy2    
while such as undergo no chemical change
 exhibit no electrical powers3 thus     
zinc1 copper1 and nitric acid form a    
powerful battery2 whilst silver1 gold1  
and water1 which do not act upon each   

other1 produce no sensible effect in a  
series of the same number4  ,although1  
in this obscure region of research1 we  
are as yet unable to discover the nature
 of the power by which electricity is   
accumulated1 it was a considerable step 
towards a true theory to have           
ascertained the insufficiency of the    
proposition that had been offered in    
explanation of the phenomena4  ,an      
investigation into the chemical activity
 of the pile led ,davy to the discovery 
of a new series of facts1 to which we   
find an allusion in his former letters  
to ,mr4 ,gilbert1 and which subsequently
 formed the basis of his first          
communication read before the ,royal    
,society on the #ahth of ,june in the   
same year4  ,all the combinations       
analogous to the ,voltaic pile had      
hitherto consisted of a series          
containing1 at least1 two metallic      
bodies1 7or one metal and charcoal17 and
 a stratum of fluid4 ,davy discovered   
that an accumulation of galvanic energy1

 exactly similar to that in the common  
pile1 might be produced by the          
arrangement of single metallic plates   
with different strata of fluids2 so     
that1 instead of composing a battery    
with two metals and one fluid1 he       
succeeded in constructing it with one   
metal and two fluids2 provided always   
that oxidation1 or some equivalent      
chemical change1 should proceed on one  
of the metallic surfaces only4  ,in     
describing these combinations of a      
single metal with two fluids1 he divides
 them into three classes1 following in  
the arrangement the order of time with  
regard to their discovery4  ,in the     
,first ,class1 one side of the metallic 
plate is oxidated2 in the ,second1 a    
sulphuret is formed on one of its       
surfaces2 and in the ,third1 both sides 
are acted upon1 the metal becoming a    
sulphuret on one of its surfaces1 and an
 oxide on the other4  ,the apparatus    
which he employed for these experiments 
is preserved in the laboratory of the   

,royal ,institution4 ,it consists of a  
trough1 containing grooves capable of   
receiving the edges of the different    
plates necessary for the arrangement1   
one half of which are composed of horn1 
the other half of some one metal4  ,when
 the apparatus was used1 the cells were 
filled1 in the galvanic order1 with the 
different solutions1 according to the   
class of the combination1 and connected 
in pairs with each other by slips of    
moistened cloth carried over the        
non-conducting plates4  ,at the meeting 
of the ,royal ,society1 following that  
on which the above interesting facts    
were communicated1 ,dr4 ,wollaston      
presented a memoir of considerable      
importance1 entitled1 ,experiments on   
the ,chemical ,production and agency of 
,electricity2 in which he strongly      
advocates the truth of that theory which
 recognises metallic oxidation as the   
primary cause of the ,voltaic phenomena4
 ,this paper is also farther important  
as it proves1 by most ingeniously       

devised experiments1 not only the       
similarity of the means by which both   
common and galvanic electricity are     
excited1 but also the resemblance       
existing between their effects2 showing1
 in fact1 that they are both essentially
 the same1 and confirming the opinion1  
that all the apparent differences may   
depend upon differences in intensity and
 quantity4  ,acting upon this principle1
 ,dr4 ,wollaston succeeded in producing 
a very close imitation of the chemical  
action of galvanism by common           
electricity2 such1 for example1 as the  
decomposition of water1 and other       
effects of oxidation and deoxidation4#fj
 ,in the prosecution of this train of   
research1 he displays1 in a very        
striking manner1 that attention to      
minute arrangement which so remarkably  
characterised all his manipulations4 ,i 
particularly allude to the expedients by
 which he reduced the extremity of a    
gold wire1 in order to apportion the    
strength of the electric charge to the  

quantity of water submitted to its      
influence4    #fj ,m4 ,bonijol of       
,geneva has lately succeeded in         
effecting   the decomposition of ,potash
 and the ,chloride of ,silver by        
ordinary electricity4 ,his process      
consists in placing these   substances  
in a very narrow glass tube1 and in then
 passing a   series of electric sparks  
from the ordinary machine through       
them4 ,the electricity was conducted    
into the tube by means of   two metallic
 wires fixed into the ends4 ,when a     
quick succession   of electric sparks   
had taken place for about five or ten   
minutes1 the tube containing chloride of
 silver was found to   contain reduced  
silver2 and when potash had been        
submitted to   the electric current1    
then the ,potassium was seen to take    
fire   as it was produced4 ,the same    
philosopher has likewise contrived   to 
decompose water by atmospheric          
electricity4 ,the electricity1   in this
 case1 is collected from the atmosphere 

by means of a   very fine point fixed at
 the extremity of an insulated rod2 the 
latter is connected with the apparatus1 
in which the water is to   be           
decomposed1 by a metallic wire1 of which
 the diameter does   not exceed #a-ejth 
of an inch4 ,in this way the            
decomposition of   the water proceeds in
 a continuous and rapid manner1 although
   the atmospheric electricity be not   
strong4 ,stormy weather1 it is   said1  
is quite sufficient for the             
purpose4--,bib4 ,univers4 #ahcj1   p4   
#bac4 and ,royal ,institution ,journal1 
,no4 #b4  ,although it is now very      
generally admitted1 that the chemical   
agency of the fluids upon the metals    
employed is highly essential to the     
maintenance of ,voltaic action1 there   
still remains considerable doubt as to  
how far we are entitled to regard it as 
the first in the order of phenomena4    
,at a later period of his researches1   
,davy suggested as a correction1 or     
rather modification1 of the theory of   

,volta1 that the electro-motion produced
 by the contact of the metals might be  
the primary cause of the chemical       
changes2 and that such changes were in  
no other way efficient1 than in         
restoring the electric equilibrium thus 
disturbed3 it was farther held1 that    
this equilibrium could not be permanent1
 that it could in fact be only          
momentary2 since1 in consequence of the 
imperfect conducting power of the       
interposed fluid1 the zinc and          
copper-plates1 by their electro-motive  
power1 would again assume their opposite
 states of electricity2 and that these  
alternate changes would occur1 as long  
as any of the fluid remained            
undecomposed4 ,in a ,voltaic            
arrangement1 then1 there would appear to
 exist1 if the expression may be        
allowed1 a kind of electrical seesaw2   
the apposition of the metals destroying 
the equilibrium1 and the resulting      
chemical changes again restoring it4 ,it
 has1 however1 been very justly         

observed1 that the application of       
electricity1 as an instrument of        
chemical decomposition1 has most        
fortunately no connexion with such      
theories1 and that the study of its     
effects may be carried on without       
reference to any hypothetical notions   
concerning the origin of the phenomena4 
,an interval of nearly five years had   
elapsed between the first communication 
which ,davy made on this subject1 and   
the ,bakerian lecture which is          
immediately to be considered4 ,during   
this period several new facts had been  
added by different experimentalists1 but
 they were scattered1 disjointed1 and   
totally unconnected with each other by  
any rational analogies4  ,the constant  
appearance of acid and alkaline matter  
in pure water1 when submitted to the    
influence of the ,voltaic pile1 gave    
rise to the most extravagant            
speculations and discordant hypotheses4 
,various statements were made1 both in  
,italy and ,england1 respecting the     

generation of muriatic acid1 and that of
 the fixed alkalies1 under these        
circumstances4 ,mr4 ,sylvester affirmed1
 that if two separate portions of water 
were electrised out of the contact of   
substances containing alkaline or acid  
matter1 acid and alkali would1          
nevertheless1 be produced4  ,some       
philosophers sought to explain the      
phenomenon from the salts contained in  
the fluids of the trough1 which they    
imagined might1 by some unsuspected     
channel1 find their way into the water  
under examination4 ,others believed that
 they were actually generated by the    
union of the electric fluid with the    
water1 or with one or both of its       
elements2 so that1 up to the time of    
,davy's masterly researches1 the subject
 was involved in the greatest obscurity2
 and whether the saline matter was      
liberated from unknown combinations1 or 
at once formed by the union of its      
elements1 was a question upon which the 
greatest chemists entertained different 

opinions4  ,the ,bakerian ,lecture1 read
 before the ,royal ,society on the #bjth
 of ,november #ahjf1 not only set this  
question for ever at rest1 but unfolded 
the mysteries of general ,voltaic       
action2 and1 as far as theory goes1 may 
almost be said to have perfected our    
knowledge of the chemical agencies of   
the pile4  ,this grand display of       
scientific light burst upon ,europe like
 a splendid meteor1 throwing its        
radiance into the deepest recesses1 and 
opening to the view of the philosopher  
new and unexpected regions4  ,i shall   
endeavour to offer as popular a review  
of this celebrated memoir1 as the       
abstruse and complicated nature of its  
subjects will allow2 and ,i shall be    
careful in pointing out the successive  
stages of the enquiry2 for we are all   
too much in the habit of exclusively    
looking after results2 whereas an       
examination of the steps by which they  
were attained is far more important1 not
 only to the fame of the discoverer1 but

 to ourselves1 as the means of          
instruction4  ,the subjects investigated
 in this memoir are arranged under the  
following divisions4  #a4 ,on the       
changes produced in ,water by           
,electricity4  #b4 ,on the agencies of  
,electricity in the decomposition of    
various compound ,bodies4  #c4 ,on the  
transfer of certain constituent ,parts  
of ,bodies by the action of             
,electricity4  #d4 ,on the passage of   
,acids1 ,alkalies1 and other            
,substances1 through various attracting 
chemical menstrua1 by means of          
,electricity4  #e4 ,some general        
,observations on these ,phenomena1 and  
on the mode of ,decomposition and       
,transition4  #f4 ,on the ,general      
,principles of the chemical changes     
produced by ,electricity4  #g4 ,on the  
,relations between the ,electrical      
,energies of bodies and their ,chemical 
,affinities4  #h4 ,on the mode of action
 of the ,pile of ,volta1 with           
,experimental ,elucidations4  #i4 ,on   

some ,general ,illustrations and        
,applications of the foregoing facts and
 principles4  ,with respect to the first
 of these divisions1 comprehending a    
history of the changes produced in water
 by electricity1 it is worthy of        
particular notice1 that as early as the 
year #ahjj1 while residing at ,bristol1 
,davy had discovered that when separate 
portions of distilled water1 filling two
 glass tubes connected by moist         
bladders1 or any moist animal or        
vegetable substance1 were submitted to  
the electrical action of the ,voltaic   
pile1 by means of gold wires1 a         
nitro-muriatic solution of gold appeared
 in the tube containing the positive    
wire1 and a solution of soda in the     
opposite tube2 but he soon ascertained  
that the muriatic acid owed its         
appearance to the animal or vegetable   
matters employed2 for when the same     
fibres of cotton were used in successive
 experiments1 and washed after every    
process in a weak solution of nitric    

acid1 the water in the apparatus        
containing them1 though acted upon for a
 great length of time with a very strong
 power1 produced no effect upon a       
solution of nitrate of silver4  ,in     
every case in which he had procured much
 soda1 the glass#fa at the point of     
contact with the wire seemed            
considerably eroded2 when by            
substituting an agate for a glass cup1  
no fixed saline matter could be         
obtained4 ,its source therefore1 in the 
former case1 was evidently the glass4   
#fa ,it is perhaps a fact not very      
generally known1 that glass1   to a     
certain extent1 is decomposable by      
water3 if some of it in   a powdered    
state be triturated with distilled      
water1 in a short   time the turmeric   
test will indicate a portion of alkali  
in   solution4  ,with respect to ,mr4   
,sylvester's experiment1 already        
noticed1 it was sufficient to say that  
he conducted his process in a vessel of 
pipe-clay1 which not only contains lime1

 but may also include in its composition
 some of the combinations of a fixed    
alkali4  ,on resuming the enquiry1 it   
was ,davy's first care to remove every  
possible source of impurity3 he         
accordingly procured cups of agate1     
which1 previously to being filled1 were 
boiled for several hours in distilled   
water2 and a piece of very white and    
transparent amianthus1 a substance first
 proposed for this purpose by ,dr4      
,wollaston1 having been similarly       
purified1 was made to connect the       
vessels together4 ,thus was every       
apparent source of fallacy removed2 but 
still1 after having been exposed to     
,voltaic action for forty-eight hours1  
the water in the positive cup gave      
indications of muriatic acid1 and that  
in the negative cup1 of soda6 ,the      
result was as embarrassing as it was    
unexpected2 but it was far from         
convincing him that the bodies thus     
obtained were generated3--but whence    
arose the saline matter8 ,did the agate1

 after every precaution1 still contain  
some very minute portion of saline      
matter1 not easily discoverable by      
chemical tests8 ,to determine this      
question1 the experiment was repeated a 
second1 a third1 and a fourth time3 the 
quantities of saline matter diminished  
in every successive operation1 which    
sufficiently proved that the agate must 
at least have been one of the sources   
sought for2 but four additional         
repetitions of the process convinced the
 operator that it could not be the only 
one2 that there must exist some other   
source from which the alkali proceeded1 
since it continued to appear to the     
last1 in quantities sufficiently        
distinct1 and apparently equal1 in every
 experiment4 ,this was extremely        
perplexing3 every precaution had been   
taken--the agate cups had even been     
included in glass vessels1 out of the   
reach of the circulating air--all the   
acting materials had been repeatedly    
washed with distilled water2 and no part

 of them in contact with the fluid had  
ever touched the fingers4  ,the water   
itself then1 however pure it might      
appear1 must have furnished the alkali4 
,the experiments were repeated in cones 
of the purest gold1 and the water       
contained in them was submitted to      
,voltaic action for fourteen hours2 the 
result was1 that the acid increased in  
quantity as the experiment proceeded1   
and at length became even sour to the   
taste4 ,on the contrary1 the alkaline   
properties of the fluid in the opposite 
cone shortly obtained a certain         
intensity1 and remained stationary4  ,on
 the application of heat1 the alkaline  
indications became less vivid1 although 
there always remained1 after the        
operation1 sufficient evidence to prove 
that a portion at least was fixed1      
although probably mixed with ammonia4   
,the acid1 as far as its properties     
could be examined1 agreed with those of 
pure nitrous acid1 having an excess of  
nitrous gas4  ,it was now impossible to 

doubt that the water held in solution   
some substance which was capable of     
yielding alkaline matter1 but which1    
from the minuteness of its quantity1 had
 soon been exhausted4  ,the next step1  
therefore1 was to submit the water to a 
still more rigorous examination1 which  
he did by evaporating it in a vessel of 
silver2 when he had the satisfaction to 
discover the #a-gjth of a grain of      
saline matter4  ,the water1 thus        
purified in a vessel of silver1 was     
again subjected to ,voltaic action in   
the cones of gold4 ,after two hours1    
there was only the slightest possible   
indication of alkali2 and this was not1 
as before1 fixed1 but entirely volatile4
  ,in every one of these experiments1   
acid matter had been produced1 and it   
always presented the character of       
nitrous acid4 ,two of the great sources 
of foreign matter had been detected and 
removed1 viz4 the vessels1 and the water
 employed2 it still however remained to 
be explained1 how nitrous acid and      

ammonia could be produced in cases where
 pure water and pure vessels had been   
used4 ,in no part of this elaborate     
enquiry is the penetration of ,davy more
 striking1 than in his reasonings upon  
this problem1 and in the beautiful      
experiments which his sagacity suggested
 for its solution4  ,it occurred to him1
 that the nascent oxygen and hydrogen of
 the water might respectively combine   
with a portion of the nitrogen of the   
common air1 which is constantly         
dissolved in that fluid2 but if this    
were the case1 how did it happen that   
the production of nitrous acid was      
progressive1 while that of the alkali   
was limited8 ,the experiments of ,dr4   
,priestley1 on the absorption of gases  
by water1 at once suggested themselves  
to his mind as being capable of solving 
this last difficulty2 for that          
distinguished philosopher had shown1    
that hydrogen1 during its solution in   
water1 expelled the nitrogen1 whereas   
oxygen and nitrogen were capable of     

coexisting in a state of solution in    
that fluid4 ,it was1 however1 necessary 
to confirm the truth of this explanation
 by experiment1 and he accordingly      
introduced the two cones of gold1       
containing purified water1 under the    
receiver of an air-pump2 the exhaustion 
was effected1 and the ,voltaic pile     
brought to act upon the water thus      
circumstanced2 after eighteen hours the 
result was examined1 when the water in  
the negative cone produced no effect    
upon prepared litmus1 but that in the   
positive vessel did give it a tinge of  
red barely perceptible4  ,had his series
 of experiments terminated here1 the    
truth of his conclusions would have been
 established by the comparatively small 
proportion of acid formed in this latter
 experiment2 but he determined to repeat
 it under circumstances1 if possible1   
still more unexceptionable and          
conclusive4 ,having1 therefore1 arranged
 the apparatus as before1 he exhausted  
the receiver1 and then filled it with   

hydrogen gas from a convenient          
air-holder2 he made even a second       
exhaustion1 to ensure the highest       
accuracy1 and then again introduced     
carefully prepared hydrogen4 ,the       
,voltaic process was continued during   
twenty-four hours1 and at the end of    
that period it was found that neither   
the water in the positive nor in the    
negative vessels altered the tint of    
litmus in the slightest degree4  ,thus  
did he succeed in exposing the three    
great sources of fallacy which had so   
long misled chemists1 with regard to the
 generation of acid and alkaline matter 
in ,voltaic experiments1 viz4--,the     
impurities of the vessels--the foreign  
matter contained in the water--and the  
compounds generated by the combination  
of the nitrogen of atmospheric air with 
the elements evolved from water2 and    
thus did he establish1 by an unbroken   
chain of incontrovertible evidence1 the 
important truth1 that water1 chemically 
pure1 is decomposed by electricity into 

gaseous matter alone--into oxygen and   
hydrogen4  ,out of the foregoing train  
of research very naturally sprang the   
consideration of the decomposing        
agencies of ,electricity4 ,it had been  
constantly observed1 that1 in all       
electrical changes connected with the   
presence of acid and alkaline matter1   
the former uniformly collected around   
the positive1 and the latter around the 
negative surface of the apparatus4  ,in 
one of the earliest experiments1 ,davy  
had also noticed that glass underwent   
decomposition1 and that its alkali      
always passed to the negative surface4  
,he was1 therefore1 led to enquire      
whether1 through electrical agency1     
different solid earthy compounds1       
insoluble1 or soluble with difficulty in
 water1 might not be made to undergo a  
similar decomposition4 ,we shall find   
that the results of the trials were     
decisive and satisfactory4 ,for         
conducting experiments of this          
description1 he hit upon the happy      

expedient of constructing the cups with 
the materials which he wished to submit 
to experiment1 and then by introducing  
water into them1 and forming the        
necessary connexion by means of         
asbestus1 he completed the ,voltaic     
circuit4 ,in this manner he submitted to
 experiment sulphate of lime1 sulphate  
of strontia1 fluate of lime1 sulphate of
 baryta1 c4 and with analogous results2 
the acid element in each case passing to
 the positive1 and the earthy base to   
the negative cup4  ,as1 in the above    
experiments1 the bodies under           
examination were presented in           
considerable masses1 and exposed large  
surfaces to the electric action1 it     
became necessary to enquire whether     
minute portions of acid and alkaline    
matter could1 by the same agency1 be    
disengaged from solid combinations4     
,this point was very readily elucidated4
 ,a piece of fine grained basalt1 which1
 by a previous analysis1 had been found 
to contain #ce per cent4 of soda1 nearly

 #e of muriatic acid1 and fifteen parts 
of lime1 having been divided into two   
properly-shaped pieces1 and a cavity1   
capable of containing twelve grains of  
water1 been drilled in each1 was        
submitted1 as in former experiments1 to 
the action of the pile4 ,at the end of  
ten hours1 the result was examined with 
care1 when it appeared that the         
positively electrified water had the    
strong smell of oxymuriatic acid1 and   
copiously precipitated nitrate of       
silver2 while that which was negative   
affected turmeric1 and left by          
evaporation a residuum which appeared to
 consist of lime and soda4  ,a part of a
 specimen of compact zeolite from the   
,giants' ,causeway1 and vitreous lava   
from tna1 were each treated in a similar
 manner1 and with results equally       
satisfactory4  ,having thus settled the 
question with regard to the             
disengagement of the saline parts of    
bodies insoluble in water1 he proceeded 
to extend and multiply his experiments  

on soluble compounds1 the decomposition 
of which1 as might have been supposed1  
always proceeded with greater rapidity1 
and furnished results more perfectly    
distinct4 ,in these processes he        
employed the agate cups1 with platina   
wires1 connected by amianthus moistened 
with pure water2 the solutions were     
introduced into these cups1 and the     
electrifying power applied in the manner
 already described4 ,in this way1       
sulphate of potash1 sulphate of soda1   
nitrate of potash1 phosphate of soda1 c4
 were respectively examined2 and in     
every case the acid1 after a certain    
interval1 collected in the cup          
containing the positive wire1 and the   
alkalies and earths in that containing  
the negative wire4  ,when metallic      
solutions were employed1 metallic       
crystals or depositions were formed on  
the negative wire1 and oxide was        
likewise deposited around it1 while a   
great excess of acid was found in the   
opposite cup4  ,with respect to the     

transfer of the constituent ,parts of   
,bodies by ,electric ,action1 several   
original experiments were instituted1   
and some important conclusions          
established4  ,several facts had been   
stated1 which rendered it probable that 
the saline elements evolved in          
decompositions by electricity1 were     
capable of being transferred from one   
electrified surface to another1         
according to their usual order of       
arrangement2 but to demonstrate this    
clearly1 farther researches were        
required1 and ,davy proceeded to supply 
the necessary evidence4 ,he connected   
one of the cups of sulphate of lime     
before mentioned1 with a cup of agate1  
by means of asbestus1 and filling them  
with purified water1 connected them with
 the battery4 ,in about four hours1 a   
strong solution of lime was found in the
 agate cup1 and sulphuric acid in the   
cup of sulphate of lime4 ,by reversing  
the order of arrangement1 and carrying  
on the process during a similar period1 

the sulphuric acid appeared in the agate
 cup1 and the lime in the opposite      
vessel4 ,in both these experiments 7the 
acid in the one case1 and the lime in   
the other71 the elements of the         
substance must have passed1 in an       
imperceptible form1 along the connecting
 line of asbestus into the opposite     
vessel4  ,many trials were made with    
other saline bodies1 and with results   
equally satisfactory2 the base always   
passing into the vessel rendered        
negative1 and the acid into that which  
was positive4  ,the time required for   
these transmissions appeared to be1     
cteris paribus1 in some proportion to   
the length of the intermediate volume of
 water4  ,in the farther prosecution of 
the enquiry1 ,davy discovered a still   
more extraordinary series of facts4 ,in 
the first place1 he found that the      
contact of the saline solution with a   
metallic surface was not in the least   
necessary for its decomposition4 ,he    
introduced purified water into two glass

 tubes1 and connected with them1 by     
means of amianthus1 a vessel containing 
a solution of muriate of potash4 ,in    
this case1 the saline matter was distant
 from each of the wires at least        
two-thirds of an inch2 and yet alkaline 
matter soon appeared in one tube1 and   
acid matter in the other2 and in sixteen
 hours moderately strong solutions of   
potash and muriatic acid had been       
formed4  ,the discovery of this fact    
became the key to that of others4 ,he   
very naturally proceeded to enquire into
 the progress of the transfer1 and into 
the course of the acid and alkaline     
elements2 when1 by the use of litmus and
 turmeric1 he arrived at the following  
conclusion1--that acids and alkalies1   
during their electrical transference1   
passed through water containing         
vegetable colours without effecting in  
them any change4 ,from which we are led 
to the consideration of the fourth      
division of the subject1 viz4 ,on the   
,passage of ,acids1 ,alkalies1 and other

 ,substances1 through various attracting
 ,chemical ,menstrua1 by ,electricity4  
,as soon as it was discovered that a    
power generated by the ,voltaic pile was
 capable of destroying elective affinity
 in the vicinity of the metallic points1
 it seemed reasonable to suppose1 that  
the same power might also destroy it1 or
 at least suspend its operation1        
throughout the whole of the circuit4    
,the truth of such a supposition was at 
once placed beyond all doubt by the     
following very striking experiment4     
,three tubes1 the first containing a    
solution of sulphate of potash1 the     
second a weak solution of ammonia1 and  
the third1 pure water1 each being       
connected with the other in the usual   
manner by amianthus1 were arranged in   
relation to the pile1 as follow3--the   
sulphate of potash was placed in contact
 with the negatively electrified point1 
the pure water with the positively      
electrified point1 while the solution of
 ammonia was made the middle link of the

 conducting chain2 so that no sulphuric 
acid could pass to the positive point in
 the distilled water1 without passing   
through the ammoniacal solution4  ,in   
less than five minutes after the        
electric current had been completed1 it 
was found1 by means of litmus paper1    
that acid was in the act of collecting  
around the positive point2 and in half  
an hour the result was sufficiently     
distinct for accurate examination4      
,other experiments were made with a     
solution of lime1 and with weak         
solutions of potash and soda1 and the   
results were analogous4 ,muriatic acid1 
from muriate of soda1 and nitric acid1  
from nitrate of potash1 were also       
transmitted through concentrated        
alkaline menstrua1 under similar        
circumstances1 and with like effects4   
,davy also made several experiments on  
the transition of alkaline and acid     
matter1 through different neutro-saline 
solutions1 the results of which were    
exactly such as theory would have       

anticipated4  ,in conducting1 however1  
these experiments of electrical         
transference1 there would appear to be  
one condition essential to their        
success1 viz4 that the solution         
contained in the intermediate vessel    
should not be capable of forming an     
insoluble compound with the substance   
transmitted through it3 thus1 for       
example1 ,davy found that strontia and  
baryta passed1 like the other alkaline  
substances1 very readily through        
muriatic and nitric acids2 and vice     
vers1 that these acids passed with equal
 facility through aqueous solutions of  
the earths in question2 but when it was 
attempted to pass sulphuric acid through
 the same earthy solutions1 or to pass  
the earths through the sulphuric acid1  
that then the results were of a very    
different character3 the sulphuric acid1
 in its passage through the barytic     
solution1 was arrested in its progress  
by the earthy body1 and falling down as 
an insoluble compound with it1 was      

carried out of the sphere of the        
electrical action1 by which the power of
 transfer was destroyed4 ,the same      
phenomena occurred whenever he attempted
 to pass muriatic acid through a        
solution of sulphate of silver4 ,we now 
come to the next division--viz4 ,some   
general ,observations on these          
,phenomena1 and on the mode of          
,decomposition and ,transition4  ,davy  
considers that it will be a general     
expression of the facts relating to the 
changes and transitions by electricity1 
to say1 that hydrogen1 the alkaline     
substances1 the metals1 and certain     
oxides1 are attracted by negatively     
electrified1 and repelled by positively 
electrified metallic surfaces2 and on   
the contrary1 that oxygen and acid      
substances are attracted by positively  
electrified1 and repelled by negatively 
electrified metallic surfaces4 ,and     
moreover1 that these attractive and     
repulsive forces are sufficiently       
energetic to destroy or suspend the     

usual operation of elective affinity4   
,amidst all these wonderful phenomena1  
that perhaps which excites our greatest 
astonishment is the fact of the transfer
 of ponderable matter to a considerable 
distance1 through intervening           
substances1 and in a form that escapes  
the cognizance of our senses6 ,upon this
 question1 ,davy offers the following   
remarks3--,it is1 says he1 very natural 
to suppose1 that the repellent and      
attractive energies are communicated    
from one particle to another particle of
 the same kind1 so as to establish a    
conducting chain in the fluid2 and that 
the locomotion takes place in           
consequence3 thus1 in all the instances 
in which ,i examined alkaline solutions 
through which acids had been            
transmitted1 ,i always found acid in    
them1 as long as any acid matter        
remained at the original source4 ,in    
time1 by the attractive power of the    
positive surface1 the decomposition and 
transfer undoubtedly become complete2   

but this does not affect the conclusion4
 ,in cases of the separation of the     
constituents of water1 and of solutions 
of neutral salts forming the whole of   
the chain1 there may possibly be a      
succession of decompositions and        
recompositions throughout the fluid4    
,we are next brought to a very important
 point in the enquiry--viz4 ,the        
consideration of the ,general           
,principles of the chemical changes     
produced by ,electricity4  ,the         
experiment of ,mr4 ,bennett1 already    
alluded to1 had shown that many bodies1 
when brought into contact1 and          
afterwards separated from each other1   
exhibited signs of opposite states of   
electricity3 but it is to the           
investigations of ,m4 ,volta that we are
 indebted for the clear developement of 
the fact2 for he has distinctly proved  
it in the case of copper and zinc1 and  
other metallic combinations1 and he     
supposed that it might also take place  
with regard to metals and fluids4  ,in a

 series of experiments1 made in the year
 #ahja1 on the construction of          
electrical combinations1 by means of    
alternations of single metallic plates1 
and different strata of fluids1 as      
explained upon a former occasion1#fb    
,davy had observed that1 when acid and  
alkaline solutions were employed as the 
elements of these ,voltaic combinations1
 the alkaline solutions always received 
the electricity from1 and the acid      
always transmitted it to the metal4     
,these principles seem to bear an       
immediate relation to those general     
phenomena of decomposition and transfer1
 which have been the subject of the     
preceding details4    #fb ,page #bbc4   
,in the most simple case of electrical  
action1 the alkali which receives       
electricity from the metal would        
necessarily1 on being separated from it1
 appear positive2 whilst the acid1 under
 similar circumstances1 would be        
negative2 and these bodies having       
respectively1 with regard to the metal1 

that which may be called a positive and 
a negative electrical energy1 in their  
repellent and attractive functions1     
would seem to be governed by the common 
laws of electrical attraction and       
repulsion2 the body possessing the      
positive energy being repelled by       
positively electrified surfaces1 and    
that possessing the negative influence  
following the contrary order4  ,davy    
made a number of experiments with the   
view of elucidating this idea1 and of   
extending its application2 and1 in all  
cases1 their results tended1 in a most  
remarkable manner1 to confirm the       
analogy4  ,he proceeded1 by means of    
very delicate instruments1 to ascertain 
the electrical states of single         
insulated acid and alkaline solutions1  
after their contact with metals2 but the
 sources of errors were so numerous1 as 
to render the results far from being    
satisfactory2 but in experiments on dry 
and solid bodies1 the embarrassments    
arising from evaporation1 chemical      

action1 c4 did not occur4 ,when         
perfectly dry oxalic1 succinic1 benzoic1
 or boracic acid1 either in the form of 
powder or crystals1 were touched upon an
 extended surface with a plate of       
copper1 insulated by a glass handle1 the
 copper was found positive1 the acid    
negative4 ,when again metallic plates   
were made to touch dry lime1 strontia1  
or magnesia1 they became negative3 in   
these latter experiments the effect was 
exceedingly satisfactory and distinct2 a
 single contact upon a large surface    
being sufficient to communicate a       
considerable charge4  ,numerous other   
trials were made1 and the results       
confirmed the principle2 and moreover   
proved1 as might have been expected1    
that bodies possessing electrical       
conditions with regard to one and the   
same body1 possessed them with regard to
 each other3 for instance1 a dry piece  
of lime became positively electrical by 
repeated contact with crystals of oxalic
 acid4  ,these results led him to reason

 more fully upon the ,relations between 
the ,electrical energies of bodies and  
their ,chemical affinities4  ,as the    
chemical attraction subsisting between  
two bodies seems to be destroyed by     
giving to one of them an electrical     
condition opposite to that which it     
naturally possesses2 and since the      
substances that combine chemically1 as  
far as can be ascertained1 exhibit      
opposite states of electricity1 the     
relations between this energy and       
chemical affinity would appear to be    
sufficiently evident to warrant the     
conclusion at which ,davy arrived1 viz4 
that the combinations and decompositions
 by electricity were referable to the   
law of electrical attractions and       
repulsions2 from which he advanced to   
the still more important step--that     
chemical and electrical attractions were
 produced by the same cause1 acting in  
one case on particles1 in the other on  
masses4  ,from these views1 he is led to
 propose the electrical powers1 or the  

forces required to disunite the elements
 of bodies1 as a test or measure of the 
intensity of chemical attraction4 ,an   
accurate investigation into this        
connexion1 which may be called the      
,electro-dynamic relations of bodies to 
their combining masses or proportional  
numbers1 would be the first step towards
 fixing the science of ,chemistry on the
 permanent foundation of the            
,mathematics4  ,if1 then1 the power of  
electrical attraction and repulsion be  
identified with chemical affinity1 or   
rather1 if both be dependent upon the   
same cause1 it will follow that two     
bodies which are naturally in opposite  
electrical states1 may have these states
 sufficiently exalted to give them an   
attractive power superior to the        
cohesive force opposed to their union2  
when a combination will take place which
 will be more or less energetic1 as the 
opposed forces are more or less equally 
balanced4 ,again1 when two bodies1      
repellent of each other1 act upon a     

third with different degrees of the same
 electrical energy1 the combination will
 be determined by the degree2 or1 if    
bodies having different degrees of the  
same electrical energy with respect to a
 third1 have likewise different energies
 with respect to each other1 there may  
be such a balance of attracting and     
repelling forces as to produce a triple 
compound2 and by the extension of this  
reasoning1 complicated chemical union   
may be easily explained4  ,whenever     
bodies brought by artificial means into 
a high state of opposite electricities  
are made to restore the equilibrium1    
heat and light are the common           
consequences4 ,it is perhaps an         
additional circumstance in favour of the
 theory to state1 that heat and light   
are likewise the results of all intense 
chemical action4 ,and as in certain     
forms of the ,voltaic battery1 where    
large quantities of electricity of low  
intensity act1 heat without light is    
produced2 so in slow chemical           

combinations there is an increase of    
temperature without any luminous        
appearance4  ,the effect of heat in     
producing combination may be easily     
explained according to these ideas2 it  
not only gives more freedom of motion to
 the particles1 but in a number of cases
 it seems to exalt the electrical       
energies of bodies3--glass1 the         
tourmaline1 sulphur1 and some others1   
afford familiar instances of this latter
 species of energy4  ,in general1 when  
the different energies are strong and in
 perfect equilibrium1 the combination   
ought to be quick1 the heat and light   
intense1 and the new compound in a      
neutral state4 ,this would seem to be   
the case in the combination of oxygen   
and hydrogen1 which form water1 a body  
apparently neutral in electrical energy 
to most others2 and also in the         
circumstances of the union of the strong
 alkalies and acids4 ,but where one     
energy is feeble1 and the other strong1 
all the effects must be less vivid2 and 

the compound1 instead of being neutral1 
ought to exhibit the excess of the      
stronger energy4  ,the grand principle  
thus developed may enable us to obtain  
new and useful indications of the       
composition of bodies1 by ascertaining  
the character of their electrical       
energies2 and we now find1 in most      
modern works of ,chemistry1 that bodies 
are arranged according to their natural 
electrical relations2 and are said to be
 ,,electro-,,positive1 or               
,,electro-,,negative1 according to their
 polarities4 ,the advantage of such an  
arrangement must be freely acknowledged1
 for it has been the means of           
establishing analogies#fc of the utmost 
importance in chemistry1 of which ,i    
shall adduce some striking examples in a
 subsequent part of the present work1   
when ,i shall endeavour to offer a      
general view of the revolution which    
chemical science has undergone during   
the investigations of ,davy1 and        
contemporary philosophers4    #fc ,it   

will be sufficient for my present       
purpose to point out   those existing   
between ,chlorine1 ,iodine1 and         
,bromine4  ,after some further enquiries
 into the theory of the ,voltaic        
pile1#fd to which an allusion has been  
already made1 the author offers         
additional reasons for supposing the    
decomposition of the chemical menstrua  
essential to the continued              
electro-motion of the pile2 and if the  
fluid medium could be a substance       
incapable of decomposition1 there is    
every reason to believe the equilibrium 
would be restored1 and the motion of the
 ,electricity cease4 ,having shown the  
effects of induction1 in increasing the 
electricity of the opposite plates1 he  
arrives at the important conclusion1    
that in a ,voltaic arrangement the      
intensity of the ,electricity increases 
with the number1 but the quantity with  
the size of the plates4 ,a theory which 
was subsequently confirmed by the       
experiments of ,mr4 ,children4    #fd   

,see page #bbf4  ,the paper concludes   
with some general illustrations and     
applications of the foregoing facts and 
principles1 and which the author thinks 
will readily suggest themselves to the  
philosophical enquirer4 ,they offer1 for
 instance1 very easy methods of         
separating acid and alkaline matter1    
where they exist in combination in      
mineral substances2 and1 in like manner1
 they suggest the application of        
electrical powers for effecting the     
decomposition of animal and vegetable   
bodies4  ,on exposing a piece of        
muscular fibre to the action of the     
battery1 he found that potash1 soda1    
ammonia1 lime1 and oxide of iron1 were  
evolved on the negative side1 and the   
three mineral1 together with the        
phosphoric1 acids1 were given out on the
 positive side4  ,a laurel leaf1        
similarly treated1 yielded to the       
negative vessel resin1 alkali1 and lime2
 while in the positive one there        
collected a clear fluid1 which had the  

smell of peach-blossoms1 and which1 when
 neutralized by potash1 gave a          
blue-green precipitate to a solution of 
sulphate of iron2 so that it must have  
contained ,prussic ,acid4  ,a small     
plant of mint1 in a state of healthy    
vegetation1 on being made the medium of 
connection in the battery1 yielded      
potash and lime to the water negatively 
electrified1 and acid to that positively
 electrified4 ,the plant recovered after
 the process2 but a similar one1 that   
had been electrified during a longer    
period1 faded and died4  ,these facts   
would seem to show1 that the electrical 
powers of decomposition even act upon   
vegetable matter in its living          
condition2 and phenomena are not wanting
 to show that they operate also on the  
system of living animals4 ,when the     
fingers1 after having been carefully    
washed with pure water1 are brought in  
contact with this fluid in the positive 
part of the circuit1 acid matter is     
rapidly developed1 having the character 

of a mixture of muriatic1 phosphoric1   
and sulphuric acids2 and if a similar   
trial be made in the negative part1     
fixed alkaline matter is as quickly     
developed4#fe    #fe ,reflecting upon   
this and similar facts1 it has occurred 
to me that ,voltaic electricity might be
 applied for removing   the blue colour 
in the skin1 occasioned by the internal 
use of   nitrate of silver4 ,i hope to  
be able very shortly to submit this     
theory to the test4  ,davy thinks that  
the acid and alkaline taste produced    
upon the tongue during galvanic         
experiments1 depends upon the           
decomposition of the saline matter      
contained in the living animal          
substance1 and perhaps in the saliva2   
and he farther observes that1 as acid   
and alkaline substances are thus        
evidently capable of being separated    
from their combinations in living       
systems by electrical powers1 there is  
reason to believe that1 by converse     
methods1 they might also be introduced  

into the animal economy1 or made to pass
 through the animal organs2 and the same
 thing may be supposed of metallic      
oxides2 and that these ideas ought to   
lead to some new investigations in      
,medicine and ,physiology4  ,he thinks  
it by no means improbable1 that the     
electrical decomposition of the neutral 
salts1 in different cases1 may admit of 
economical applications2 and that       
well-burnt charcoal and plumbago1 or    
charcoal and iron1 might be made the    
exciting powers for such a purpose4     
,such an arrangement1 if erected upon a 
scale sufficiently extensive1 with the  
medium of a neutro-saline solution1     
would1 in his opinion1 produce large    
quantities of acids and alkalies with   
very little trouble or expense4         
,alterations in chemical equilibrium are
 constantly taking place in ,nature1 and
 he thinks it probable that the electric
 influence1 in its faculties of         
decomposition and transference1 may     
considerably interfere with the chemical

 changes occurring in different parts of
 our system4  ,the electrical           
appearances which precede earthquakes   
and volcanic eruptions1 and which have  
been described by the greater number of 
the observers of these awful events1    
admit also of easy explanation on the   
principles that have been stated4       
,besides the cases of sudden and violent
 change1 he considers there must be     
constant and tranquil alterations1 of   
which electricity1 produced in the      
interior strata of the globe1 is the    
active cause3 thus1 where pyritous      
strata and strata of coal-blende        
occur1--where the pure metals or the    
sulphurets are found in contact with    
each other1 or with any conducting      
substances1--and where different strata 
contain different saline menstrua1 he   
thinks electricity must be continually  
manifested2 and it is probable that many
 mineral formations have been materially
 influenced1 or even occasioned1 by its 
agencies4  ,in an experiment which he   

performed of electrifying a mixed       
solution of the muriates of iron1       
copper1 tin1 and cobalt1 contained in a 
positive vessel1 all the four oxides    
passed along the connecting asbestus    
into a positive vessel filled with      
distilled water1 while a yellow metallic
 crust formed on the wire1 and the      
oxides arranged themselves in a mixed   
state around the base of it4  ,in       
another experiment1 in which carbonate  
of copper was diffused through water in 
a state of minute division1 and a       
negative wire was placed in a small     
perforated cube of zeolite in the water1
 green crystals collected round the     
cube2 the particles not being capable of
 penetrating it4  ,by a multiplication  
of such instances1 ,davy remarks1 that  
the electrical power of transference may
 be easily conceived to apply to the    
explanation of some of the principal and
 most mysterious facts in geology2#ff   
and by imagining a scale of feeble      
powers1 it would be easy to account for 

the association of the insoluble        
metallic and earthy compounds containing
 acids4    #ff ,during the contentions  
of the ,neptunists and ,plutonists1     
alluded to in a former part of this     
work1 specimens were produced           
exhibiting the intermixture of mineral  
bodies1 which was   completely hostile  
to all theory4 ,these anomalies now     
receive a   plausible explanation from  
the agencies of ,voltaic electricity4   
,natural electricity1 observes our      
philosopher1 has hitherto been little   
investigated1 except in the case of its 
evident and powerful concentration in   
the atmosphere4 ,its slow and silent    
operations in every part of the surface 
will probably be found more immediately 
and importantly connected with the order
 and economy of nature2 and             
investigations on this subject can      
hardly fail to enlighten our            
philosophical systems of the earth1 and 
may possibly place new powers within our
 reach4  ,thus concludes one of the most

 masterly and powerful productions of   
scientific genius4 ,i may perhaps have  
been considered prolix in recording the 
progressive researches by which he      
arrived at his results2 but let it be   
remembered1 that the great fame of      
,davy1 as an experimental philosopher1  
rests upon this single memoir2 and      
though the secondary results to be      
hereafter considered1 may be more       
dazzling to ordinary minds1 yet in the  
judgment of every scientific observer1  
they must appear far less glorious than 
the discovery of the primitive laws4    
,let me ask whether ,sir ,isaac ,newton 
does not deserve greater fame for his   
invention of fluxions1 than for the     
calculations performed by the           
application of them8 ,i do not hesitate 
in comparing these great philosophers1  
since each has enlightened us by        
discoveries alike effected by means     
invented by himself4 ,not only did both 
unlock the caskets of ,nature1 but they 
had the superior merit of planning and  

constructing the key4  ,i challenge     
those1 who have carefully followed me   
through the details of the preceding    
memoir1 to show a single instance in    
which accident1 so mainly contributory  
to former discoveries in electricity1   
had any share in conducting its author  
to truth4 ,step by step did he1 with    
philosophic caution and unwearied       
perseverance1 unfold all the particular 
phenomena and details of his subject2   
his genius then took flight1 and with an
 eagle's eye caught the plan of the     
whole4--,a new science has been thus    
created2 and so important and extensive 
are its applications1 so boundless and  
sublime its views1 that we may fairly   
anticipate the fulfilment of those      
prophetic words of ,dr4 ,priestley1 who1
 in the preface to his ,history of      
,electricity1#fg exclaims--,electricity 
seems to be giving us an inlet into the 
internal structure of bodies1 on which  
all their sensible properties depend4   
,by pursuing this new light1 therefore1 

the bounds of natural science may       
possibly be extended beyond what we can 
now form any idea of4 ,new worlds may   
open to our view1 and the glory of the  
great ,sir ,isaac ,newton himself1 and  
all his contemporaries1 be eclipsed by a
 new set of philosophers1 in quite a new
 field of speculation4 ,could that great
 man revisit the earth1 and view the    
experiments of the present race of      
electricians1 he would be no less amazed
 than ,roger ,bacon1 or ,sir ,francis1  
would have been at his4 ,in our turn we 
may ask1 what would be the              
astonishment--what the delight of ,dr4  
,priestley1 could he now witness the    
successful results of ,voltaic          
research8--and what would he say of that
 mighty genius who has demonstrated the 
relations of electrical energy to the   
general laws of chemical action8#fh ,it 
was his good fortune to have witnessed  
the discovery which identified          
electricity with the lightning of the   
thunder cloud3 what would he have said  

of that which identified it with the    
magnetism of the earth6 ,of this at     
least we may be certain1 that he would  
have expunged from his history the      
passage in which he                     
observes--,electrical discoveries have  
been made so much by accident1 that it  
is more the powers of nature1 than of   
human genius1 that excite our wonders   
with respect to them4    #fg ,the       
,history and ,present ,state of         
,electricity2 by ,jos4   ,priestley1    
,,ll4,d4 ,f4,r4,s41 c4 ,london1 #agie4  
#fh ,dr4 ,priestley augured much from   
the talents of ,davy4 ,after   the      
publication of his first paper on       
,galvanism1 he wrote to him   from      
,america1 and expressed the pleasure he 
felt on finding his   favourite subject 
in such able hands4 ,priestley died in  
#ahjd1 and   therefore did not witness  
,davy's success4     ,,chapter ,,vii4   
,the unfair rivalry of                  
,philosophers4--,bonaparte the ,patron  
of ,science4--,he liberates             

,dolomieu4--,he founds a ,prize for     
the encouragement of ,electric          
researches4--,his letter to the         
,minister of the                        
,interior4--,proceedings of the         
,institute4--,the    ,prize is conferred
 on ,davy4--,the ,bakerian ,lecture of  
#ahjg4--,the    ,decomposition of the   
,fixed                                  
,alkalies--,potassium--,sodium4--,the   
,questions to which the discovery gave  
rise4--,interesting    ,extracts from   
the ,manuscript ,notes of the           
,laboratory4--,potash    decomposed by a
 chemical process4--,letters to         
,children1 and    ,pepys4--,the true    
nature of ,potash discovered4--,whether 
,ammonia    contains ,oxygen4--,davy's  
severe ,illness4--,he recovers and      
resumes his labours4--,his ,fishing     
,costume4--,he decomposes the           
,earths4--,important views to which the 
discovery has led4   ,it must be        
confessed that there has too frequently 
existed amongst philosophers a strange  

and ungenerous disposition to undervalue
 the labours of their contemporaries4   
,if a discovery be made1 its truth and  
importance are first questioned2 and    
should these be established1 then its   
originality becomes a subject of        
dispute4  ,truth1 although she may have 
been rarely held fast1 has been         
frequently touched#fi in the dark3 it is
 not extraordinary1 therefore1 that     
evidence may be often strained from the 
writings of philosophers in support of  
prior claims to late discoveries2 but   
upon a candid review1 these loose       
statements1 or obscure hints1 will      
generally be found wholly destitute of  
the pretensions which an unfair spirit  
of rivalry has too often laboured to    
support4 ,many of such hints1 indeed1 so
 far from advancing the progress of     
truth1 had never even attracted notice1 
until after the discoveries to which    
they have been supposed to relate4      
#fi ,a most remarkable illustration of  
this fact occurs in the   history of    

,locke1 who certainly came as near to an
 important   discovery as any           
philosopher who ever caught a glimpse of
 a truth   without seizing it2 but his  
statement did not1 in any degree1       
hasten the developement of that new     
branch of science which was   reserved  
for the genius of ,dr4 ,black to        
investigate1 and who a   century later1 
by the discovery of fixed air1 changed  
the whole   face of ,chemistry4 ,the    
passage to which ,i allude is extracted 
from the ,life by ,lord ,king1 and is so
 curious1 that ,i shall give   it a     
place in this note4 ,m4 ,toinard        
produced a large bottle of   ,muscat3 it
 was clear when he set it on the table2 
but when he   had drawn out the stopper1
 a multitude of little bubbles arose1   
and swelled the wine above the mouth of 
the bottle4 ,it comes   from this1 that 
the air1 which was included and         
disseminated   in the liquor1 had       
liberty to expand itself1 and so to     
become   visible1 and1 being much       

lighter than the liquor1 to mount with  
great quickness4--,quere1 ,whether this 
be air new generated1 or   whether the  
springy particles of air in the fruit1  
out of which   these fermenting liquors 
are drawn1 have1 by the artifice of     
,nature1 been pressed close together1   
and there by other particles   fastened 
and held so2 and whether fermentation   
does not loose   these bands1 and give  
them liberty to expand themselves again8
   ,take a bottle of fermenting liquor1 
and tie a bladder on the                
mouth4--,quere1 ,how much new air will  
it produce2 and whether   this has the  
quality of common air8    ,another      
instance equally illustrative of the    
manner in which   important truths will 
sometimes elude notice1 even after      
,science   has approached so near as to 
touch them1 is presented in the         
history of the ,barometer4 ,toricelli1  
the pupil of ,galileo1 while            
reflecting upon the phenomenon which had
 so greatly perplexed   his master1 viz4

 that water could not be raised above   
thirty-two   feet in the body of a pump1
 rightly conjectured that the water1    
under such circumstances1 was not drawn1
 but pushed up into   the barrel1 and   
that it could only be so pushed up by   
the force   of the atmosphere4 ,it then 
occurred to him1 that if mercury were   
used instead of water1 being heavier1 it
 would not be pushed   up so high by the
 weight of the air4 ,so1 taking a glass 
tube   of about three feet in height1   
made air-tight at one end1 he   first   
filled it completely with quicksilver1  
and then closing it   with his finger1  
reversed it in a basin containing that  
metal2   when he had the gratification  
of seeing the liquid in the tube        
descend1 as he had anticipated4 ,here   
then was the discovery of   the         
,,barometer2 but it was reserved for    
another to find out that   such an      
instrument had been actually invented4  
,pascal first made   the remark1 that   
the inference of ,toricelli1 if true1   

might   be confirmed by carrying the    
mercurial tube to a considerable        
elevation2 when the atmospheric column  
being diminished1 that of   the mercury1
 which was supposed to be its balance1  
ought likewise   to be shortened in a   
corresponding proportion4 ,it followed  
then1 that a measure of the weight of   
the atmosphere1 in all   circumstances1 
had been obtained1 and consequently that
 of the   height of any place to which  
the instrument could be carried4 ,in    
this manner was a discovery completed1  
which had for ages escaped   the        
greatest philosophers who had made the  
nearest approaches to   its             
developement4  ,although the importance 
of ,davy's ,electro-chemical discoveries
 could not for a moment be doubted2     
their claims to originality1 it would   
seem1 were not admitted without some    
question4 ,the works of ,ritter and     
,winterl1 amongst many others1 were     
quoted to show that these philosophers  
had imagined or anticipated the relation

 between electrical powers and chemical 
affinities2 but ,davy very fairly       
observes1 in a paper read before the    
,royal ,society in #ahbf1 that in the   
obscurity of the language and           
metaphysics of both those gentlemen1 it 
is difficult to say what may not be     
found4 ,in the ingenious though wild    
views of ,ritter1 there are hints which 
may more readily be considered as       
applying to ,electro-magnetism than to  
,electro-chemistry2 while ,winterl's    
,miraculous ,andronia might1 with as    
much propriety1 be considered as a type 
of all the chemical substances that have
 been since discovered1 as his view of  
the antagonist powers 7the acid and     
base7 be regarded as an anticipation of 
the ,electro-chemical theory4  ,it would
 be worse than useless to speak of other
 works1 which refer the origin of       
,electro-chemistry to ,germany1 ,sweden1
 and ,france1 rather than to ,italy and 
,england2 and which attribute some of   
the views first developed by ,davy1 to  

philosophers who have not1 nor ever     
could have made any claim of the kind1  
since their experiments were actually   
not published until many years after    
#ahjf1 the date of the ,bakerian        
,lecture4  ,with regard to the judgment 
of posterity upon these points1 but     
little apprehension can be entertained4 
,i well remember1 in a conversation with
 ,davy1 he observed1 that a philosopher 
might generally discover how his labours
 would be appreciated in after ages1    
from the opinion entertained of them by 
contemporary foreigners1 who1 being     
unbiassed by circumstances of           
personality1 will reduce every object to
 its just proportions and value4  ,if we
 acknowledge the truth of such a        
standard1 and submit the posthumous fame
 of ,davy to its measure1 where is the  
philosopher1 in our times1 whose name is
 destined to attain a higher eminence in
 the history of ,science8 ,let the      
reader only recall to his recollection  
the bitter animosity which ,france and  

,england mutually entertained towards   
each other in the year #ahjg1 and he    
will be able to form some idea of the   
astounding impression which the         
,bakerian ,lecture must have produced on
 the ,savans of ,paris1 when1 in despite
 of national prejudice and national     
vanity1 it was crowned by the ,institute
 of ,france with the prize of the ,first
 ,consul6 ,thus did the ,voltaic        
battery1 in the hands of the ,english   
chemist1 achieve what all the artillery 
of ,britain could never have            
produced--,a ,,spontaneous ,,and        
,,willing ,,homage ,,to ,,british       
,,superiority6--,but let not this       
observation convey the slightest idea of
 disrespect1 or be supposed to encourage
 any feeling to the disparagement of the
 chemists of ,france2 on the contrary1  
it is even a question not readily       
answered1 to which party the triumph    
fairly belongs1--to him who won the     
laurel crown1 or to those who so nobly  
placed it on his brow8 ,they have set an

 example to future ages1 which may as   
materially advance the progress of      
science1 as the researches which called 
it forth3--they have shown1 to adopt the
 language of an eloquent writer1 that   
the ,commonwealth of ,science is of no  
party1 and of no nation2 that it is a   
pure ,republic1 and always at peace4    
,its shades are disturbed neither by    
domestic malice nor foreign levy2 they  
resound not with the cries of faction or
 of public animosity4 ,falsehood is the 
only enemy their inhabitants denounce2  
,truth1 and her minister ,reason1 the   
only leaders they follow4  ,i shall     
avail myself of this opportunity to     
introduce the ,report drawn up by ,m4   
,biot1 and made in the name of a        
,commission appointed by the ,institute 
to accomplish the intention of          
,bonaparte1 who1 when ,first ,consul1   
founded prizes for important discoveries
 in ,electricity or ,galvanism4  ,it is 
an opinion very generally received1 that
 despotism is hostile to the progress of

 ,philosophy--that the suspicion natural
 to tyranny1 and the fear that light    
should expose its deformity1 have1 under
 such circumstances1 inspired a dread of
 any thing approaching to freedom of    
enquiry4 ,the conduct of ,napoleon1 not 
only during his ,consulate1 but even    
after he had assumed the ,purple1 is in 
direct opposition to such an opinion4   
,now that the excitements of national   
hostility have subsided1 and the        
asperity of our feelings towards that   
extraordinary man has been softened by  
time and prosperity1 we are enabled to  
discern the bright and sunny spots in   
his character4  ,not to mention the     
immense plans which his genius suggested
 for the internal improvement of        
,france1 the annals of the ,institute   
would furnish innumerable proofs of the 
zeal with which he encouraged ,science1 
and promoted its interests4  ,his       
liberation of ,dolomieu from the        
dungeons of ,tarentum was an act not    
only remarkable for the considerate     

regard it displayed for ,science1 but   
for the spirit and eagerness with which 
it was effected4 ,the ,french           
,government had repeatedly made the most
 urgent demands for the liberty of one  
who had reflected so much credit on his 
country2--the ,danes had also directed  
the interference of their ,minister1 and
 the ,king of ,spain had added his      
solicitations in vain3--no sooner1      
however1 had the astonishing campaign   
which terminated by the victory of      
,marengo1 completely established the    
,french ,republic1 than ,bonaparte1 in  
making peace with ,naples1 stipulated   
for the immediate deliverance of        
,dolomieu1 as the first article of the  
treaty4  ,the following letter from     
,bonaparte1 addressed to the ,minister  
of the ,interior1 and by him transmitted
 to the ,institute1 expresses the       
intentions of the ,first ,consul1 in    
founding prizes for important           
discoveries in ,electricity or          
,galvanism4      ,i intend1 ,citizen    

,minister1 to found a prize1 consisting 
of a     ,medal of three thousand       
francs1 7about one hundred and twenty   
pounds sterling17 for the best          
experiment which shall be made in       
the course of each year1 on the         
,galvanic fluid4      ,for this purpose1
 the ,memoirs containing the details of 
the said     experiments shall be sent  
before the ,first of ,fructidor1 to the 
,class of the ,mathematical and         
,physical ,sciences1 which in the       
complimentary days shall adjudge the    
prize to the author of that             
experiment which has been most useful to
 the progress of ,science4      ,i also 
desire to give1 by the way of           
encouragement1 the sum of     sixty     
thousand francs to the person who1 by   
his experiments and     discoveries1    
shall1 according to the opinion of the  
,class1 advance     the knowledge of    
,electricity and ,galvanism as much as  
,franklin and     ,volta did4#gj        
,foreigners of all nations are admitted 

to the competition4      ,i beg you will
 make known these dispositions to the   
,president of     the ,first ,class of  
the ,national ,institute1 that it may   
give to     these ideas such            
developement as may appear proper2 my   
particular     object being to encourage
 philosophers1 and to direct their      
attention to this part of philosophy1   
which1 in my opinion1 may     lead to   
great discoveries4      7,signed7       
,,bonaparte4     #gj  celui qui1 par ses
 expriences et ses dcouvertes1 fera     
faire  l',electricit et au ,galvanisme  
un pas comparable    celui qu'ont fait  
faire  ces ,sciences ,franklin et       
,volta4    ,my ,french correspondent    
adds1 ,ces soixantes mille francs n'ont 
pas t adjugs1 le pas n'ayant point t    
fait4  ,upon the presentation of this   
letter1 a ,committee was appointed to   
consider the means for accomplishing the
 intentions of the ,first ,consul2 and  
after expatiating upon the extensive    
agencies of ,electricity1 their ,report 

concludes in the following manner3--    
,to fulfill the intention of the ,first 
,consul1 and to give to the             
competition all the solemnity which the 
importance of the object1     the nature
 of the ,prize1 and the character of the
 ,founder require1     the              
,commissioners unanimously propose as   
follows3      ,the ,class of the        
,mathematical and ,physical ,sciences of
 the     ,national ,institute opens the 
general competition required by the     
,first ,consul4      ,all the learned of
 ,europe1 and the ,members and          
,associates of the     ,institute1 are  
admitted to the competition4      ,the  
,class does not require that the        
,memoirs should be immediately          
addressed to it4 ,every year it will    
crown the author of the best            
experiments which shall come to its     
knowledge1 and which shall have         
advanced the progress of the science4   
,the present report1 containing the     
letter of the ,first ,consul1     shall 

be printed1 and serve as a programme4   
,done at the ,national ,institute1      
,messidor #aa1 year #aj4      7,signed7 
,,laplace1 ,,halle1 ,,coulomb1          
,,hauy4 ,,biot1 ,reporter4  ,it was not 
until twelve months after the           
publication of his first ,bakerian      
,lecture1 that ,davy received the       
intelligence that the prize of three    
thousand francs had been awarded him by 
the ,institute of ,france1 for his      
discoveries announced in the            
,philosophical ,transactions for the    
year #ahjg4  ,mr4 ,poole1 in a late     
communication1 informs me that he was in
 ,london soon after the letter          
communicating this gratifying           
intelligence had been received from     
,france2 and that ,davy1 upon showing it
 to him1 observed1 ,some people say ,i  
ought not to accept this prize2 and     
there have been foolish paragraphs in   
the papers to that effect2 but if the   
two countries or governments are at war1
 the men of science are not4 ,that      

would1 indeed1 be a civil war of the    
worst description3 we should rather1    
through the instrumentality of men of   
science1 soften the asperities of       
national hostility4  ,after ,davy had   
been elected ,secretary to the ,royal   
,society1 he appears to have been       
confined to town during the autumn of   
#ahjg1 when he wrote the following      
letter4       ,,to ,,thomas ,,poole1    
,,esq4      ,august #bhth1 #ahjg4       
,,my ,,dear ,,poole1      ,i am obliged 
to be in the neighbourhood of town      
during the greater     part of the      
summer1 for the purpose of correcting   
the press for     the ,philosophical    
,transactions4      ,i made a rapid     
journey into ,cornwall for the sake of  
seeing my     family2 and it was not in 
my power1 had ,i received your letter at
     ,lyme1 to have accepted your kind  
invitation4      ,if ,c---- is still    
with you1 will you be kind enough to say
 to him1     that ,i wrote nearly a week
 ago two letters about lectures1 and not

     knowing where he was1 ,i addressed 
them to him at different places8     ,i 
wish very much he would seriously       
determine on this point4 ,the           
,managers of the ,royal ,institution are
 very anxious to engage him2     and ,i 
think he might be of material service to
 the public1 and     of benefit to his  
own mind1 to say nothing of the benefit 
his     purse might also receive4 ,in   
the present condition of society1       
his opinions in matters of taste1       
literature1 and metaphysics1     must   
have a healthy influence2 and unless he 
soon become an actual     member of the 
living world1 he must expect to be      
hereafter brought     to judgment 'for  
hiding his light4'      ,the times seem 
to me to be less dangerous1 as to the   
immediate     state of this country1    
than they were four years ago4 ,the     
extension     of the ,french ,empire has
 weakened the disposable force of       
,france4     ,bonaparte seems to have   
abandoned the idea of invasion2 and if  

our     ,government is active1 we have  
little to dread from a maritime war1    
at least for some time4 ,sooner or      
later1 our ,colonial ,empire must       
fall in due time1 when it has answered  
its ends4      ,the wealth of our island
 must be diminished1 but the strength of
     mind of the people cannot easily   
pass away2 and our literature1     our  
science1 our arts1 and the dignity of   
our nature1 depend little     upon our  
external relations4 ,when we had fewer  
colonies than ,genoa1     we had ,bacons
 and ,shakspeares4      ,the wealth and 
prosperity of the country are only the  
comeliness     of the body--the fulness 
of the flesh and fat2--but the spirit is
     independent of them2 it requires   
only muscle1 bone1 and nerve1 for       
the true exercise of its functions4 ,we 
cannot lose our liberty1     because we 
cannot cease to think2 and ten millions 
of people are     not easily            
annihilated4      ,i am1 my dear ,poole1
 very truly yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4     

,while the ,electro-chemical laws1      
developed in the last chapter1 are fresh
 in the recollection of the reader1 ,i  
shall proceed to the consideration of   
his second ,bakerian ,lecture1 which was
 read in ,november #ahjg2 and in which  
he announces the discovery of the       
metallic bases of the fixed alkalies1--a
 discovery immediately arising from the 
application of ,voltaic electricity1    
directed in accordance with those       
laws2--thus having1 as we have seen in  
the first instance1 ascended from       
particular phenomena to general         
principles1 he now descends from those  
principles to the discovery of new      
phenomena3 a method of investigation by 
which he may be said to have applied to 
his inductions the severest tests of    
truth1 and to have produced a chain of  
evidence without having a single link   
deficient4  ,since the account given by 
,newton of his first discoveries in     
,optics1 it may be questioned whether so
 happy and successful an instance of    

philosophical induction has ever been   
afforded as that by which ,davy         
discovered the composition of the fixed 
alkalies4 ,had it been true1 as was most
 unjustly insinuated at the time1 that  
the discovery was accidentally effected 
by the high power of the apparatus      
placed at his disposal1 his claims to   
our admiration would have assumed a very
 different character3 in such a case1 he
 might be said to have forced open the  
sanctuary of ,nature by direct violence1
 instead of having discovered and       
touched the secret spring by which its  
portals were unclosed4 ,the justice of  
these remarks will best appear in the   
examination of his memoir3 the highest  
eulogy that can be conferred on its     
author will be a faithful and plain     
history of its contents4  ,it will be   
remembered that1 in his preceding       
lecture of #ahjf1 he had described a    
number of decompositions and chemical   
changes produced in substances of known 
composition1 by the powers of           

electricity1 and that in all such cases 
there invariably subsisted an attraction
 between oxygen and the positive pole1  
and between inflammable matter and the  
negative pole of the pile3 thus1 in the 
decomposition of water1 its oxygen was  
transferred to the former1 and its      
hydrogen to the latter4 ,furnished with 
such data1 ,davy proceeded to submit a  
fixed alkali to the most intense action 
of the ,voltaic apparatus1 well         
convinced that1 should the electrical   
energy be adequate to effect its        
decomposition1 the elements would be    
transferred1 according to this general  
law1 to their respective poles4  ,his   
first attempts were made on solutions of
 the alkalies2 but1 notwithstanding the 
intensity of the electric action1 the   
water alone underwent decomposition1 and
 oxygen and hydrogen were disengaged    
with the production of much heat1 and   
violent effervescence4 ,the presence of 
water thus appearing to prevent the     
desired decomposition1 potash1 in a     

state of igneous fusion1 was in various 
ways submitted to experiment2 when it   
was evident that combustible matter of  
some kind1 burning with a vivid light1  
was given off at the negative wire4     
,after numerous trials1 during the      
progress of which the difficulties which
 successively arose were as immediately 
combated by ingenious manipulation1 a   
small piece of potash sufficiently      
moistened1 by a short exposure to the   
air1 to give its surface a conducting   
power1 was placed on an insulated disc  
of platina1 connected with the negative 
side of the battery in a state of       
intense activity1 and a platina wire    
communicating with the positive side1   
was at the same instant brought into    
contact within the upper surface of the 
alkali4--,mark what followed6--,a series
 of phenomena1 each of which the reader 
will readily understand as it is        
announced1--for it will be in strict    
accordance with the laws which ,davy had
 previously established3--the potash    

began to fuse at both its points of     
electrization3 a violent effervescence  
commenced at the upper1 or positive     
surface2 while at the lower1 or negative
 one1 instead of any liberation of      
elastic matter1 which would probably    
have happened had hydrogen been an      
element of the alkaline body1 small     
globules1 resembling quicksilver1       
appeared1 some of which were no sooner  
formed than they burnt with explosion   
and bright flame4--,what must have been 
the sensations of ,davy at this         
moment6--,he had decomposed potash1 and 
obtained its base in a metallic form4   
,the gaseous matter developed1 during   
the experiment1 at the positive pole of 
the apparatus1 he very shortly          
identified as oxygen4 ,to collect1      
however1 the metallic matter1 in a      
quantity sufficient for a satisfactory  
examination1 was by no means so easy2   
for1 like the ,alkahest imagined by the 
,alchemist1 it acted more or less upon  
every body to which it was exposed2 and 

such was its attraction for oxygen1 that
 it speedily reverted to the state of   
alkali by recombining with it4  ,after  
various trials1 however1 it was found   
that recently distilled naphtha         
presented a medium in which it might be 
preserved and examined1 since a thin    
transparent film of this fluid1 while it
 defended the metal from the action of  
the atmosphere1 did not oppose any      
obstacle to the investigation of its    
physical properties4  ,thus provided1 he
 proceeded to enquire into the nature of
 the new and singular body1 to which he 
afterwards gave the name of ,,potassium1
 and which may be described as follows4 
,its external character is that of a    
white metal1 instantly tarnishing by    
exposure to air2 at the temperature of  
#gj ,fah4 it exists in small globules1  
which possess the metallic lustre1      
opacity1 and general appearance of      
quicksilver2 so that when a globule of  
the latter is placed near one of the    
former1 the eye cannot discover any     

difference between them3 at this        
temperature1 however1 the metal is not  
perfectly fluid2 but when gradually     
heated1 it becomes more so1--and at     
#aej1 its fluidity is so perfect that   
several globules may be easily made to  
run into one4 ,by reducing its          
temperature1 it becomes1 at #ej1 a soft 
and malleable solid1 which has the      
lustre of polished silver1 and is soft  
enough to be moulded like wax4 ,at about
 the freezing point of water it becomes 
hard and brittle1 and exhibits1 when    
broken1 a crystallized structure of     
perfect whiteness1 and of high metallic 
splendour4 ,it is also a perfect        
conductor both of electricity and heat4 
,thus far1 then1 it fulfills every      
condition of a metal2 but an anomaly of 
a most startling description has now to 
be mentioned--the absence of a quality  
which has been as invariably associated 
with the idea of a metal1 as that of    
lustre1 viz4 great specific gravity4    
,whence a question has arisen1 whether1 

after all1 the alkaline base can with   
propriety be classed under that         
denomination8 ,instead of possessing    
that ponderosity which we should have   
expected in a body otherwise metallic1  
it is so light as not only to swim upon 
the surface of water1 but even upon that
 of naphtha1 by far the lightest liquid 
in nature4 ,davy1 however1 very justly  
argues1 that low specific gravity does  
not offer a sufficient reason for       
degrading this body from the rank of a  
metal2 for amongst those which          
constitute the class1 there are         
remarkable differences with respect to  
this quality2 that platina is nearly    
four times as heavy as tellurium4 ,in   
the philosophical division of bodies    
into classes1 the analogy between the   
greater number of properties must always
 be the foundation of arrangement4#ga   
#ga ,the propriety1 and even the        
necessity1 of such a compact   become   
daily more apparent1 as our knowledge of
 bodies   extends4 ,if we were to       

degrade a substance from its class1 in  
consequence of the absence of some one  
quality which enters   into its more    
perfect examples1 we should soon find   
ourselves   involved in                 
paradoxes4--,what idea1 for instance1   
could we form   of an acid8--,its       
sourness8--,prussic ,acid--,arsenious   
,acid1 are   not sour4--,its tendency to
 combine with an alkaline or earthy     
base8--,if so1 sugar is an acid1 for it 
combines with lime4 ,i   remember a     
chemist having been exposed to much     
ridicule from   speaking of a sweet     
acid--,why not8  ,so inseparable        
however1 by long association1 are the   
ideas of ponderosity and metallic       
splendour1 that the evidence even of the
 senses may fail in disuniting them4#gb 
,this is well illustrated by the        
following amusing anecdote4 ,shortly    
after the discovery of potassium1 ,dr4  
,george ,pearson happened to enter the  
laboratory in the ,royal ,institution1  
and upon being shown the new substance1 

and interrogated as to its nature1 he1  
without the least hesitation1 on seeing 
its lustre1 exclaimed1 ,why1 it is      
metallic1 to be sure1 and then1         
balancing it on his finger1 he added1 in
 the same tone of confidence1 ,bless me1
 how heavy it is6    #gb ,in the        
language of ,darwin1 we should say1 that
 the simple   ideas of weight and       
lustre1 which form the complex idea of a
   metal1 have become so indissoluble1  
that they can no longer be   separated  
by volition4 ,the principle admits of   
many familiar   illustrations1 and is   
the source of numerous fallacies4 ,when 
any   one voluntarily recollects a      
,gothic window1 which he had seen   some
 time before1 the whole front of the    
,cathedral occurs to him   at the same  
time3 in like manner1 the taste of a    
pine-apple1   though we eat it          
blindfold1 recalls the colour and shape 
of it4   ,coleridge has made a good     
remark upon this subject4 ,he says1 ,it 
is a great law of the imagination1 that 

a likeness in part tends   to become a  
likeness of the whole4 ,it is thus that 
we trace   images in the fire1 castles  
in the clouds1 and spectres in the      
gloom of twilight4  ,when thrown upon   
water1 potassium instantly decomposes   
that fluid1 and an explosion is produced
 with a vehement flame3 an experiment   
which is rendered more striking if1 for 
water1 ice be substituted2 in this      
latter case1 it instantly bums with a   
bright rose-coloured flame1 and a deep  
hole is made in the ice1 which will     
afterwards be found to contain a        
solution of potash4  ,it is scarcely    
necessary to state1 that these phenomena
 depend upon the very powerful affinity 
which the metal possesses for oxygen1   
enabling it even to separate it from its
 most subtle combinations4#gc    #gc ,if
 we are disposed to enter into a more   
critical examination   of the subject1  
we shall find that1 although the above  
is a   general expression of the change 
produced1 there are subordinate         

actions of a more complicated nature3   
the metal1 in the first   place1        
decomposes a portion of the water1 in   
order to combine   with its oxygen1 and 
form potash1 which in its turn has a    
powerful affinity for water2 the heat   
arising from two causes1   decomposition
 and combination1 is sufficiently       
intense to produce   the inflammation4  
,water is a bad conductor of heat2 the  
globule   swims exposed to air2 a part  
of which is dissolved by the heated     
nascent hydrogen2 and this gas1 being   
capable of spontaneous   inflammation1  
explodes and communicates the effect of 
combustion   to any of the bases that   
may be yet uncombined4 ,the manner in   
which the potassium runs along the      
surface of water may be   compared to a 
drop of water on red-hot iron2 in the   
one case the   hot potassium1 in the    
other the cold water1 is enveloped in an
   atmosphere of steam4  ,one of the    
neatest modes of showing the production 
of alkali1 in the decomposition of water

 by the basis of potash1 consists in    
dropping a globule of potassium upon    
moistened paper tinged with turmeric4   
,at the moment that it comes into       
contact with the water1 it burns and    
moves rapidly upon the paper1 as if in  
search of moisture1 leaving behind it a 
deep reddish-brown trace of its         
progress1 and acting upon the test paper
 precisely as dry caustic potash4  ,from
 these observations1 the reader will    
immediately perceive1 that the          
decomposition of the fixed alkalies has 
placed in the hands of the              
experimentalist a new instrument of     
research1 scarcely less energetic1 or of
 less universal application1 than the   
power from which the discovery emanated4
 ,davy observes upon this point1 that it
 will undoubtedly prove a powerful agent
 for analysis1 and having an affinity   
for oxygen1 stronger than any other     
known substance1 it may possibly        
supersede the application of electricity
 to some of the undecompounded bodies4  

,so strong indeed is its affinity for   
oxygen1 that it discovers and decomposes
 the small quantities of water contained
 in alcohol and ether2 and in the latter
 case1 this decomposition is connected  
with an instructive result4 ,potash is  
insoluble in that fluid3 when therefore 
its base is thrown into it1 oxygen is   
furnished1 hydrogen gas disengaged1 and 
the alkali1 as it is regenerated1       
renders the ether white and turbid4     
,but perhaps the most beautiful         
illustration of its deoxidizing power is
 afforded by its action on carbonic acid
 gas1 or fixed air3 when heated in      
contact with that gas1 it catches fire1 
and by uniting with its oxygen1 becomes 
potash1 while the liberated carbon is   
deposited in the form of charcoal4  ,as 
,i have already exceeded the limits     
originally prescribed to myself1 ,i     
shall not enter into the history of     
,davy's experiments on the other fixed  
alkali1 soda1 farther than to state     
that1 when it was submitted to ,voltaic 

action1 a bright metal was obtained1    
similar in its general characters to    
potassium1 but possessing sufficiently  
distinctive peculiarities as to         
volatility1 fusibility1 oxidability1 c4 
,to this body ,davy assigned the name of
 ,,sodium4#gd    #gd ,in his ,bakerian  
,lecture of #ahaj1 he informs us that he
   obtains ,sodium by heating common    
salt1 which has been previously         
ignited1 with ,potassium--an immediate  
decomposition takes place1   and two    
parts of ,potassium produce rather more 
than one of ,sodium4  ,in support of the
 metallic characters of these alkaline  
bases1 it may be necessary to state that
 they combine with each other1 and form 
alloys2 the properties and habitudes of 
which are very interesting1 and are     
fully described by their discoverer4    
,no sooner had these results been made  
known to the scientific world1 than a   
question arose1 both in this country and
 abroad1 as to the real nature of the   
bodies which had been thus obtained from

 the fixed alkalies1 and which presented
 an aspect so obviously metallic4 ,at   
first1 it was conjectured by a few1 that
 they might be compounds of the alkali  
with the platina used in the            
experiments2 but this was at once       
disproved by ,davy having obtained the  
same results when pieces of copper1     
silver1 gold1 plumbago1 or even         
charcoal1 had been employed for         
completing the ,voltaic circuit4  ,the  
effect which this and his subsequent    
discoveries produced1 in revolutionizing
 the theory of ,chemistry1 will form an 
interesting subject for discussion in a 
future part of the present work3 ,i     
shall therefore only remark in passing1 
that the fact of oxygen1 the            
acknowledged principle of acidity1      
existing in combination with a metallic 
base1 and imparting to it the properties
 of an alkali1 was no sooner announced1 
than its truth was strenuously denied4  
,it was an attack upon opinions         
sanctioned by the general suffrage of   

the scientific world2--it was1 in fact1 
storming the very citadel of their      
philosophy3 no wonder1 then1 that the   
agitator should have been assailed with 
a full cry for his revolutionary        
plans4#ge ,m4 ,curadau read a paper     
before the ,french ,institute1 in which 
he endeavoured to prove1 first1 that the
 conversion of the alkalies into metals 
was not a deoxidation of those bodies1  
but a combination of them with new      
elements2--secondly1 that the affinity  
of the alkaline metals for oxygen was   
merely a chemical illusion1 occasioned  
by some body the presence of which had  
not been suspected2--thirdly1 that      
carbon was one of the elements of the   
alkaline metals1 since it could be      
separated from them at pleasure1 or     
converted into carbonic acid2--and      
fourthly1 that if the specific gravities
 of the new substances were less than   
that of water1 it was because hydrogen  
was associated with carbon in the       
combination4    #ge ,many years         

afterwards1 when ,davy was travelling on
 the   ,continent1 a distinguished      
person about a foreign court1 enquired  
who and what he was2 never having heard 
of his scientific   fame4 ,upon being   
told that his discoveries had           
revolutionized   ,chemistry1 the        
courtier promptly replied--,i hate all  
revolutionists--his presence will not be
 acceptable here4  ,it is scarcely      
necessary to state1 that the presence of
 carbon was readily traced to sources of
 impurity4 ,the hypothesis which assumed
 the existence of hydrogen as an        
element1 was not so easily refuted4 ,it 
was espoused by ,,mm4 ,gay ,lussac1     
,thnard1 and ,ritter1 on the ,continent1
 and by ,mr4 ,dalton in ,england4 ,the  
former derived their inference from the 
action of potassium upon ammonia1 by    
which they obtained a fusible substance 
that yielded by heat more hydrogen than 
the ammonia contained2 the latter       
contended that potassium and sodium are 
proved to be hydrurets1 by the very     

process employed for their production2  
for1 since common potash is a hydrat1   
and oxygen is produced at one surface1  
and potassium at the other1 by ,voltaic 
action1 he conceived that the former    
arose from the decomposition of water1  
and that the hydrogen must therefore    
unite with the potash to form potassium4
 ,it is a curious fact1 that            
,berthollet1 in the very sentence in    
which he insisted upon the excessive    
quantity of hydrogen disengaged in his  
experiment1 as a proof that potassium   
must be a hydruret1 should have stated  
that the addition of water to the       
residuum was necessary for obtaining his
 result4 ,how could it have happened    
that he overlooked so obvious a source  
of hydrogen8 ,mr4 ,dalton1 as well as   
,ritter1 considered the low specific    
gravity as favouring the idea of their  
containing hydrogen2 but ,davy observes 
that they are less volatile than        
antimony1 arsenic1 and tellurium1 and   
much less so than mercury4 ,besides1    

sodium absorbs much more oxygen than    
potassium1 and1 on the hypothesis of    
hydrogenation1 must therefore contain   
more hydrogen2 and yet though soda is   
said to be lighter than potash1 in the  
proportion of thirteen to seventeen     
nearly1 sodium is heavier than          
potassium1 in the proportion of nine to 
seven at least4 ,on the theory of ,davy1
 this circumstance is what ought to have
 been expected4 ,potassium has a much   
stronger affinity for oxygen than       
sodium1 and must condense it much more2 
and the resulting higher specific       
gravity of the combination is a         
necessary consequence4 ,in this manner  
did ,davy entangle his opponents in     
their own arguments1 and establish1 in  
the most triumphant manner1 the truths  
of his original views4  ,thus then was a
 discovery effected1 and at once        
rendered complete1 which all the        
chemists in ,europe had vainly attempted
 to accomplish4 ,the alkalies had been  
tortured by every variety of experiment 

which ingenuity could suggest1 or       
perseverance perform1 but all in vain2  
nor was the pursuit abandoned until     
indefatigable effort had wrecked the    
patience and exhausted every resource of
 the experimentalist4 ,such was the     
disheartening1 and almost forlorn       
condition of the philosopher when ,davy 
entered the field3--he created new      
instruments1 new powers1 and fresh      
resources2 and ,nature1 thus            
interrogated on a different plan1 at    
once revealed her long cherished secret4
  ,in his ,bakerian ,lecture1 ,davy     
observes1 that a historical detail of   
the progress of the investigation of all
 the difficulties that occurred1 and of 
the manner in which they were overcome1 
and of all the manipulations employed1  
would far exceed the limits assigned to 
a ,lecture4 ,but to the chemist1 every  
circumstance1 however minute1 connected 
with a subject of such commanding       
importance1 is pregnant with interest2  
,i therefore considered it my duty to   

search into the archives of the         
,institution1 in the hope that ,i should
 discover some memoranda which might    
supply additional information4 ,in      
examining the ,laboratory ,register1 ,i 
have so far succeeded as to obtain some 
rough and imperfect notes1 which will1  
to a certain degree1 assist us in       
analysing the intellectual operations by
 which his mind ultimately arrived at   
the grand conclusion4  ,it appears from 
this register that ,davy commenced his  
enquiries into the composition of potash
 on the #afth1 and obtained his great   
result on the #aith of ,october #ahjg4gf
 ,his first experiments1 however1       
evidently did not suggest the truth3 he 
does not appear to have suspected the   
nature of the alkaline base until his   
last experiment1 when the truth flashed 
upon him in the full blaze of discovery4
 ,his first note1 dated the #afth1 leads
 us to infer that he acted on a solid   
piece of potash1 under the surface of   
alcohol1 and several other liquids in   

which the alkali was not soluble2 and   
that he obtained gaseous matter1 which  
he called at the moment ',alkaligen     
,gas1' and which he appears to have     
examined most closely1 without arriving 
at any conclusion as to its nature4 ,on 
the following day1 he1 for the first    
time1 would seem to have developed      
potassium by electric action on potash  
under oil of turpentine1 for the note   
records the fact of the globules giving 
out gas by water1 which gas burnt in    
contact with air2 and then follows a    
query--,does it 7the matter of the      
globules7 not form gaseous compounds    
with ether1 alcohol1 and the oils8      
,here1 then1 he evidently imagined1 that
 the matter of the globules1 which he   
had never obtained from potash1 except  
when acted upon under oil of turpentine1
 had formed gaseous compounds with the  
ether1 alcohol1 and oils in his previous
 experiments1 and given origin to that  
which he had termed ',alkaligen ,gas4'  
#gf ,on the same day he decomposed ,soda

 with somewhat different   phenomena4   
,he then leaves the consideration of    
this gas1 and attacks the unknown       
globules1 which probably did not present
 any metallic appearance under the      
circumstances in which he saw them1 for 
they must have been as minute as grains 
of sand4 ,i rather think that he        
commenced his examination by introducing
 a globule of mercury1 and uniting it   
with a globule of the unknown substance1
 for his note says1 ,action of the      
substance on ,mercury1--forms with it a 
solid amalgam1 which soon loses its     
,alkaligen in the air4 ,and from the    
note which succeeds1 he evidently       
considered this ,alkaligen 7potassium7  
volatile1 as he says it soon flies off  
on exposure to the air4  ,october       
#ai4--;,it is probable that1 in         
consequence of the property which the   
unknown substance displayed of          
amalgamating with mercury1 he devised   
his experiment of the #aith4 ,he took a 
small glass tube1 about the size and    

shape of a thimble1 into which he fused 
a platinum wire1 and passed it through  
the closed end4 ,he then put a piece of 
pure potash into this tube1 and fused it
 into a mass about the wire1 so as      
entirely to defend it from the mercury  
afterwards to be used4 ,when cold1 the  
potash was solid1 but containing        
moisture enough to give it a conducting 
power2 he then filled the rest of the   
tube with mercury1 and inverted it over 
the trough3 the apparatus being thus    
arranged1 eurka he made the wire and the
 mercury alternately positive and       
negative4 ,and now1 conceiving that ,i  
have sufficiently explained his brief   
notes1 the reader shall receive the     
result in his own words3 for this       
purpose ,i have obtained an engraving of
 the autograph1 which is here annexed2  
but as it may not be very readily       
deciphered1 ,i shall first give the     
substance of it in print4--,when potash 
was introduced into a tube having a     
platina wire attached to it--so--and    

fused into the tube so as to be a       
conductor1 i4 e4 so as to contain just  
water enough1 though solid1 and inserted
 over mercury1 when the platina was made
 negative1 no gas was formed1 and the   
mercury became oxydated1 and a small    
quantity of the alkaligen was produced  
round the platina wire1 as was evident  
from its quick inflammation by the      
action of water4 ,when the mercury was  
made the negative1 gas was developed in 
great quantities from the positive wire1
 and none from the negative mercury1 and
 this gas proved to be pure oxygene--,a 
,,capital ,,experiment1 ,,proving ,,the 
,,decomposition ,,of ,,potash4 ,the     
,reviewer of the ,institution ,journal  
well observes that those who knew ,davy 
will best conceive the enthusiasm with  
which this hasty record of his success  
was dashed off1 and will instantly      
recognise ,greek3 eurka in his ,,capital
 ,,experiment4  ,from this same         
,register1 it appears that1 in the      
preceding month1 he was deeply engaged  

in experiments on ',antwerp blue1' which
 he found to consist of ,prussiate of   
,iron and ,alumina1 probably in the     
proportion of two-thirds of the former  
to one-third of the latter4  ,on the    
#fth of ,october1 we learn from the same
 source1 that he performed a beautiful  
experiment1 that of producing the       
vegetation of the carbon of the wick of 
a candle1 by placing it between the     
wires of the battery4  ,on the #abth of 
the preceding ,september he addressed a 
letter to ,mr4 ,gilbert1 which is       
curious1 as it shows that very nearly up
 to the time of the decomposition of the
 alkalies1 his mind had been engaged on 
very different subjects4       ,,to     
,,davies ,,giddy1 ,,esq4      ,september
 #ab1 #ahjg4      ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1    
,i inclose ,mr4 ,carne's paper1 which1  
when you have read1 and ,mr4     ,carne 
revised1 ,i will thank you to inclose to
 me1 and that as soon     as possible1  
for the completion of the volume4       
,i have been a good deal engaged1 since 

my return1 in experiments on            
distillation1 and ,i have succeeded in  
effecting what is considered     of     
great importance in colonial commerce1  
namely1 the depriving rum     of its    
empyreumatic part1 and converting it    
into pure spirit4      ,i mention this  
in confidence1 as it is likely to be    
connected with     some profitable      
results2 and it may be beneficial in a  
public point     of view1 by lessening  
the consumption of malt4      ,i have   
heard of no scientific news2 this1      
indeed1 is little the     season for    
active exertion4      ,with best        
respects to your father1 and to ,mr4 and
 ,mrs4 ,guillemard1     ,i am1 my dear  
,sir1      ,always very faithfully      
yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,few notes    
have conveyed information of such       
importance to the scientific world1 as  
that which follows1 announcing1 at the  
same time1 the decomposition of the     
fixed alkalies1 and the formation of the
 ,geological ,society1 of which it would

 thus appear that ,davy was one of the  
founders4       ,,to ,,william          
,,hasledine ,,pepys1 ,,esq4             
,november #ac1 #ahjg4      ,,dear       
,,pepys1      ,if you and ,allen had    
been one person1 the ,council of the    
,royal     ,society would have voted to 
you the ,copleian ,medal2#gg but it is  
an indivisible thing1 and cannot be     
given to two4      ,we are forming a    
little talking ,geological ,dinner      
,club1 of which ,i     hope you will be 
a member4 ,i shall propose you to-day4  
,some things     have happened in the   
,chemical ,club1 which ,i think render  
it a less     desirable meeting than    
usual1 and ,i do not think you would    
find any     gratification in being a   
member of it4 ,hatchett never comes1 and
 we     sometimes meet only two or      
three4 ,i hope to see you soon4      ,i 
have decomposed and recomposed the fixed
 alkalies1 and discovered     their     
bases to be two new inflammable         
substances very like metals2     but one

 of them lighter than ether1 and        
infinitely combustible4 ,so     that    
there are two bodies decomposed1 and two
 new elementary bodies     found4       
,most sincerely yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4 
#gg ,he alludes to a ,paper1 entitled   
,on the ,quantity of   ,carbon in       
,carbonic ,acid1 and on the ,nature of  
the ,diamond2 by   ,william ,allen1     
,esq4 ,f4,r4,s4 and ,william ,hasledine 
,pepys1 ,esq4   ,communicated by        
,humphry ,davy1 ,sec4 ,r4,s4            
,m4,r4,i4,a4 ,read ,june #af1   #ahjg4  
,in the year #ahjh1 ,,mm4 ,gay ,lussac  
and ,thnard succeeded in decomposing    
potash by chemical means2 for which     
purpose it is only necessary to heat    
iron turnings to whiteness in a curved  
gun-barrel1 and then to bring melted    
potash slowly in contact with the       
turnings1 air being excluded2 when the  
iron1 at that high temperature1 will    
take the oxygen from the alkali1 and the
 potassium may be collected in a cool   
part of the tube4 ,it may likewise be   

produced by igniting potash with        
charcoal1 as ,m4 ,curaudau showed in the
 same year4  ,in the following letter1  
,davy gives an account of his repeating 
the experiment of ,,mm4 ,gay ,lussac and
 ,thnard2 mixing together1 as usual1    
science and angling4       ,,to ,j4 ,g4 
,,children1 ,,esq4      ,london1 ,july  
#ahjh4      ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1      ,i  
have this moment received your kind     
letter1 and ,i have written     to      
,pepys to propose to him to be with you 
on ,sunday or ,monday4 ,i     hope for  
his answer to-morrow morning1 and ,i    
will write to you     immediately4      
,i will procure all the fishing tackle  
you have proposed1 and am     most happy
 to find you in so determined a spirit  
for piscatory     adventure4      ,i    
have had some letters from ,france2 but 
nothing new1 except an     account of   
the gun-barrel experiment tolerably     
minute4 ,i have     tried it since1 and 
procured potassium1 but it was lost from
     some moisture passing into the     

aperture of the barrel4 ,all that     is
 necessary for the process is a         
gun-barrel bent thus1 thus1             
,b_/_/,a4---- ,b represents the part    
where the touch-hole is     closed2 here
 dry potash is introduced2 and the      
middle1 which is to     be strongly     
ignited1 contains the filings2 the      
potash is gradually     fused and made  
to run down upon the ignited iron2 the  
potassium     collects in ,a4      ,if  
you should be able to procure the       
apparatus for this experiment1     ,i   
should like to assist in repeating it2  
and could we procure a     large        
quantity of the basis1 we may try its   
effects1 on a great     scale1 on the   
undecompounded acids4 ,i will bring some
 dry boracic     acid4 ,a copper or     
platina tube1 if you have one1 will be  
proper     for trying the experiment in4
 ,we may likewise try its action upon   
the earths1 and upon diamond4      ,i   
have metallized ,ammonia1#gh without the
 application of     ,electricity4 ,when 

an amalgam of potassium and mercury is  
brought     in contact with an          
ammoniacal salt1 the potassium seizes   
upon the     oxygen1 and the hydrogen   
and nitrogen unite to the quicksilver4  
,i had an opportunity of giving an      
account1 on ,friday1 to the             
scientific men assembled at ,greenwich1 
of your magnificent     experiments and 
apparatus4#gi ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 ,mr4 
,cavendish1     ,wollaston1 c4 all      
expressed a strong wish that the results
 should     be published4 ,i am most    
happy you have drawn up the account4    
,i regard the days ,i have passed in    
your society1 as some of the            
pleasantest of my life4 ,i look forward 
with a warm hope to our next            
meeting4 ,be pleased to assure your     
father of my highest respect1     and of
 my gratitude for his kindness4      ,i 
am1 my dear ,sir1      ,very sincerely  
yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4    #gh ,he here 
alludes to a train of research1 which   
will be   considered hereafter4    #gi  

,this observation relates to the        
magnificent battery   constructed by    
,mr4 ,children1 of which he presented an
 account to   the ,royal ,society1 in a 
,paper read in ,november #ahjh1         
entitled1   ,an ,account of some        
,experiments1 performed with a view to  
ascertain the most advantageous ,method 
of constructing a ,voltaic   ,apparatus1
 for the purpose of ,chemical ,research4
 ,by ,john ,george   ,children1 ,esq4   
,f4,r4,s4 ,the great battery described  
in this ,paper   consisted of twenty    
pairs of plates1 each plate being four  
feet   high by two feet wide3 the sum of
 all the surfaces was ninety-two        
thousand one hundred and sixty square   
inches1 and the quantity of   liquid    
necessary for charging it1 one hundred  
and twenty gallons4   ,at the same time 
he constructed another battery1 which   
consisted   of two hundred pairs of     
plates1 each being only two inches      
square4 ,in the one case1 then1 he      
commanded extent of surface1   in the   

other1 extent of number2 and by a series
 of comparative   experiments1 he fully 
established the theory of ,davy 7page   
#bdf71   that the intensity of          
,electricity increases with the number1 
and the quantity with the surface4   ,it
 is impossible to reflect upon the      
chemical processes by which potassium   
may be obtained1 without feeling        
surprised that the discovery should not 
have long before been accomplished4 ,it 
is evident that the substance must have 
been repeatedly developed during the    
operations of chemistry2 alkalies had   
been frequently heated to whiteness in  
contact both with iron and charcoal1 and
 in some instances the appearance of a  
highly combustible body1 which could    
have been no other than potassium1 had  
even been observed as a result of the   
process1 and yet no suspicion1 as to its
 real nature1 ever crossed the mind of  
the experimentalist2 he satisfied       
himself with designating such a product1
 whenever it occurred1 by the term      

,pyrophorus4#hj ,i remember the late    
,mr4 ,william ,gregor informing me that1
 in the course of his analytical        
experiments with potash and different   
metals1 he had repeatedly observed a    
combustion on removing the crucible from
 the furnace1 and exposing its contents1
 which he could never understand4 ,how  
admirably do such anecdotes illustrate  
the remark made in the commencement of  
the present chapter1 that truth may be  
often touched1 but is rarely caught1 in 
the dark6    #hj ,the ,pyrophorus of    
,homberg1 of which a description is to  
be found in the ,mmoires de l',academie1
 for #agaa1 was made   by mixing        
together any combustible body1 as gum1  
flour1 sugar1   charcoal1 c4 and alum1  
and then1 after roasting the mixture    
till   it was reduced to a dry powder1  
exposing it in a matrass to a red       
heat4 ,in this process1 the theory of   
which was first explained by   ,davy1   
the potash of the alum is converted into
 potassium1 which1   by its absorption  

of oxygen from the atmosphere1 generates
 heat1   and sets fire to the charcoal  
contained in the powder4  ,the facility 
of the combustion of the bases of the   
alkalies1 and the readiness with which  
they decomposed water1 offered ,davy the
 ready means for determining the        
proportions of their constituent parts3 
and in comparing all his results1 he    
thinks that it will be a good           
approximation to the truth1 to consider 
potash as composed of about six parts   
base and one of oxygen2 and soda1 as    
consisting of seven base and two of     
oxygen4  ,the discovery of potassium led
 to that of the true nature of what had 
been long familiar to chemists by the   
name of pure ,potash1 but which ought to
 have been called the hydrat1 for the   
pure alkali was not known until after   
the discovery of ,davy4 ,the experiments
 of ,,mm4 ,gay ,lussac and ,thnard have 
shown this substance to be a ,protoxide4
 ,it is difficult of fusion2 it has a   
grey colour and a vitreous fracture1 and

 dissolves in water with much heat4 ,the
 ,peroxide is procured by the combustion
 of potassium at a low temperature2 it  
had been observed by ,davy in ,october  
#ahjg1 but at that time he supposed it  
to be the oxide containing the smallest 
proportion of oxygen3 it has a yellow   
colour1 and when thrown into water      
effervesces1 and gives out oxygen       
gas4#ha ,when heated very strongly upon 
platina1 oxygen is also expelled from   
it1 and there remains the protoxide1 or 
pure potash4    #ha ,the ',potassa      
,fusa' of our ,pharmacopoeia generally  
contains a   small proportion of the    
peroxide1 and will therefore effervesce 
when thrown into water4  ,it was a great
 object with ,davy1 to show that the    
product resulting from the combustion of
 potassium1 was a pure oxide free from  
water2 for it is evident that had       
potassium been a ,hydruret1 its         
combustion must have produced a ,hydrat4
 ,this he accomplished by a series of   
experiments which he performed in the   

laboratory of ,mr4 ,children1 and which 
are published in his ,bakerian ,lecture 
of #ahjj4  ,having discovered the       
presence of oxygen in the fixed         
alkalies1 he was naturally led by       
analogy to enquire whether ammonia might
 not also contain it4 ,it was true that 
the chemical composition of that body   
had been considered as satisfactorily   
settled1 and that the conversion of it  
into hydrogen and nitrogen1 in the      
experiments of ,scheele1 ,priestley1 and
 ,berthollet1 had left nothing farther  
to be accomplished4 ,all new facts1     
however1 are necessarily accompanied by 
a new train of analogies2 and ,davy1 in 
perusing the accounts of the various    
experiments to which ammonia had been   
submitted1 tells us that he saw no      
reason for considering the presence of  
oxygen as impossible2 for1 supposing    
hydrogen and nitrogen to exist in       
combination with oxygen in low          
proportion1 this latter principle might 
easily disappear in the analytical      

experiments by heat and electricity1 in 
the form of water deposited upon the    
vessels employed1 or dissolved in the   
gases produced4  ,under this impression1
 he commenced a series of experiments by
 which1 he says1 he soon became         
satisfied of the existence of oxygen in 
the volatile alkali4 ,by means of the   
,voltaic battery1 he ignited perfectly  
dry charcoal in a small quantity of pure
 ammoniacal gas1 and he produced        
carbonate of ammonia2 which could not   
have happened1 had not oxygen been      
furnished by the volatile alkali to the 
carbon4 ,in the next place1 by an       
ingenious arrangement of apparatus1 he  
submitted ammonia to a high temperature1
 and effected its decomposition1 when a 
quantity of water appeared as one of the
 products4 ,it will be useless to enter 
into farther details upon this occasion1
 as we shall presently perceive the     
subject assumed a different aspect1 and 
led the experimentalist into a new line 
of enquiry4  ,at the conclusion of his  

,bakerian ,lecture of #ahjg1 he speaks  
of the probable composition of the      
earths1 and considers it reasonable to  
expect that they are compounds of a     
similar nature to the fixed             
alkalies--peculiar highly combustible   
metallic bases united to oxygen2--but1  
as yet1 this theory was sanctioned only 
by strong analogies2 it was his good    
fortune1 at a subsequent period1 to     
support it by conclusive facts4  ,when  
the importance and novelty of the       
results he obtained from the fixed      
alkalies1 and their influence upon the  
reigning theories1 are duly considered1 
it may be easily imagined how intense   
was the curiosity to witness the        
production of the new metals1 to examine
 their singular qualities1 and to       
question the illustrious discoverer upon
 their nature and relations4 ,suppose it
 were publicly announced that one of the
 greatest ,astronomers of the day had   
invented a telescope of new and         
extraordinary powers2 and that by its   

means a hitherto unsuspected system of  
heavenly bodies might be seen1 the      
character and motions of which were     
wholly inconsistent with the ,newtonian 
theory of the universe4 ,the surprise   
and eager curiosity which such an       
announcement would create might possibly
 be more general1 because a knowledge of
 ,astronomy is more widely diffused than
 that of ,chemistry2 but the sensation  
would not be more intense than that     
which the discovery of potassium        
produced4 ,the laboratory of the        
,institution was crowded with persons of
 every rank and description2 and ,davy1 
as may be readily supposed1 was kept in 
a continued state of excitement         
throughout the day4 ,this circumstance1 
co-operating with the effects of the    
fatigue he had previously undergone1    
produced a most severe fit of illness1  
which for a time caused an awful pause  
in his researches1 broke the thread of  
his pursuits1 and turned his reflections
 into different channels4  ,he always   

laboured under the impression that the  
fever had been occasioned by contagion1 
to which he had been exposed in one of  
the jails during an experiment for      
fumigating it4 ,this impression appears 
to have continued through life1 for in  
his ,last ,days he alludes to it in     
terms of strong conviction4  ,other     
persons referred his illness to the     
deleterious fumes1 especially those of  
,baryta1 to which his experiments had   
exposed him3 an opinion recorded in an  
,epigram1#hb which was circulated       
amongst the members of the ,institution 
after his recovery4       ,says ,davy to
 ,baryt1 ,i've a strong inclination     
,to try to effect your deoxidation2     
,but ,baryt replies--,have a care of    
your mirth1     ,lest ,i should         
retaliate1 and change you to ,earth4    
#hb ,i received the above jeu d'esprit  
from the late learned   ,orientalist1   
,mr4 ,stephen ,weston1 only four days   
before his death4   ,since its          
publication in the first edition of this

 work1 a   chemical friend sent me the  
following improved version of it4       
,says ,davy to ,baryt1 ,i feel strong   
temptation     ,to effect by my art your
 deoxidation2     ,and the money ,i've  
got in my pocket ,i'll bet all1     ,i  
prove you a true1 though disguised lad  
of metal4     ,says ,baryt to ,davy1 ,a 
truce to your mirth2     ,if you turn me
 to metal1 ,i'll turn you to earth2     
,so moisten your clay1 don't improve    
,science daily1     ,nor treat me as    
you've treated poor ,soda and ,kali4    
,upon conversing1 however1 with ,dr4    
,babington1 who1 with ,dr4 ,frank1      
attended ,davy throughout this illness1 
he assured me that there was not the    
slightest ground for either of these    
opinions2 that the fever was evidently  
the effect of fatigue and an            
over-excited brain4 ,the reader will not
 feel much hesitation in believing this 
statement1 when he is made acquainted   
with the habits of ,davy at this period4
 ,his intellectual exertions were of the

 most injurious kind1 and yet1 unlike   
the philosophers of old1 he sought not  
to fortify himself by habits of         
temperance4 ,should any of my readers   
propose to me the same question         
respecting ,davy1 as ,fontenelle tells  
us was put to an ,englishman in ,paris1 
by a scientific ,marquis1 with regard to
 ,newton1--whether he ate1 drank1 and   
slept like other people8--,i certainly  
should be bound to answer in the        
negative4  ,such was his great celebrity
 at this period of his career1 that     
persons of the highest rank contended   
for the honour of his company at dinner1
 and he did not possess sufficient      
resolution to resist the gratification  
thus afforded1 although it generally    
happened that his pursuits in the       
laboratory were not suspended until the 
appointed dinner-hour had passed4 ,on   
his return in the evening1 he resumed   
his chemical labours1 and commonly      
continued them till three or four       
o'clock in the morning2 and yet the     

servants of the establishment not       
unfrequently found that he had risen    
before them4 ,the greatest of all his   
wants was ,time1 and the expedients by  
which he economised it often placed him 
in very ridiculous positions1 and gave  
rise to habits of the most eccentric    
description3 driven to an extremity1 he 
would in his haste put on fresh linen1  
without removing that which was         
underneath2 and1 singular as the fact   
may appear1 he has been known1 after the
 fashion of the grave-digger in ,hamlet1
 to wear no less than five shirts1 and  
as many pair of stockings1 at the same  
time4 ,exclamations of surprise very    
frequently escaped from his friends at  
the rapid manner in which he increased  
and declined in corpulence4  ,at the    
commencement of his severe illness in   
,november #ahjg1 he was immediately     
attended by ,dr4 ,babington and ,dr4    
,frank2 and upon its assuming a more    
serious aspect1 these gentlemen were    
assisted by ,dr4 ,baillie4 ,such was the

 alarming state of the patient1 that for
 many weeks his physicians regularly    
visited him four times in the day1 and  
issued bulletins for the information of 
the numerous enquirers who anxiously    
crowded the hall of the ,institution4   
,his kind and amiable qualities had     
secured the attachment of all the       
officers and servants of the            
establishment1 and they eagerly         
anticipated every want his situation    
might require4 ,the housekeeper1 ,mrs4  
,greenwood1 watched over him with all   
the care and solicitude of a parent2    
and1 with the exception of a single     
night1 never retired to her bed for the 
period of eleven weeks4 ,in the latter  
stage of his illness1 he was reduced to 
the extreme of weakness1 and his mind   
participated in the debility of the     
body4 ,it may not perhaps be thought    
philosophical to deduce any inference1  
as to character1 from traits which are  
displayed under such circumstances3 ,i  
have little doubt1 however1 but that the

 mind1 like inorganic matter1 will1 in  
its decay1 frequently develope important
 elements1 which under other conditions 
were not distinguishable4 ,suppose pride
 and timidity to exist as qualities in  
the same mind1 the former might so far  
predominate as to enable its possessor  
to face the cannon's mouth2 but diminish
 its force by moral or physical agency1 
the natural timidity will gain the      
ascendency1 and the hero be converted   
into a coward4 ,such are my reasons for 
introducing the following anecdote3 ,i  
would not give to it a greater value    
than it deserves1 but it surely         
demonstrates the existence of kindly    
affections4 ,youthful reminiscences1 and
 circumstances connected with his family
 and friends1 were the only objects     
which1 at this period1 occupied his     
thoughts1 and afforded him any pleasure4
 ,no ,swiss peasant ever sighed more    
deeply for his native mountains1 than   
did ,davy for the scenes of his early   
years4 ,he entreated his nurse to convey

 to his friends his ardent wish to      
obtain some apples from a particular    
tree which he had planted when a boy2   
and1 unlike ,locke with his cherries1 he
 had no power of controlling the desire 
by his reason1 but remained in a state  
of restlessness and impatience until    
their arrival3 at the same time1 he     
expressed a wish to obtain several other
 objects1 especially an ancient tea-pot1
 endeared to him by early associations4 
,the following ,minute appears on the   
,journals of the ,institution3--        
,december #g1 #ahjg4--,mr4 ,davy having 
been confined to his bed for the last   
fortnight by a severe illness1 the      
,managers are under the painful         
necessity of giving notice1 that the    
,lectures will not commence until the   
first week in ,january next4  ,the      
,course was1 at the time stated1 opened 
by the ,reverend ,mr4 7now ,dr47        
,dibdin2 and his introductory lecture   
was1 by order of the ,managers1 printed 
for the satisfaction of those           

proprietors who were not present4 ,it   
thus commences3--,before ,i solicit your
 attention to the opening of those      
,lectures which ,i shall have the honour
 of delivering in the course of the     
season1 permit me to trespass upon it   
for a few minutes1 by stating the       
peculiar circumstances under which this 
,institution is again opened2 and how it
 comes to pass that it has fallen to me1
 rather than to a more deserving        
lecturer1 to be the first to address    
you4  ,the ,managers have requested me  
to impart to you that intelligence1     
which no one who is alive to the best   
feelings of human nature can hear       
without mixed emotions of sorrow and    
delight4  ,mr4 ,davy1 whose frequent and
 powerful addresses from this place1    
supported by his ingenious experiments1 
have been so long and so well known to  
you1 has for these last five weeks been 
struggling between life and death2--the 
effects of those experiments recently   
made in illustration of his splendid    

discoveries1 added to consequent bodily 
weakness1 brought on a fever so violent 
as to threaten the extinction of life4  
,over him1 it might emphatically be     
said1 in the language of our immortal   
,milton1 that                           
----',death his dart     ,shook1 but    
delayed to strike4'  ,had it pleased    
,providence to have deprived the world  
of any further benefit from his original
 talents and immense application1 there 
certainly has been already enough       
effected by him to entitle his name to a
 place amongst the brightest scientific 
luminaries of his country4 ,that this   
may not appear an unfounded eulogium1 ,i
 shall proceed1 at the particular       
request of the ,managers1 to give you an
 outline of the splendid discoveries to 
which ,i have just alluded2 and ,i do so
 with the greater pleasure1 as that     
outline has been drawn in a very        
masterly manner by a gentleman of all   
others perhaps the best qualified to do 
it effectually4  ,the ,lecturer then    

proceeded to take a general and rapid   
view of his labours1 which it is        
unnecessary to introduce in this place1 
and concluded as follows3--  ,this      
recital will be sufficient to convince  
those who have heard it of the celebrity
 which the author of such discoveries   
has a right to attach to himself2 and   
yet no one1 ,i am confident1 has less   
inclination to challenge it4 ,to us1 and
 to every enlightened ,englishman1 it   
will be a matter of just congratulation1
 that the country which has produced the
 two ,,bacons and ,,boyle1 has in these 
latter days shown itself worthy of its  
former renown by the labours of         
,,cavendish and ,,davy4 ,the illness of 
the latter1 severe as it has been1 is   
now abating1 and we may reasonably hope 
that the period of convalescence is not 
very remote4  ,fortunately for the cause
 of ,science--fortunately for the       
interests of the ,institution1 the      
prediction of the learned ,lecturer was 
shortly verified4  ,the ,institution1   

indeed1 had already suffered from the   
calamity2 for1 in a ,report to the      
,visitors1 dated ,january #be1 #ahjh1 it
 is stated1 that there has been an      
excess of expenditure beyond the        
receipts4 ,among the causes of          
diminished income may be mentioned the  
postponement of the lectures1 in        
consequence of the lamented illness of  
the excellent ,professor of ,chemistry2 
and among the items of increased        
expenditure1 the extra expense of the   
,laboratory1 in which have been produced
 ,mr4 ,davy's recent discoveries1 so    
honourable to the ,royal ,institution1  
and so beneficial to the interests of   
science in every part of the world4     
,this ,report is succeeded by the       
following ,minute3--  ,february #bb1    
#ahjh4--,mr4 ,davy attended at the      
request of the ,committee1 and informed 
them that he should be able to commence 
his course of ,lectures on              
,electro-chemical science on ,saturday  
the #abth of ,march1 at two o'clock2 and

 those on ,geology on ,wednesday        
evening1 the #afth of that month4  ,the 
following letter to ,mr4 ,poole         
announces the restoration of his health1
 and communicates some other            
circumstances of interest4 ,mr4 ,poole1 
it would appear1 entertained doubts as  
to whether ,davy received the prize of  
,france for his first or second         
,bakerian ,lecture1 upon which point    
this letter sets him right4       ,,to  
,,thomas ,,poole1 ,,esq4      ,march1   
#ahjh4      ,,my ,,dear ,,poole1        
,many thanks for your kind letter4 ,i   
have seen your friend ,mr4     ,b----   
for a minute1 and1 to use a geological  
term1 ,i like his     aspect1 and shall 
endeavour to cultivate his acquaintance4
      ,i am exceedingly busy2 my health 
is re-established2 and ,i am            
entering again into the career of       
experiment4      ,the prize which you   
congratulate me upon was given for my   
paper     of #ahjf1 and not for my last 
discoveries1 which will probably        

excite more interest4      ,c----1 after
 disappointing his audience twice from  
illness1 is     announced to lecture    
again this week4 ,he has suffered       
greatly     from excessive              
sensibility--the disease of genius4 ,his
 mind is as     a wilderness1 in which  
the cedar and the oak1 which might      
aspire     to the skies1 are stunted in 
their growth by underwood1 thorns1      
briars1 and parasitical plants4 ,with   
the most exalted genius1     enlarged   
views1 sensitive heart1 and enlightened 
mind1 he will     be the victim of want 
of order1 precision1 and regularity4 ,i 
cannot think of him without experiencing
 the mingled feelings of     admiration1
 regard1 and pity4      ,why do you not 
come to ,london8 ,many would be happy to
 see you2     but no one more so than   
your very sincere friend1 my dear       
,poole1      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,it is       
difficult to convey an adequate idea of 
the universal interest which was excited
 by the lectures on ,electro-chemical   

,science1 to which an allusion has been 
just made4 ,the ,theatre of the         
,institution overflowed2 and each       
succeeding lecture increased the number 
of candidates for admission4  ,it is    
unnecessary1 after what has been already
 stated1 to describe the masterly style 
in which he demonstrated and explained  
those general laws which his genius had 
developed1 or to enumerate the beautiful
 and diversified experiments by which he
 illustrated their application1 in      
simplifying the more complex forms of   
matter4  ,his evening lectures on       
,geology were equally attractive2 and by
 a method as novel as it was beautiful1 
he exhibited1 by the aid of             
transparencies1 the structure of        
mountains1 the stratification of rocks1 
and the arrangements of mineral veins4  
,the ,easter recess afforded him a few  
days of leisure1 which from the         
following note he appears to have       
devoted to his favourite amusement4     
,,to ,w4 ,h4 ,,pepys1 ,,esq4            

,april1 #ahjh4      ,,my ,,dear ,,pepys1
      ,children has had the kindness to 
arrange our party1 and we are     to    
meet him1 at all events1 on ,tuesday at 
two o'clock1 at ,foot's     ,cray4      
,i have proposed that we should leave   
town at about five or six     on ,monday
 evening1 sleep at ,foot's ,cray1 and   
try the fly-fishing     there4          
,will you arrange with ,allen1 whom we  
must initiate in the     vocation of the
 ,apostles1 as he wants nothing else to 
make him     perfect as a primitive     
,christian and a ,philosopher8      ,i  
am1 my dear ,pepys1      ,most          
affectionately yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4  
,hitherto his passion for angling has   
only been noticed in connection with his
 conversation and letters2 ,i shall now 
present to the reader a sketch of the   
philosopher in his fishing costume4 ,his
 whole suit consisted of green cloth2   
the coat having sundry pockets for      
holding the necessary tackle3 his boots 
were made of caoutchouc1 and1 for the   

convenience of wading through the water1
 reached above the knees4 ,his hat1     
originally intended for a coal-heaver1  
had been purchased from the manufacturer
 in its raw state1 and dyed green by    
some pigment of his own composition2 it 
was1 moreover1 studded with every       
variety of artificial fly which he could
 require for his diversion4 ,thus       
equipped1 he thought1 from the colour of
 his dress1 that he was more likely to  
elude the observation of the fish4 ,he  
looked not like an inhabitant o' the    
earth1 and yet was on't2--nor can ,i    
find any object in the regions of       
invention with which ,i could justly    
compare him1 except perhaps with one of 
those grotesque personages who1 in the  
farce of ,the ,critic1 attend ,father   
,thames on the stage1 as his two banks4 
,i shall take this opportunity of       
stating1 that his shooting attire was   
equally whimsical3 if1 as an angler1 he 
adopted a dress for concealing his      
person1 as a sportsman in woods and     

plantations1 it was his object to devise
 means for exposing it2 for he always   
entertained a singular dread lest he    
might be accidentally shot upon these   
occasions4 ,when upon a visit to ,mr4   
,dillwyn of ,swansea1 he accompanied his
 friend on a shooting excursion1 in a   
broad-brimmed hat1 the whole of which1  
with the exception of the brim1 was     
covered with scarlet cloth4             
,notwithstanding1 however1 the          
refinements which he displayed in his   
dress1 and the scrupulous attention with
 which he observed all the minute       
details of the art2 if the truth must be
 told1 he was not more successful than  
his brother anglers2 and here again the 
temperament of ,wollaston presented a   
characteristic contrast to that of      
,davy4 ,the former evinced the same     
patience and reserve--the same cautious 
observation and unwearied vigilance in  
this pursuit1 as so eminently           
distinguished his chemical labours4 ,the
 temperament of the latter was far too  

mercurial3 the fish never seized the fly
 with sufficient avidity to fulfill his 
expectations1 or to support that degree 
of excitement which was essential to his
 happiness1 and he became either        
listless or angry1 and consequently     
careless and unsuccessful4--,but it is  
time to resume the thread of our        
chemical history4  ,it has been already 
stated1 that ,davy had no sooner        
decomposed the fixed alkalies than he   
proceeded to effect an analysis of the  
earths2 but his results were indistinct3
 they could not1 like the alkalies1 be  
rendered conductors of electricity by   
fusion1 nor could they be acted upon in 
solution1 in consequence of the strong  
affinity possessed by their bases for   
oxygen4 ,the pursuit of the enquiry then
 demanded more refined and complicated  
processes1 than those which had         
succeeded with potash and soda4  ,the   
only methods which held out any fair    
prospect of success were those of       
operating by electricity upon the earths

 in some of their combinations1 or of   
converting them1 at the moment of their 
decomposition1 into metallic alloys1 so 
as to obtain presumptive evidence of    
their nature and properties4 ,such1 in  
fact1 was the line of enquiry in which  
,davy was deeply engaged1 when he       
received from ,professor ,berzelius of  
,stockholm a letter1 announcing the fact
 that he had1 in conjunction with ,dr4  
,pontin1 succeeded in decomposing baryta
 and lime1 by negatively electrising    
mercury in contact with them1 and that1 
by such means1 he had actually obtained 
amalgams of the earths in question4     
,our philosopher immediately repeated   
the experiments1 and with perfect       
success4 ,after which he completed a    
series of additional experiments1 which 
fully established the nature of these   
bodies1 and the analogies he had        
anticipated4 ,these results formed the  
subject of a memoir1 which was read     
before the ,royal ,society on the #cjth 
of ,june #ahjh1 and entitled1           

,electro-chemical ,researches on the    
,decomposition of the ,earths3 with     
,observations on the ,metals obtained   
from them1 and on the ,amalgam of       
,ammonia4  ,he commences this paper by  
enumerating the several trials he had   
made to effect the decomposition of     
these bodies2 such as1 ,first1 by       
electrifying them by iron wires under   
the surface of naphtha1 with a view to  
form alloys with iron and the metallic  
bases of the earths4 ,secondly1 by      
heating potassium in contact with the   
alkaline earths1 in the hope that this  
body might detach the oxygen from them1 
in the same manner as charcoal          
decomposes the common metallic oxides4  
,thirdly1 by submitting various mixtures
 of the earths and potash to ,voltaic   
action1 with the idea that the potash   
and the earths might be deoxidated at   
the same time1 and entering into        
combination1 form alloys4 ,fourthly1 by 
mixing together various earths with the 
oxides of tin1 iron1 lead1 silver1 and  

mercury3 a mode of manipulation         
suggested by the results of his previous
 experiments on potassium1 in which he  
found that when a mixture of potash and 
the oxides of mercury1 tin1 or lead1 was
 electrified in the ,voltaic circuit1   
the decomposition was very rapid1 and an
 amalgam1 or an alloy of potassium1 was 
obtained2 the attraction between the    
common metals and the potassium         
apparently accelerating the separation  
of the oxygen4  ,supposing that a       
similar kind of action might assist the 
decomposition of the alkaline earths1 he
 proceeded to institute a series of     
experiments upon that principle2 and the
 results were more satisfactory than    
those obtained by the preceding methods 
of experimenting--a compound was        
obtained which acted upon water with the
 evolution of hydrogen1 producing a     
solution of the earth1 and leaving free 
the tin1 or lead1 with which its base   
may be supposed to have been            
alloyed2--but in all such experiments   

the quantity of the metallic basis      
produced must have been very minute1 and
 its character very questionable4  ,in  
this stage of the enquiry1 ,davy        
received the letter from ,professor     
,berzelius of ,stockholm1 the contents  
of which he embodied in his memoir1     
accompanied with such observations as   
his own information suggested4  ,a      
globule of mercury1 electrified by the  
power of a battery consisting of five   
hundred pairs of double plates of six   
inches square1 weakly charged1 was made 
to act upon a surface of slightly       
moistened barytes1 fixed upon a plate of
 platina4 ,the mercury gradually became 
less fluid1 and after a few minutes was 
found covered with a white film of      
barytes2 and when the amalgam was thrown
 into water1 hydrogen was disengaged1   
the mercury remained free1 and a        
solution of barytes was formed4  ,the   
result with lime1 as these gentlemen had
 stated1 was precisely analogous4  ,that
 the same happy methods must succeed    

with strontites and magnesia1 it was not
 easy to doubt1 and ,i quickly tried the
 experiment4 ,from strontites ,i        
obtained a very rapid result2 but from  
magnesia1 in the first trials1 no       
amalgam could be procured4 ,by          
continuing the process1 however1 for a  
longer time1 and keeping the earth      
continually moist1 at last a combination
 of the bases with mercury was obtained1
 which slowly produced magnesia1 by     
absorption of oxygen from air1 or by the
 action of water4  ,all these amalgams  
,i found might be preserved for a       
considerable period under naphtha4 ,in a
 length of time1 however1 they became   
covered with a white crust under this   
fluid4 ,when exposed to air1 a very few 
minutes only were required for the      
oxygenation of the bases of the earths4 
,in the water the amalgam of barytes was
 most rapidly decomposed2 that of       
strontites1 and that of lime next in    
order3 but the amalgam from magnesia1 as
 might have been expected from the weak 

affinity of the earth for water1 very   
slowly changed3 when1 however1 a little 
sulphuric acid was added to the water1  
the evolution of hydrogen1 and the      
production and solution of magnesia1    
were exceedingly rapid1 and the mercury 
soon remained free4  ,in order1 if      
possible1 to procure the amalgams in    
quantities sufficient for distillation1 
he combined the methods he had employed 
in the first instance1 with those       
pursued by ,berzelius and ,pontin4 ,a   
mixture of the earth with red oxide of  
mercury was placed on a plate of        
platina1 a cavity was made in the upper 
part of it to receive a globule of      
mercury1 the whole was covered by a film
 of naphtha1 and the plate was made     
positive1 and the mercury negative1 by a
 proper communication with the battery  
of five hundred4  ,the amalgams thus    
procured were afterwards distilled in   
glass tubes filled with the vapour of   
naphtha2 by which operation the mercury 
rose pure from the amalgam1 and it was  

very easy to separate a part of it2 but 
the difficulty was to obtain a complete 
decomposition1 for to effect this1 a    
high temperature was required1 and at a 
red heat the bases of the earths        
instantly acted upon the glass1 and     
became oxidated4  ,in the best result   
which ,davy obtained in this manner1 the
 barytic basis appeared as a white metal
 of the colour of silver1 fixed at all  
common temperatures1 but fluid at a heat
 below redness1 and volatile at a heat  
above it4 ,unlike the alkaline bases1 it
 would seem to be considerably heavier  
than water4  ,in extending these        
experiments to alumine1 silex1 zircone1 
c4 after a most elaborate investigation1
 such results were not obtained as      
justified the conclusion that they were1
 like the other earths1 metallic oxides2
 although1 as far as they went1 they    
added to the probability of such        
analogy4  ,it will be remembered that1  
after the fixed alkalies had been found 
to contain oxygen1 ,davy was very       

naturally led to enquire whether ammonia
 might not also contain the same        
element1 or be an oxide with a binary   
base4 ,in the communication from        
,professor ,berzelius1 and ,dr4 ,pontin1
 already alluded to1 a most curious     
experiment is related on what they      
consider the deoxidation and            
amalgamation of the compound basis of   
ammonia2 and which they regard as       
supporting the idea which ,davy had     
formed of the presence of oxygen#hc in  
the volatile alkali4 ,a fact so         
startling as the production of a        
metallic body from ammonia1 or from its 
elements1 immediately excited in ,davy's
 mind the most ardent desire to pursue  
the enquiry2 and1 after repeating the   
original experiments of the ,swedish    
chemists with his accustomed sagacity1  
he modified his methods of manipulation1
 in order1 if possible1 to obtain this  
metallic body in its most simple form2  
but1 although he succeeded in producing 
the amalgam without ,voltaic aid1 by the

 intervention of potassium1 he could not
 so distill off the mercury as to leave 
the basis1 or imaginary ammonium1 free4 
#hc ,see page #bhe4  ,the history of    
these researches into the nature of the 
ammoniacal element concludes the lecture
 of which ,i have endeavoured to give an
 outline4 ,the subject of the amalgam is
 still involved in mystery3 if we       
suppose with ,davy1 that a substance1   
which forms so perfect an amalgam with  
mercury1 must of necessity be metallic  
in its own nature1 we cannot but        
conclude either that hydrogen and       
nitrogen are both metals in the ariform 
state1 at the usual temperatures of the 
atmosphere--bodies1 for example1 of the 
same character as zinc and quicksilver  
would be at the heat of ignition--or1   
that these gases are oxides in their    
common form1 but which become metallized
 by deoxidation--or1 that they are      
simple bodies1 not metallic in their own
 nature1 but capable of composing a     
metal in their deoxygenated1 and an     

alkali in their oxygenated1 state4      
,before we venture1 however1 to         
entertain any opinions so extravagant in
 their nature1 and so wholly unsupported
 by analogy1 it would be well to enquire
 how far the change1 which ammonia and  
mercury undergo by ,voltaic action1     
really merits the name of amalgamation4 
,several chemists of the present day are
 inclined to refer this change of form  
to a purely mechanical cause1 by which  
the particles of the metal become       
separated1 and converted1 as it were1   
into a kind of froth by the             
operation4#hd    #hd ,the late          
interesting experiments of ,mr4 ,daniell
 on the   action of ,mercury on         
different ,metals1 which have been      
recently   published in the first number
 of a new series of the ,journal   of   
the ,royal ,institution1 appear to throw
 much light upon this   subject4 ,by    
agitating a few grains of spongy        
platinum with   mercury in water        
acidified with acetic acid1 he obtained 

an   amalgam of the consistence of soft 
butter1 which retained its   consistence
 for many weeks1 and greatly resembled  
that formed by   the electrization of   
mercury in contact with ammonia4 ,when  
the   amalgam was laid upon filtering   
paper1 the moisture was gradually       
absorbed and evaporated1 and the mercury
 returned to a fluid   state4 ,by a more
 refined experiment1 ,mr4 ,daniell      
ascertained that   the process was      
accompanied by the evolution of hydrogen
 gas2   whence he very fairly concludes1
 that1 when minutely divided1   platinum
 is agitated with mercury1 and moisture 
is present1 an   electrical action takes
 place1 which1 when heightened by the   
addition of a diluted acid1 or the      
solution of a neutral salt1 is          
sufficiently energetic to decompose     
water and evolve hydrogen3   the oxygen 
at the same time combines with the      
mercury1 and a   solution is effected by
 the acetic acid1 which its unassisted  
affinity could not have produced4 ,it   

also appears1 continues   ,mr4 ,daniell1
 that this electrical action            
communicates an   adhesive attraction to
 the particles of the metal1 by which   
the particles of liquid and ariform     
bodies are entangled and   retained1 a  
kind of frothy compound formed1 and the 
fluidity   of the mercury destroyed4    
,the appearance of this amalgam is so   
very like that of the ammoniacal        
compound formed by exposing a   solution
 of ammonia in contact with mercury to  
the influence of   the ,voltaic pile1 or
 when an amalgam of potassium and       
mercury is   placed upon moistened      
muriate of ammonia1 that it is          
impossible   not to be struck with the  
resemblance4 ,mr4 ,daniell is therefore 
inclined to believe that the production 
of the latter may be   explained upon   
the same principles as that of the      
former4   ,when the effect is produced  
by the direct application of the        
electrical current1 by means of the     
battery1 it ceases the moment   the     

connexion between the poles is broken2  
and when brought about   by the agency  
of the amalgam of potassium1 the        
electrical action   is doubtless excited
 by the contact of the two dissimilar   
metals1   and the frothy compound lasts 
no longer than the existence of the     
potassium in the metallic state2 whereas
 in the action between   mercury and    
finely divided platinum1 the permanence 
of the metals   produces a much more    
lasting effect1 and the soft amalgam may
   therefore be preserved for a greater 
length of time4  ,mr4 ,brande1 in a late
 communication in the ,journal of the   
,royal ,institution1#he observes3       
,shortly after the discovery of a method
 of obtaining ,morphia in a pure state1 
,i remember that ,sir ,humphry ,davy    
suggested the possibility of its        
affording1 when electrised in contact   
with mercury1 results corresponding with
 those which ,berzelius had observed in 
respect to ammonia4 ,he thought that the
 nascent elements of the morphia1 as    

liberated by electrical decomposition1  
might1 under such circumstances1 effect 
a similar apparent amalgam of the       
mercury1 and he spoke of the subject as 
likely to throw some light upon the     
corresponding ammoniacal combinations4  
,he made1 ,i believe1 a few experiments 
upon the subject2 but as the results    
were not such as he had anticipated1    
they were not placed on record4    #he  
,on the ,electro-chemical ,decomposition
 of the   ,vegeto-,alkaline ,salts4 ,in 
this communication1 the ,professor      
gives an account of some experiments of 
his own1 with a view   to ascertain     
whether the vegetable alkalies1 if      
electrised in   contact with mercury1   
would impart any principle to the latter
   metal4 ,in experiments with morphia  
and cinchonia1 in which the   mercury in
 contact with the vegetable base was    
rendered negative1   not the least      
change in the fluidity of the metal     
could be   perceived4 ,when1 however1 a 
similar experiment was made with        

quina1 the metal became filmy1 and      
acquired even a tendency to a           
butyraceous appearance1 but the         
phenomenon was found to depend   upon   
the presence of a minute portion of     
lime4  ,in the progress of our ascent1  
it is refreshing to pause occasionally1 
and to cast a glance at the horizon1    
which widens at every increase of our   
elevation4 ,by the decomposition of the 
alkalies and earths1 what an immense    
stride has been made in the             
investigation of nature6--,in sciences  
kindred to chemistry1 the knowledge of  
the composition of these bodies1 and the
 analogies arising from it1 have opened 
new views1 and led to the solution of   
many problems4 ,in ,geology1 for        
instance1 has it not shown that agents  
may have operated in the formation of   
rocks and earths1 which had not         
previously been known to exist8 ,it is  
evident that the metals of the earths   
cannot remain at the surface of our     
globe2 but it is probable that they may 

constitute a part of its interior2 and  
such an assumption would at once offer a
 plausible theory in explanation of the 
phenomena of volcanoes1 the formation of
 lavas1 and the excitement and effects  
of subterranean heat1 and might even    
lead to a general theory in ,geology4   
,the reader1 for the present1 must be   
satisfied with these cursory hints3 ,i  
shall hereafter show that our           
illustrious philosopher followed them up
 by numerous observations and original  
experiments in a volcanic country4  ,i  
remember with delight the beautiful     
illustration of his theory1 as exhibited
 in an artificial volcano constructed in
 the theatre of the ,royal              
,institution4--,a mountain had been     
modelled in clay1 and a quantity of the 
metallic bases introduced into its      
interior3 on water being poured upon it1
 the metals were soon thrown into       
violent action--successive explosions   
followed--red-hot lava was seen flowing 
down its sides1 from a crater in        

miniature--mimic lightnings played      
around3 and in the instant of dramatic  
illusion1 the tumultuous applause and   
continued cheering of the audience might
 almost have been regarded as the shouts
 of the alarmed fugitives of            
,herculaneum or ,pompeii4     ,,chapter 
,,viii4     ,davy's ,bakerian ,lecture  
of #ahjh4--,results obtained from    the
 mutual action of ,potassium and        
,ammonia upon each    other4--,his      
belief that he had decomposed           
,nitrogen4--,he    discovers            
,telluretted ,hydrogen4--,whether       
,sulphur1 ,phosphorus1    and ,carbon1  
may not contain ,hydrogen4--,he         
decomposes    ,boracic                  
acid4--,boron4--,his fallacies with     
regard to the    composition of         
,muriatic acid4--,a splendid ,voltaic   
,battery    is constructed at the       
,institution by subscription4--,davy    
ascertains the true nature of the       
,muriatic and ,oxymuriatic              
,acids4--,important chemical analogies  

to which the discovery    gave          
origin4--,euchlorine4--,chlorides4--,he 
delivers ,lectures    before the ,dublin
 ,society4--,he receives the ,honorary  
,degree    of ,,ll4,d4 from the ,provost
 and ,fellows of ,trinity ,college4--,he
    undertakes to ventilate the ,house  
of ,lords4--,the ,regent confers    upon
 him the honour of ,knighthood4--,he    
delivers his farewell                   
,lecture4--,engages in a ,gunpowder     
manufactory4--,his marriage4   ,the     
third ,bakerian ,lecture1 which ,davy   
read before the ,royal ,society in      
,december #ahjh1 is entitled ,an        
,account of some new analytical         
,researches on the ,nature of certain   
,bodies1 particularly the ,alkalies1    
,phosphorus1 ,sulphur1 ,carbonaceous    
matter1 and the ,acids hitherto         
undecompounded2 with some general       
,observations on ,chemical ,theory4     
,the object of this lecture was to      
communicate the results of numerous     
experiments which had been instituted   

for the purpose of still farther        
extending our knowledge of the elements 
of matter1 by the new powers and methods
 arising from the application of        
electricity to chemical analysis4       
,important as were the facts thus       
obtained1 they disappointed the         
expectation of those who did not        
consider1 that the more nearly we       
approach ultimate analysis1#hf the      
greater must be the difficulties1 the   
more numerous the fallacies1 and the    
less perfect the results1 of our        
processes4 ,in fact1 his former         
discoveries had spoilt us3 their        
splendour had left our organs of        
perception incapable of receiving just  
impressions from any minor lights1 and  
we participated with exaggerated        
feelings1 in the disappointment which he
 himself expressed at several of his    
results4 ,the confidence inspired by his
 former triumphs may be compared to that
 which is felt by an army1 when         
commanded by a victorious ,general1--a  

conviction that1 however difficult may  
be the enterprise1 it must be           
accomplished by the genius of him who   
undertakes it4 ,the moment we discovered
 that ,davy was laying siege to one of  
,nature's strongest holds1--that he was 
attempting to resolve nitrogen into     
other elementary forms1--we regarded the
 deed as already accomplished1 and the  
repulse which followed most unreasonably
 produced a feeling of dissatisfaction4 
,upon such occasions1 the severity of   
our disappointment will always be in    
proportion to the importance of the     
object we desire to accomplish2 and it  
is impossible not to feel that the      
discovery of the true nature of nitrogen
 would lead to new views in chemistry1  
the extent of which it is not easy even 
to imagine4    #hf ,the difficulty of   
seizing upon elementary forms1 as well  
as the infinity of combinations of which
 they are susceptible1   are supposed by
 ,mr4 ,sankey to be allegorized in the  
fable of   ,proteus1 ,greek3 ,prteios1  

being derived from ,greek3 prtos1       
signifying the first element4 ,it is not
 a little singular that   ,mr4 ,leslie1 
to whom such a speculation was wholly   
unknown1 should   have recognised in the
 same fable a picture of the cautious   
but intrepid advances of the skilful    
experimenter3 he tries   to press       
,nature into a corner1--he endeavours to
 separate the   different principles of 
action1--he seeks to concentrate the    
predominant agent1 and labours to       
exclude as much as possible   every     
disturbing influence4 ,notwithstanding  
the confidence   with which modern      
philosophers have claimed the discovery1
 the   experimental mode of             
investigation was undoubtedly known and 
pursued by the ancients1 who appear1    
observes ,mr4 ,leslie1 to have          
concealed their notions respecting it   
under the veil of allegory4   ,proteus  
signified the mutable and changing forms
 of material   objects2 and the         
inquisitive philosopher was counselled  

by the   ,poets to watch their slippery 
demon1 when slumbering on the shore   to
 bind him1 and to compel the reluctant  
captive to reveal his                   
secrets4--,elements of ,natural         
,philosophy4  ,the principal objects of 
research which this paper embraces      
are1--the elementary matter of ammonia2 
the nature of phosphorus1 sulphur1      
charcoal1 and the diamond2 and the      
constituents of the boracic1 fluoric1   
and muriatic acids4 ,enquiries which are
 continued and extended in two          
successive papers1 viz4 in one read     
before the ,society in ,february #ahji1 
entitled ,new ,analytical ,researches on
 the ,nature of certain ,bodies2 being  
an ,appendix to his ,bakerian ,lecture  
of #ahjh2 and in his fourth ,bakerian   
,lecture of #ahji1 ,on some new         
,electro-chemical ,researches on various
 ,objects1 particularly the ,metallic   
bodies from the ,alkalies and ,earths2  
and on some ,combinations of ,hydrogen4 
,with regard to these admirable         

papers1--for such they must undoubtedly 
be considered1--the biographer must     
confine his observations to their       
general character and results4 ,they are
 far too refined to admit of a brief    
analysis1 and too elaborate to allow a  
successful abridgement4 ,a just idea of 
their merit can alone be derived from a 
direct reference to the ,philosophical  
,transactions4  ,the enquiry commences  
with experiments on the results produced
 by the mutual action of potassium and  
ammonia on each other4 ,his object was  
twofold3 to refute the hypothesis which 
assumed hydrogen as an element of       
potassium1 and to ascertain the nature  
of the matter existing in the amalgam of
 ammonia1 or the supposed metallic basis
 of the volatile alkali3 a question     
intimately connected with the whole of  
the arrangements of chemistry4 ,as to   
the former point1 it is unnecessary to  
enter into farther discussion2 and with 
regard to the latter1 it is quite       
impossible to convey an adequate idea of

 the extent of the enquiry3 there does  
not exist in the annals of chemistry a  
more striking example of experimental   
industry4  ,in the course of his        
experiments on potassium and ammonia1 he
 obtained an olive-coloured body1 which 
he was inclined to regard as a compound 
of the metallic base of ammonia         
7ammonium7 and potassium2 and on        
submitting which to various trials1 he  
uniformly obtained1 as the product of   
its decomposition1 a proportion of      
nitrogen considerably less than that    
which1 upon calculations founded on a   
rigid analysis of the volatile alkali1  
ought to have been afforded under such  
circumstances1 while the potassium      
employed at the same time became        
oxidated4 ,this result inspired a hope  
that nitrogen might have been actually  
decomposed during the process1 and that 
its elements were oxygen and a metallic 
basis1 or oxygen and hydrogen4  ,that he
 was sanguine in that hope1 appears from
 the whole tenor of his paper2 in       

farther proof of which1 ,i can adduce a 
letter which he addressed to ,mr4       
,children during the progress of his    
experiments1 in which he says1 ,i hope  
on ,thursday to show you nitrogen as a  
complete wreck1 torn to pieces in       
different ways4 ,his subsequent         
enquiries1 however1 although they did   
not strengthen the suspicion he had     
formed respecting the decomposition of  
that body1 yet indirectly developed     
facts of considerable importance2 which1
 with his characteristic quickness of   
perception1 he made subservient to fresh
 investigation4  ,his researches into   
the phenomena exhibited by tellurium1   
when forming a part of the ,voltaic     
circuit1 are highly interesting4 ,it had
 been stated by ,ritter1 that1 of all   
the metallic substances he tried for    
producing potassium by negative         
electricity1 tellurium was the only one 
by which he could not procure it2 and he
 uses this fact in support of his       
opinion1 that potassium is a hydruret4  

,he says1 that when a circuit of        
electricity is completed in water by    
means of two surfaces of tellurium1     
oxygen is given off at the positive     
surface1 and instead of hydrogen at the 
negative surface1 a brown powder is     
formed and separated1 which he regards  
as a hydruret of tellurium2 and he      
conceives that the reason why that metal
 prevents the metallization of potash   
is1 that it has a stronger attraction   
for hydrogen than that possessed by the 
alkali4  ,davy's attention was naturally
 arrested by such a statement1 and1 in  
pursuing the enquiry1 he discovered a   
series of new facts3--he found that     
tellurium and hydrogen were capable of  
combining1 and of forming a gas1 to     
which he gave the name of telluretted   
hydrogen1--that1 so far from tellurium  
preventing the decomposition of potash1 
it formed an alloy with potassium when  
negatively electrified upon the         
alkali--and1 such was the intense       
affinity of potassium and tellurium for 

each other1 that the decomposition of   
potash might be effected by acting on   
the oxide of the latter metal and the   
alkali1 at the same time1 by heated     
charcoal4  ,with respect to the next    
subject of enquiry in these papers1 viz4
 whether sulphur1 phosphorus1 and       
carbon1 in their ordinary forms1 may not
 contain hydrogen1 it would appear that 
from an experiment performed by ,mr4    
,clayfield1 and which ,davy witnessed at
 ,bristol in the year #agii1 he was very
 early led to suspect the existence of  
hydrogen in sulphur2 but it was not     
until #ahjg1 that he entered upon the   
investigation of the subject4 ,from the 
general tenor of his experiments he     
concluded that1 in its common state1 it 
may be regarded as a compound1 of small 
quantities of oxygen and hydrogen1 with 
a large quantity of a basis which1 on   
account of its strong attractions for   
other bodies1 has not hitherto been     
obtained in its pure form4 ,the same    
analogies apply to phosphorus and       

carbon4 ,his conclusion was mainly      
derived from the fact1 that hydrogen is 
produced from sulphur and phosphorus in 
such quantities by ,voltaic electricity1
 that he thinks it cannot well be       
considered as an accidental ingredient  
in them3 the presence of oxygen1 he     
contends1 may be inferred from the      
circumstance that1 when potassium is    
made to act upon these bodies1 the      
sulphurets and phosphurets so formed    
evolve by the action of an acid less    
hydrogen1 in the form of compound       
inflammable gas1 than the same quantity 
of potassium in an uncombined state4    
,the question1 however1 still remains in
 considerable doubt2 and in his         
,elements of ,chemical ,philosophy1     
published four years afterwards1 he     
admits that no accurate conclusions have
 been formed on the subject4  ,in his   
second ,bakerian ,lecture of #ahjg1     
,davy had given an account of an        
experiment in which boracic acid        
appeared to be decomposed by ,voltaic   

electricity1 a dark-coloured inflammable
 substance separating from it on the    
negative surface4 ,in the memoir now    
under consideration1 he procured the    
basis by heating together boracic acid  
and potassium1 when he ascertained it to
 be a peculiar inflammable matter1      
which1 after various experiments upon   
its nature1 he was inclined to regard as
 metallic2 on which account he proposed 
for it the name of ,boracium4 ,at about 
the same period1 ,,mm4 ,gay ,lussac and 
,thnard were engaged in investigating   
the same subject in ,france1 and they   
anticipated him in some of the results4 
,when ,davy1 by subsequent experiments1 
had ascertained that the base of the    
boracic acid is more analogous to carbon
 than to any other substance1 he adopted
 the term ,boron1 as less exceptionable 
than that of ,boracium4  ,at this time1 
he also entered upon the investigation  
of fluoric acid1 the results of which   
must be reserved for future             
consideration4  ,his experiments and    

reasonings upon muriatic acid1 at this  
period of his career1 must be now       
considered as deriving their greatest   
degree of interest from their fallacy2  
and they deserve an examination in this 
work1 if it be only to estimate the     
vigour he subsequently displayed in     
disentangling himself from a web of his 
own fabrication4 ,the most satisfactory 
proof of intellectual strength is to be 
found in the existence of a power which 
enables the mind to conquer its         
prejudices and to correct its own       
errors4 ,how many remarkable instances  
does the history of science present1 in 
which the philosopher has treated his   
facts as ,procrustes did his victims1 in
 order that they might accord with the  
measure most convenient for his purpose6
  ,prejudiced by the general opinion    
respecting the hitherto undecompounded  
nature of muriatic acid1 he had long    
sought to discover its radical by the   
agency of ,voltaic electricity2 but he  
uniformly found that when its aqueous   

solution was thus acted upon1 the water 
alone underwent decomposition2 while the
 electrization of the gas afforded no   
other indication of its nature than the 
presence of a much greater quantity of  
water than theory had assigned to it4   
,he proceeded1 therefore1 to examine the
 acid by other modes of enquiry3 he     
found1 by the action of potassium upon  
the gas1 that a large volume of hydrogen
 was evolved1 which1 in conjunction with
 other experiments1 satisfied him that  
this body1 in its common ariform state1 
contained at least one-third of its     
weight of water2 and he adopted various 
expedients with the hopes of obtaining  
the acid free from it4 ,without pursuing
 him through this research1 ,i shall    
merely state the conclusions at which he
 arrived1 viz4 that dry muriatic acid1  
could it be obtained1 would probably be 
found to possess the strongest and most 
extensive powers of combination of all  
known substances belonging to the class 
of acids2 and that its basis1 should it 

ever be separated in a pure form1 will  
be one of the most powerful agents in   
,chemistry4 ,from the fact of water     
appearing in a separate state1 and      
oxymuriatic acid being formed whenever a
 metallic oxide was heated in muriatic  
acid gas1 he was led to consider the    
muriatic acid as a compound of a certain
 base1 7not hitherto obtained in a      
separate state17 and not less than      
one-third part of water2 while he       
regarded oxymuriatic acid as a compound 
of the same base 7free from water7 with 
oxygen4  ,after the numerous experiments
 in which the original battery of the   
,institution had been used1 so greatly  
were its metallic plates corroded1 that 
it was found to be no longer            
serviceable2 in consequence of which1 as
 it would appear from a minute1 dated   
,july #aa1 #ahjh1 ,mr4 ,davy laid before
 the ,managers of the ,royal            
,institution the following paper1 viz4  
,a new path of discovery having been    
opened in the agencies of the electrical

 battery of ,volta1 which promises to   
lead to the greatest improvements in    
,chemistry and ,natural ,philosophy1 and
 the useful arts connected with them2   
and since the increase of the size of   
the apparatus is absolutely necessary   
for pursuing it to its full extent1 it  
is proposed to raise a fund by          
subscription1 for constructing a        
powerful battery1 worthy of a national  
establishment1 and capable of promoting 
the great objects of science4  ,already1
 in other countries1 public and ample   
means have been provided for pursuing   
these investigations4 ,they have had    
their origin in this country2 and it    
would be dishonourable to a nation so   
great1 so powerful1 and so rich1 if1    
from the want of pecuniary resources1   
they should be completed abroad4  ,an   
appeal to enlightened individuals on    
this subject can scarcely be made in    
vain4 ,it is proposed that the          
instrument and apparatus be erected in  
the ,laboratory of the ,royal           

,institution1 where it shall be employed
 in the advancement of this new         
department of science4  ,the ,minute    
goes on then to state that--  ,the above
 paper having been laid before the      
,board of ,managers1 they felt it their 
indispensable duty instantly to         
communicate the same to every member of 
the ,royal ,institution1 lest the       
slightest delay might furnish an        
opportunity to other countries for      
accomplishing this great work1 which    
originated in the brilliant discoveries 
recently made at the ,royal             
,institution4  ,the ,managers present   
agree to subscribe to this undertaking4 
,,ordered1 that a book be opened at the 
,steward's office for the purpose of    
entering the names of all those members 
who may wish to contribute towards this 
important ,national object4  ,to the    
great gratification of ,davy1 and to the
 honour of the country1 the list of     
subscribers was soon completed1 and one 
of the most magnificent batteries ever  

constructed was speedily in full        
operation4  ,it is thus alluded to in   
his ,elements of ,chemical              
,philosophy3--,the most powerful        
combination that exists1 in which number
 of alternations is combined with extent
 of surface1 is that constructed by the 
subscriptions of a few zealous          
cultivators and patrons of science1 in  
the ,laboratory of the ,royal           
,institution4 ,it consists of two       
hundred instruments connected together  
in regular order1 each composed of ten  
double plates arranged in cells of      
porcelain1 and containing in each plate 
thirty-two square inches2 so that the   
whole number of double plates is two    
thousand1 and the whole surface one     
hundred and twenty-eight thousand square
 inches4  ,this battery1 when the cells 
were filled with sixty parts of water   
mixed with one part of nitric acid1     
afforded a series of brilliant and      
impressive effects4 ,when pieces of     
charcoal1 about an inch long1 and       

one-sixth of an inch in diameter1 were  
brought near each other1 7within the    
thirtieth or fortieth parts of an inch17
 a bright spark was produced1 and more  
than half the volume of the charcoal    
became ignited to whiteness1 and by     
withdrawing the points from each other a
 constant discharge took place through  
the heated air1 in a space equal at     
least to four inches1 producing a most  
brilliant ascending arch of light1 broad
 and conical in form in the middle4     
,when any substance was introduced into 
this arch1 it instantly became ignited2 
platina melted as readily in it as wax  
in the flame of a common candle2 quartz1
 the sapphire1 magnesia1 lime1 all      
entered into fusion2 fragments of       
diamond1 and points of charcoal and     
plumbago rapidly disappeared1 and seemed
 to evaporate in it1 even when the      
connexion was made in a receiver        
exhausted by the air-pump2 but there was
 no evidence of their having previously 
undergone fusion4  ,all the phenomena of

 chemical decomposition were produced   
with intense rapidity by this           
combination4 ,when the points of        
charcoal were brought near each other in
 non-conducting fluids1 such as oils1   
ether1 and oxymuriatic compounds1       
brilliant sparks occurred1 and elastic  
matter was rapidly generated4  ,among   
the numerous experiments performed by   
the aid of this battery1 he instituted  
several1 in the hope of decomposing     
nitrogen2 and which are recorded in his 
,bakerian ,lecture of #ahji4 ,he ignited
 potassium1 by intense ,voltaic         
electricity1 in this gas2 and the result
 was1 that hydrogen appeared1 and some  
nitrogen was found deficient4 ,this1 on 
first view1 led him to the suspicion    
that he had attained his object2 but1 in
 subsequent experiments1 in proportion  
as the potassium was more free from a   
coating of potash1 which necessarily    
introduced water1 so in proportion was  
less hydrogen evolved1 and less nitrogen
 found deficient4 ,the general tenor of 

these enquiries1 therefore1 did not     
strengthen the opinion he had formed    
with respect to the compound nature of  
nitrogen4  ,it appears from the         
following letter1 that ,davy visited his
 friend ,mr4 ,andrew ,knight at         
,downton1 in ,september #ahji4 ,it is   
introduced in these memoirs principally 
for the purpose of showing with what    
boldness he was accustomed to depart    
from generally received opinions1 and to
 project new theories for the           
explanation of the most abstruse        
subjects4       ,,to ,,john ,,george    
,,children1 ,,esq4      ,september #bc1 
#ahji4      ,,my ,,dear ,,friend1       
,i am about to visit ,downton1 and shall
 return by the first of     ,october4 ,i
 have neither seen nor heard from ,lord 
,darnley1 and ,i     conjecture he has  
not yet returned from ,scotland4      ,i
 wish you great sport in                
pheasant-shooting1 but ,i trust you have
     had still nobler game in your      
,laboratory4      ,i doubt not you have 

found before this1 as ,i have done1 that
 the     substance we mistook for       
sulphuretted hydrogen is telluretted    
hydrogen1 very soluble in water1        
combinable with alkalies and     earths1
 and a substance affording another proof
 that hydrogen is     an oxide4 ,i have 
met with another analogous compound1    
that of     boracium with hydrogen1     
which possesses very similar properties4
      ,i find that taking ammonium as   
the basis of hydrogen1 according     to 
the ideas which ,i stated1 all the      
compounds will agree with the           
suppositions that ,i mentioned to you1  
viz4 eight cubic inches     of hydrogen1
 two of oxygen1 ammonia2 four and two1  
water2 four     and four1 nitrogen2 four
 and six1 nitrous oxide2 four and eight1
     nitrous gas2 four and ten1 nitric  
acid4 ,where the multiples are not      
in geometrical order1 the decomposition 
is most easy1 i4e4 in     nitrous oxide 
and nitric acid2 more easy in water than
 in ammonia2     but most difficult in  

nitrogen1 where there is probably the   
most     perfect equilibrium of         
affinities4      ,i have kept charcoal  
white hot by the ,voltaic apparatus1 in 
dry oxymuriatic acid gas for an hour1   
without effecting its     decomposition4
 ,this agrees with what ,i had before   
observed with a     red heat4 ,it is as 
difficult to decompose as nitrogen1     
except when     all its elements can be 
made to enter into new combinations4    
,i find the radiation1 in vacuo1 from   
ignited platina1 is to that     in air  
as three to one3--so much for ,leslie's 
hypothesis4      ,a little electrical   
machine acts with a repulsion as two1 in
 a     vacuum equal to five inches of   
mercury2 as thirty1 in common air2      
as thirty1 in oxygen2 as twenty-nine or 
thirty1 in hydrogen2     and as         
forty-five1 in carbonic acid4 ,i showed 
this experiment1     made with every    
precaution1 to ,mr4 ,cavendish1 ,dr4    
,herschell1 ,dr4     ,wollaston1 and    
,warburton3 so much for the theory1 that

 electricity     is dependent upon      
oxidation4 ,i do not think our worthy   
friend ,pepys     will resist any       
longer4      ,pray let me know what you 
have been doing4 ,i hope you will not   
suffer these beautiful and satisfactory 
experiments of the     capacities of    
metals to remain still4 ,write me a     
letter as     egotistical as the one ,i 
have given you4 ,you are pledged to do  
good     and noble things1 and you must 
not disappoint the men of science of    
this country4      ,with kindest        
remembrances to your excellent father1  
and with hopes     that we shall soon   
meet1 ,i am1 my dear friend1      ,very 
faithfully and affectionately yours1    
,h4 ,,davy4   ,the genius displayed by  
,mr4 ,knight in investigating the       
phenomena of vegetable nature1 and in   
applying the knowledge thus acquired to 
objects of practical improvement1       
excited in ,davy1 as might have been    
expected1 feelings of the highest       
admiration2 and when1 in addition to    

such claims1 he was the acknowledged    
patron and hospitable friend of the     
angler1 the reader will readily imagine 
the warmth of feeling with which our    
philosopher cherished his friendship4   
,on commencing the present work1 ,i     
applied to ,mr4 ,knight for any         
assistance he might be able to afford   
me1 in aid of so arduous a labour2 and  
he very kindly returned an answer1 from 
which ,i extract the following passage4 
,my late lamented friend1 ,sir ,humphry 
,davy1 usually paid me a visit in the   
autumn1 when he chiefly amused himself  
with angling for grayling1 a fish which 
he appeared to take great pleasure in   
catching4 ,he seemed to enjoy the repose
 and comparative solitude of this place1
 where he met but few persons1 except   
those of my own family1 for we usually  
saw but little company4 ,he always      
assured me that he passed his visits    
agreeably1 and ,i had reason to believe 
he expressed his real feelings4  ,in the
 familiar conversations of these        

friendly visits1 he always appeared to  
me to be a much more extraordinary being
 than even his writings1 and vast       
discoveries1 would have led me to       
suppose him2 and1 in the extent of      
intellectual powers1 ,i shall ever think
 that he lived and died without an      
equal4  ,the reader has already been    
made acquainted with those experiments  
which led ,davy to modify the prevailing
 opinions1 with regard to the           
constitution of the muriatic and        
oxymuriatic acids2 and on the false     
assumption that oxygen existed in the   
latter gas1 to refer the deposition of  
water which takes place upon heating a  
metallic oxide in the former1 to the    
supposition that muriatic acid contains 
a large proportion of water as essential
 to its composition4 ,upon observing1   
however1 that charcoal1 if freed from   
hydrogen and moisture1 even when ignited
 to whiteness in oxymuriatic1 or        
muriatic acid gas1 by the ,voltaic      
battery1 did not effect the least change

 in them1 he was led to suspect the     
accuracy of his previous conclusion2 and
 on retracing his steps1 and entering   
upon a new path of enquiry1 he          
ultimately succeeded1 after one of the  
most acute controversies that ever      
sprang from a chemical question1 in     
recalling philosophers to the original  
theory of ,scheele1 by establishing the 
important truth1 that oxymuriatic acid  
is1 in the true logic of chemistry1 a   
simple body1 which becomes muriatic acid
 by its union with hydrogen4  ,the new  
views arising out of such a revolution  
in chemical opinion are certainly not   
the least important of those to which   
the discoveries of ,davy have given     
birth4 ,dr4 ,johnson has remarked1 that 
one of the most hazardous attempts of   
criticism is to choose the best amongst 
many good4 ,i am much mistaken1 however1
 if the chemists of ,europe will not1   
without hesitation1 pronounce his       
researches into the nature of           
oxymuriatic acid1 and its relations1    

with the exception of those by which he 
established the chemical laws of        
,voltaic action1 to be by far the most  
important of all his labours2 not only  
as evincing the ascendancy of his       
genius1 and the steadiness of his       
perseverance1 but as marking a new and  
splendid era in chemical science4  ,it  
is much more difficult to eradicate an  
ancient error than to establish a new   
truth2 and on this occasion1 he had not 
only to contend against the pampered    
errors of a domineering system1 but     
against the equivocal and illusive      
evidence1 or1 if ,i may be allowed the  
expression1 the apparent neutrality of  
facts by which the truth of his theory  
was to be judged4 ,in consequence of the
 constant and often unsuspected         
interference of water1 there is scarcely
 a result connected with the chemical   
history of the bodies in dispute1 that  
did not admit of being equally well     
explained upon the hypothesis that      
oxymuriatic acid is a compound1 as upon 

that of its being a simple or           
undecompounded substance4 ,the question 
could never have been determined but by 
an investigation of the most refined and
 subtile nature2 so delicately was the  
evidence balanced1 that nothing but the 
keenest eye1 and the steadiest hand1    
could have determined the side on which 
the beam preponderated4  ,the           
illustrious discoverer of oxymuriatic   
acid considered that body as muriatic   
acid freed from hydrogen1 or1 in the    
obscure language of the ,stahlian       
school1 as muriatic acid deprived of    
phlogiston1 whence he assigned to it the
 name of dephlogisticated muriatic acid4
 ,upon the establishment of the         
antiphlogistic theory by ,lavoisier1 it 
became essential to the generalization  
which distinguished it1 that a body     
performing the functions of an acid1 and
 above all1 supporting the process of   
combustion1 should be regarded as       
containing oxygen in its composition2   
and facts were not wanting to sanction  

such an inference4 ,the substance could 
not even be produced from muriatic acid1
 without the action of some body known  
to contain oxygen2 while the fact of    
such a body becoming deoxidated by the  
process1 seemed to demonstrate1 beyond  
the possibility of error1 that the      
conversion of the muriatic into the     
oxymuriatic acid1 was nothing more than 
a simple transference of oxygen from the
 oxide to the acid3 an opinion which was
 universally adopted1 and which for     
nearly thirty years triumphed without   
opposition4  ,the body of evidence by   
which ,davy overthrew this doctrine1 and
 established the undecompounded nature  
of oxymuriatic acid1 is to be found in a
 succession of papers read before the   
,royal ,society1 viz4 in that already   
announced1--in his ,bakerian ,lecture   
for #ahaj1--;and in a subsequent memoir 
read in ,february #ahaa4  ,it will be   
impossible for me to follow the author  
through all the intricacies of the      
enquiry2 but ,i shall seize upon some of

 its more prominent points1 and give a  
general outline of its bearings4  ,no   
sooner had his suspicions been excited  
with regard to the compound nature of   
oxymuriatic acid1 than it occurred to   
him that1 if oxygen were really present 
in that body1 he might readily obtain it
 from some of its compounds2 that1 for  
instance1 its combination with tin would
 yield an oxide of that metal by        
ammonia2 while those with phosphorus    
would furnish1 on analysis1 either the  
phosphorous1 or phosphoric acid4 ,but   
after experiments in which the presence 
of water was most cautiously excluded1  
the results he had anticipated were not 
obtained4 ,in the place of an oxide of  
tin1 the product1 on the application of 
heat1 volatilized in dense and pungent  
fumes2 and1 instead of obtaining an acid
 of phosphorus1 a body possessing new   
and unexpected properties resulted4     
,again1--it had been stated1 in         
confirmation of the theory that         
recognised the presence of oxygen in    

oxymuriatic acid1 that when this latter 
body and ammonia were made to act upon  
each other1 water was formed3 our       
chemist frequently repeated the         
experiment1 and convinced himself that  
such was not the fact4  ,it had been    
shown by ,mr4 ,cruickshank1 and more    
recently proved by ,,mm4 ,gay ,lussac   
and ,thnard1 that oxymuriatic acid and  
hydrogen1 when mixed in nearly equal    
proportions1 produce a matter almost    
entirely condensable by water1 which is 
common muriatic acid2 and that water is 
not deposited in the operation4 ,davy   
made many experiments on the subject1   
and he found1 that when these gases were
 mingled together in equal volumes over 
water1 introduced into an exhausted     
vessel1 and fired by the electric spark1
 muriatic acid resulted1 although1 at   
the same time1 there was a certain      
degree of condensation1 and a slight    
deposition of vapour2 but on repeating  
the experiment in a manner still more   
refined1 and by carefully drying the    

gases1 such condensation became         
proportionally less4  ,when1 in addition
 to the above experimental evidence1 it 
is stated that ,,mm4 ,gay ,lussac and   
,thnard had proved1 by a copious        
collection of instances1 that in the    
usual cases where oxygen is eliminated  
from oxymuriatic acid1 water is always  
present1 and muriatic acid gas is       
formed2 and as it has been moreover     
shown that oxymuriatic is converted into
 muriatic acid gas by combining with    
hydrogen1 it is scarcely possible to    
avoid the conclusion1 that the oxygen is
 derived from the decomposition of      
water1 and not from that of the acid4   
,when mercury is made to act1 by means  
of ,voltaic electricity1 upon one volume
 of muriatic acid gas1 all the acid     
disappears1 calomel is formed1 and half 
a volume of hydrogen is evolved4  ,by   
such experiments and arguments1 ,davy   
was led to the conclusion that1 as yet1 
oxymuriatic acid has not been           
decompounded2 that it is a peculiar     

body1 elementary as far as our knowledge
 extends1 and analogous1 in its tendency
 of combination with inflammable matter1
 to oxygen gas2 that1 in fact1 it may be
 a peculiar acidifying and dissolving   
principle1 forming with different       
substances compounds analogous to acids 
containing oxygen1 or to oxides1 in     
their properties and powers of          
combination1 but differing from them in 
being1 for the most part1 decomposable  
by water4 ,on this idea1 he thinks that 
muriatic acid may be considered as      
having hydrogen for its base1 and       
oxymuriatic acid for its acidifying     
principle4 ,in confirmation of such an  
opinion1 it is also important to remark1
 that in its electrical relations1      
oxymuriatic acid maintains its analogy  
to oxygen4  ,the vivid combustion of    
bodies in oxymuriatic acid gas1 ,davy   
acknowledges1 may1 at first view1 appear
 a reason why oxygen should be admitted 
as one of its elements2 but he answers  
this argument by stating1 that heat and 

light are merely results of the intense 
agency of combination2 and that sulphur 
and metals1 alkaline earths and acids1  
become alike ignited under such         
circumstances4  ,as change of theory    
with regard to the primitive must       
necessarily modify all our views with   
respect to the nature of secondary      
bodies1 so must this new view of        
oxymuriatic acid affect all our opinions
 respecting its compounds4 ,davy        
accordingly proceeded1 in the first     
place1 to investigate the various bodies
 which had been distinguished by the    
name of hyper-oxymuriates1 muriates1 c4 
,it also became necessary to alter the  
nomenclature1 since to call a body which
 neither contains oxygen nor muriatic   
acid1 by a term which denotes the       
presence of both1 is contrary to those  
very principles which first suggested   
it4 ,having consulted some of the most  
eminent philosophers1 ,davy proposed a  
name founded upon one of the most       
obvious and characteristic properties of

 the oxymuriatic acid1 namely1 its      
colour1 and called it ,,chlorine4  ,if  
then oxymuriatic acid1 or chlorine1 does
 not contain any oxygen1 a question     
immediately arises as to the true nature
 of those compounds in which the        
muriatic acid has been supposed to exist
 in combination with a much larger      
proportion of oxygen than in the        
oxymuriatic acid1--in the state in which
 it has been named by ,mr4 ,chenevix    
hyper-oxygenized muriatic acid4  ,in his
 ,bakerian ,lecture of #ahaj1 entitled1 
,on some of the ,combinations of        
,oxymuriatic ,gas and ,oxygen1 and on   
the ,chemical ,relations of these       
,principles1 he details a number of     
experiments for the illustration of this
 subject1 and arrives at the conclusion1
 that the oxygen in the hyper-oxymuriate
 of potash is in triple combination with
 the metal and chlorine4 ,he likewise   
confirms his views1 with regard to the  
elementary nature of this latter body1  
by a series of new enquiries1 and shows 

that they are not incompatible with     
known phenomena3--for instance1 ,scheele
 explained the bleaching powers of      
oxymuriatic gas1 by supposing that it   
destroyed colours by combining with     
,phlogiston4 ,berthollet#hg considered  
it as acting by imparting oxygen2 ,davy 
now proves that the pure gas is wholly  
incapable of altering vegetable colours1
 and that its operation in bleaching    
entirely depends upon its property of   
decomposing water1 and of thus          
liberating its oxygen4#hh ,the          
experiment by which he demonstrated this
 fact is so simple and satisfactory1    
that ,i shall here relate it4 ,having   
filled a glass globe1 containing dry    
powdered muriate of lime1 with          
oxymuriatic gas1 he introduced into     
another globe1 also containing muriate  
of lime1 some dry paper tinged with     
litmus1 that had been just heated2 by   
which device the intrusion of moisture  
was effectually prevented4 ,after some  
time1 this latter globe was exhausted1  

and then connected with that containing 
the oxymuriatic gas1 and by an          
appropriate set of stop-cocks1 the paper
 was exposed to the action of the gas   
thus dried3 no change of colour in the  
test paper took place1 and after two    
days1 there was scarcely a perceptible  
alteration2 while some similar paper    
dried and introduced into the gas1 that 
had not been exposed to muriate of lime1
 was instantly bleached4    #hg         
,berthollet first applied oxymuriatic   
acid for the purpose   of bleaching1 in 
,france2 from whence ,mr4 ,watt         
introduced it into   ,england4    #hh   
,dr4 ,thomson has more recently         
explained the operation1   by supposing 
that water is decomposed1 and that its  
hydrogen   goes to the chlorine1 and its
 oxygen to the water1 forming with   the
 latter a deutoxide of hydrogen1 or the 
oxygenated water of   ,thnard1 which he 
considers as the true bleaching         
principle4  ,as an illustration of the  
eagerness with which he seized upon     

facts1 in order to apply them to        
economical purposes1 it may be stated   
that1 on reflecting upon the theory of  
bleaching1 and on the changes which its 
agents undergo1 he was led to propose   
the use of a liquor produced by the     
condensation of oxymuriatic gas in      
water1 containing magnesia diffused     
through it1 as superior to the          
oxymuriate of lime commonly employed4#hi
    #hi ,experience has not confirmed   
the value of this suggestion4   ,davy   
imagined that the vegetable fibre was   
injured by the   saline residuum2 and   
having found that muriate of magnesia   
was   less corrosive than muriate of    
lime1 he was led to propose   the       
substitute above stated4 ,the fact1     
however1 is1 that the   fibre is injured
 by the chlorine2 and as this body has  
only a   slight affinity for magnesia1  
it too quickly abandons it2 and         
consequently the oxymuriate of lime is  
still preferred4  ,it has been very     
truly observed1 that all knowledge which

 is gained tends towards the acquisition
 of more1 just as the iron dug from the 
mine facilitates in return the working  
of the miner4 ,never was this truth more
 forcibly illustrated than by the       
discovery of the nature of chlorine4 ,in
 the progress of that train of enquiry1 
which became necessary for the          
adjustment of our views as they regarded
 the combinations of that body1 ,davy   
discovered a series of new compounds1   
the history of which he communicated in 
successive papers to the ,royal         
,society4  ,in a memoir read in         
,february #ahaa1 entitled1 ,on a        
,combination of ,oxymuriatic ,gas and   
,oxygen ,gas1 he announced the existence
 of a protoxide of chlorine1 under the  
name of ,euchlorine2 and in a           
communication from ,rome in the year    
#ahae1 he described another compound of 
chlorine and oxygen1 containing a still 
larger proportion of this latter        
element1 and which has since been made  
the subject of a series of experiments  

by ,count ,stadion of ,vienna4 ,as it   
does not exhibit any acid properties1   
,dr4 ,henry proposes to call it a       
,peroxide1 in preference to ,deutoxide2 
thinking it probable that intermediate  
compounds1 between this and the         
protoxide already mentioned1 may be     
hereafter discovered4  ,his paper on    
euchlorine abounds with interest4 ,he   
found that by acting on the salts       
formerly denominated hyper-oxymuriates1 
by muriatic acid1 the gas evolved       
differed very greatly in its properties1
 with the different modes of preparing  
it4 ,when much acid was employed with a 
small quantity of the salt1 and the gas 
was collected over water1 it was not    
found to differ from oxymuriatic gas2   
but when1 on the other hand1 the gas was
 procured by means of a weak acid1 and a
 considerable excess of the salt1 at a  
low heat1 and was collected over        
mercury1 it possessed properties        
essentially different4 ,its colour1     
under such circumstances1 was of a dense

 tint of brilliant yellow-green1 whence 
the name of euchlorine4#ij ,when in a   
pure form1 this gas is so readily       
decomposed1 that it will sometimes      
explode during the time of its transfer 
from one vessel to another1 producing   
both heat and light with an expansion of
 volume1#ia and it may always be made to
 explode by a very gentle heat1 often   
even by that of the hand4    #ij ,from  
,greek3 eu and ,greek3 chlros4    #ia   
,the most vivid effects of combustion   
known are those   produced by the       
condensation of oxygen1 or chlorine3 but
   in this instance1 a violent explosion
 with heat and light is   produced by   
their separation1 and expansion2 a      
perfectly novel   circumstance in       
chemical philosophy4  ,the results of   
its explosion indicate its composition  
to be one atom of chlorine1 and one of  
oxygen4 ,none of the metals that burn in
 chlorine act upon this gas at common   
temperatures2 but when the oxygen is    
separated1 they then inflame in the     

residual chlorine4 ,this fact ,davy     
illustrated by a series of experiments1 
one of which1 from its extreme beauty1  
,i shall here relate4 ,if a glass       
vessel1 containing copper-leaf1 be      
exhausted1 and the euchlorine afterwards
 admitted1 no action will take place2   
but throw in a little nitrous gas1 and a
 rapid decomposition will ensue1 and the
 metal will burn with its accustomed    
brilliancy4  ,the discovery of this     
interesting gas1 and that of the facts  
connected with it1 not only confirmed   
the novel views with regard to the      
elementary nature of chlorine1 but they 
reconciled the contradictory accounts of
 different authors respecting the       
properties of that body4  ,the weak     
attraction subsisting between the       
elements of this compound gas1 which by 
a comparatively low temperature are made
 repulsive of each other1 confirms also 
the supposition of ,davy1 that oxygen   
and chlorine belong to the same class of
 bodies4  ,the discovery of the peroxide

 of chlorine was made during an         
examination of the action of acids on   
the hyper-oxymuriates of ,chenevix1     
undertaken by ,davy in consequence of a 
statement of ,m4 ,gay ,lussac1 that a   
peculiar acid1 which he called chloric  
acid1 might be procured from the        
hyper-oxymuriate of baryta by sulphuric 
acid4 ,with regard to this acid1 which  
its discoverer considered as composed of
 one atom of chlorine and five atoms of 
oxygen1 ,davy entered into a warm       
controversy1 affirming that the fluid in
 question owed its acid powers to       
combined hydrogen2 and that it was      
analogous to the other                  
hyper-oxymuriates1 as being triple      
compounds of inflammable bases with     
chlorine and oxygen1 in which the two   
former determine the character of the   
compound3 this opinion1 however1 he     
afterwards abandoned1 and ,i have reason
 to believe that he regretted ever      
having advanced it4  ,amidst these new  
views1 it became necessary to alter our 

opinions with regard to many of those   
compounds which have been termed        
muriates1 but which1 it would appear1   
contain neither muriatic acid nor       
oxygen1 but are1 strictly speaking1     
combinations of metals with chlorine1   
held in union by a very powerful        
affinity1 since chlorine is capable of  
expelling the whole of the oxygen from  
any metallic oxide1 and of taking its   
place2 even those metals that are most  
distinguished by their affinity for     
oxygen1 abandon it whenever their oxides
 are heated in chlorine1 in which case  
oxygen gas is disengaged4  ,the same    
metal is also capable of uniting with   
different proportions of chlorine1      
which1 so far as has been yet           
ascertained1 are definite1 and in no    
case exceed two proportions to one of   
metal4 ,hence it was proposed by ,davy1 
in fixing the nomenclature of these     
compounds1 to designate such as contain 
the least proportion of chlorine by the 
termination ane1 added to the ,latin    

name of the metal1 as cuprane for that  
of copper2 those containing the larger  
proportion of chlorine1 by the          
termination anea1 as cupranea4 ,the     
chemical name of our common culinary    
salt1 in conformity with such a         
nomenclature1 would be sodane4 ,this    
proposition1 however1 has not been      
adopted2#ib the compounds of metals and 
chlorine are either called chlorurets1  
or what is preferable1 from their       
analogy with the similar compounds of   
oxygen1 chlorides1 and which are further
 distinguished as protochlorides1       
deutochlorides1 c4    #ib ,a little     
reflection will convince us that such a 
nomenclature could never have been      
adopted with propriety4 ,it   is in     
direct defiance of the ,linnan precept1 
that a specific   name must not be      
united to the generic as a termination2 
besides   which1 such terms could never 
have been preserved in translations     
into other languages4  ,in connexion    
with the history of these chlorides1 a  

question arises of great interest and   
obscurity1 and which has engaged the    
attention of some of our most           
distinguished chemists1--whether such a 
body1 when dissolved by water1 remains  
as a chloride2 or1 by decomposing that  
fluid1 and combining with its elements1 
is not immediately converted into a     
muriate8 ,with respect to several of    
these chlorides1 no doubt can be        
entertained as to the fact of their     
decomposing water2 for instance1 the    
chloride of phosphorus is thus acted    
upon1 the oxygen of the water forms     
phosphorous acid with the phosphorus1   
while its hydrogen unites with the      
chlorine to form muriatic acid2 and as  
those products are such as do not       
combine with each other1 but exist in a 
state of mixture in the water1 each may 
be recognised by its peculiar           
properties4 ,in like manner1 as ,davy   
has observed1 when water is added in    
certain quantities to ,libavius's liquor
 7deutochloride of tin71 a solid        

crystalline mass is obtained1 from which
 oxide of tin and muriate of ammonia can
 be obtained by ammonia4  ,in his       
,elements of ,chemical ,philosophy1     
,davy has been1 in many instances1      
explicit on this point2 and his opinions
 are favourable to the idea that        
chlorides become muriates by being      
dissolved in water3 thus1 he states that
 the perchloride of iron acts with      
violence upon water1 and forms a        
solution of red muriate of iron2 and he 
observes that the permuriate forms a    
solution of green muriate of iron by its
 action upon water4#ic ,with regard1    
however1 to the general principle1 that 
chlorides become muriates by solution1  
there are difficulties which do not fall
 within the province of a biographer to 
discuss4 ,i shall merely observe that   
such a change is1 in many cases1 so     
inconsistent with our preconceived      
opinions1 that very strong evidence is  
required to reconcile us to its truth4  
,we are undoubtedly prepared to hear    

that much may happen between the cup and
 the lip1--but that common salt should  
be a chloride of sodium on our plates1  
and a muriate of soda in our mouths1 is 
certainly a very startling assertion4   
#ic ,for an admirable paper upon this   
subject by ,mr4 ,r4 ,phillips1   in     
which all the material points of the    
subject are considered   with that      
acumen which distinguishes its author1  
see ,annals of   ,philosophy1 vol4 i4   
,new ,series4  ,the reception which the 
chloridic theory met with from the      
chemical world might aptly enough be    
adduced in illustration of that remark  
with which ,i commenced the preceding   
chapter4 ,at first1 its truth was       
questioned1 and no sooner had this been 
triumphantly established1 than an       
attempt was invidiously made to transfer
 the glory of the discovery from ,davy  
to the ,french philosophers4 ,upon each 
of these points1 ,i shall beg to offer a
 few observations4  ,first1 with regard 
to the fact of chlorine being as yet an 

undecompounded body4 ,the very          
announcement of a theory so adverse to  
the universal faith of ,europe1 was a   
signal for open hostilities2 the        
observations of ,dr4 ,murray may be     
considered as expressing the sentiments 
of most of the leading chemists on the  
first publication of the novel views of 
,davy4 ,opinions1 says he1 more         
unexpected have seldom been announced to
 chemists1 than those lately advanced by
 ,mr4 ,davy with regard to the          
constitution of the muriatic and        
oxymuriatic acids2 viz4 that the latter 
is not a compound of muriatic acid and  
oxygen1 but a simple substance1 and that
 the former is a compound of this       
substance with hydrogen4 ,the more      
general principle connected with these  
opinions1 that oxymuriatic acid is1 like
 oxygen1 an acidifying element1 forming 
with inflammables and metals an         
extensive series of analogous compounds1
 leads still more directly to the       
subversion of the established chemical  

systems1 and to an entire revolution in 
some of the most important doctrines of 
the science4  ,dr4 ,murray entered the  
lists as the avowed partisan of the     
theory of ,berthollet2 ,dr4 ,davy1 on   
the other hand1 appeared as the champion
 of his brother's doctrine4 ,a severe   
contest ensued1 and both combatants     
displayed equal skill and strength4 ,the
 object of the former was to demonstrate
 the presence of water1 or its elements1
 as a constituent part of muriatic acid2
 and he proposed to determine the point 
by combining the dry gases of muriatic  
acid and ammonia2 for as these bodies   
did not contain its elements1 should    
water appear1 he maintained that it must
 be considered as pre-existing in the   
muriatic acid2 while1 on the contrary1  
if no water could be procured1 it would 
be unphilosophical to suppose it        
present1 but that muriatic acid gas     
must1 in that case1 be considered as a  
compound of hydrogen and chlorine4 ,in  
performing this experiment1 ,dr4 ,murray

 did succeed in obtaining a portion of  
water2 but the inference from such a    
fact was questioned on the other side1  
upon the assumption of the humidity of  
the gases4 ,as all parties1 however1    
seemed to agree1 that if every source of
 error could be excluded1 the           
combination of these gases would furnish
 an experimentum crucis1 by which the   
truth or fallacy of either theory might 
be established1 ,davy1 when at          
,edinburgh1 was desirous of repeating   
the experiment with ,dr4 ,hope1 and it  
was accordingly made in the ,college    
,laboratory4 ,sir ,george ,mackenzie1   
,mr4 ,playfair1 and some other          
gentlemen1 were present4 ,the results   
were communicated in ,nicholson's       
,journal by ,dr4 ,davy1 and may be      
briefly stated as follows3--,the        
alkaline and acid gases were pure1 and  
both had been previously dried by       
exposure for sixteen hours to substances
 having a strong attraction for water4  
,the apparatus consisted of a plain     

retort of about the capacity of         
twenty-six cubic inch measures1 with a  
stop-cock2 and of a receiver1 with a    
suitable stop-cock4 ,the latter was     
filled over mercury with one of the     
gases1 which from the receiver passed   
into the exhausted retort by means of   
the stop-cocks2 the other gas was       
introduced the same way into the retort2
 and thus alternately about ninety cubic
 inches of each gas were combined4 ,all 
the salt having then been driven into   
the bulb of the retort by the heat of a 
spirit lamp1 the neck was cooled and    
kept cold by moistened cloths1 whilst   
the bulb was heated by a coke fire1 till
 the muriate began to sublime1 and to   
make its appearance at the curvature of 
the vessel when the fire was withdrawn4 
,the result was then examined1 while the
 bottom of the retort was still very    
hot3 a dew1 just perceptible1 was       
observed lining the cold neck4 ,the     
quantity of water was so extremely      
small1 that the globular particles      

composing this dew could scarcely be    
perceived by the naked eye2 now the     
quantity of water1 according to         
hypothesis1 should equal no less than   
eight grains4 ,there is no small        
difference1 it must be confessed1       
between that quantity and a dew barely  
perceptible1 and which may reasonably be
 referred to a minute quantity of vapour
 in the gases1 or to a little moisture  
derived from the mercury1 a small       
quantity of which entered the retort    
with the gases4 ,dr4 ,hope wished to    
ascertain how much water would produce  
such a dew as was observed4 ,for this   
purpose he heated in a retort1 of a     
similar size to that used in the        
experiment1 a single drop of water1     
which it may be said weighs about a     
grain4 ,the appearance of condensed     
water1 in this instance1 in the neck of 
the retort1 was much greater than in the
 preceding3 he considered it as being   
three or four times as great4#id    #id 
,sir ,humphry ,davy1 during some        

experiments on the diamond1             
subsequently ascertained that less than 
#ajjth of a grain of water   is         
sufficient to produce a sensible dew on 
a polished surface4  ,from these results
 it may be concluded1 on ,dr4 ,murray's 
own ground of reasoning1 that water is  
not a constituent part of muriatic acid 
gas1 and that this substance is a       
compound merely of chlorine and         
hydrogen2 for it is easy to account for 
the presence of about one-third of a    
grain of water from various sources1    
while it is impossible to account for   
the absence of eight grains upon any    
theory except that which supposes the   
gas to be anhydrous4  ,i shall not      
pursue the numerous other experiments by
 which it was attempted to prove the    
fallacy of ,davy's views2 they all turn 
upon the same point1 and were refuted by
 the same vigorous methods of enquiry4  
,the chloridic theory may therefore now 
be considered as fully established3 the 
philosophers who were for so long a     

period hostile to its reception1 have at
 length yielded their assent2 and       
,berzelius1 in a paper published in the 
,annales de ,chimie1 on the subject of  
sulpho-cyanic acid1 has unconditionally 
tendered his allegiance2 while the      
subsequent discovery of iodine and      
bromine has confirmed1 by the most      
beautiful analogies1 the views so       
satisfactorily explained by experiment4 
,as to the claim of priority which has  
been urged by several philosophers in   
favour of the ,french chemists1 ,davy1  
in speaking of ,gay ,lussac's paper1    
published in the ,annales de ,chimie for
 ,july #ahad1 observes1 that the        
historical notes attached to it are of a
 nature not to be passed over without   
animadversion4 ,m4 ,gay ,lussac states1 
that he and ,m4 ,thnard were the first  
to advance the hypothesis that chlorine 
was a simple body2 and he quotes ,m4    
,ampre as having entertained that       
opinion before me4 ,on the subject of   
the originality of the idea of chlorine 

being a simple body1 ,i have always     
vindicated the claims of ,scheele2 but  
,i must assume for myself the labour of 
having demonstrated its properties and  
combinations1 and of having explained   
the chemical phenomena it produces2 and 
,i am in possession of a letter from ,m4
 ,ampre1 that shows he has no claims of 
this kind to make4#ie    #ie ,royal     
,institution ,journal1 vol4 i4 p4 #bhc4 
,the question of priority appears to me 
to be readily settled by a reference to 
printed documents4 ,davy published his  
,elements of ,chemical ,philosophy in   
#ahab1 containing a systematic account  
of his new doctrines concerning the     
combinations of simple bodies4 ,chlorine
 is there placed in the same rank with  
oxygen1 and finally removed from the    
class of acids4 ,in #ahac1 ,m4 ,thnard  
published the first volume of his ,trait
 de ,chimie ,elmentaire ,thorique et    
,pratique1 in which he states the       
composition of oxymuriatic acid as      
follows3--,composition4 ,the oxygenated 

muriatic gas contains the half of its   
volume of oxygen gas1 not including that
 which we may suppose in muriatic acid4 
,it was not until the year #ahaf1 that1 
by a note in his fourth volume1 he      
appears to have at all relaxed in his   
attachment to the old theory of         
,lavoisier and ,berthollet2 and it will 
presently appear1 that at the period    
above mentioned1 iodine had been        
discovered1 and its analogies to        
chlorine fully established1 by the      
sagacity of ,davy4  ,having1 as ,i      
trust1 offered an impartial view of his 
claims to the establishment of the      
chloridic theory1 ,i shall resume my    
narrative of those events which more    
immediately connect themselves with his 
personal history at this period4  ,the  
great fame of ,davy1 and the high       
importance of the discoveries which had 
bestowed it1 became a general theme of  
admiration throughout the scientific    
circles of ,europe1 and induced the     
members of the ,dublin ,society to      

invite him to that city1 for the purpose
 of delivering a course of lectures4    
,from the authentic documents which have
 been placed in my hands1 ,i am enabled 
to give a particular account of this    
transaction4  ,at a meeting of the      
,dublin ,society held on the #crd of    
,may #ahaj1 the following ,resolutions  
were proposed and unanimously carried1  
viz4  #a4 ,that it is the wish of the   
,society to communicate to the ,irish   
public1 in the most extended manner     
consistent with the other engagements of
 the ,society1 the knowledge of a       
,science so intimately connected with   
the improvement of ,agriculture and the 
,arts1 which it is their great object to
 promote2 and that1 with this view1 it  
appears to them extremely desirable to  
obtain the fullest information          
respecting the recent discoveries made  
by ,mr4 ,davy1 in ,electro-chemical     
science4  #b4 ,resolved1 ,that          
application be made to the ,royal       
,society1 requesting that they will be  

pleased to dispense with the engagements
 of ,mr4 ,davy1 so far as to allow the  
,dublin ,society to solicit the favour  
of his delivering a course of           
,electro-chemical ,lectures in their new
 ,laboratory1 as soon as may be         
convenient after their present course of
 chemical lectures shall have been      
completed by their ,professor ,mr4      
,higgins4  #c4 ,that the sum of four    
hundred guineas be appropriated out of  
the funds of the ,society1 to be        
presented to ,mr4 ,davy1 as a           
remuneration for the trouble and expense
 which they propose he should incur1 and
 as a mark of the importance they attach
 to the communication which they        
solicit4  ,mr4 ,leslie ,foster having   
stated to the ,dublin ,society that the 
,farming ,society of ,ireland were      
desirous of availing themselves of this 
opportunity to apply to ,mr4 ,davy to   
repeat before them the six lectures on  
the application of chemistry to         
agriculture1 which he delivered this    

year 7#ahaj7 to the ,board of           
,agriculture in ,england1 and that they 
requested the ,dublin ,society would    
accommodate them with the use of their  
,laboratory for that purpose1 all the   
members of the ,dublin ,society having  
free admission to such lectures--  ,the 
following ,resolutions were passed by   
the ,dublin ,society3--  ,that in the   
event of ,mr4 ,davy coming over to      
,ireland1 and consenting to deliver the 
,course referred to1 the ,farming       
,society shall be accommodated with the 
use of the ,laboratory1 according to    
their request4  ,that it be referred to 
the ,committee of ,economy to consider  
on what terms1 and under what           
regulations1 it may be expedient to     
issue tickets of admission to the       
,electro-chemical ,course1 so as to     
reimburse to the ,society the expenses  
attendant on the arrangement2 and that1 
in order to give the fullest effect to  
such regulations1 the members of the    
,society renounce any claim to          

gratuitous admission to this course4  ,a
 letter having been addressed to ,mr4   
,davy by the ,secretary of the ,society1
 inviting him to ,dublin1 for the       
purpose of delivering courses of        
lectures1 in conformity with the        
foregoing resolutions1 the following    
answer was received from him3--         
,,to ,,john ,,leslie ,,foster1 ,,esq4   
,m4 ,p4 ,,secretary ,,to ,,the ,,dublin 
,,society4      ,may #cj1 #ahaj4        
,,sir1      ,i had the honour of        
communicating your letter to the        
,president     and ,council of the      
,royal ,society1 who have desired me to 
express     to you1 ,sir1 and through   
you1 to the ,dublin ,society1 the lively
     interest they feel in the          
prosperity of that useful public body1  
and the desire that they have to promote
 its important object4      ,on these   
grounds1 they have been pleased to      
permit me to be absent     from the     
meetings of the ,royal ,society1 during 
the period that may     be necessary for

 delivering a ,course of ,lectures at   
the ,laboratory     of the ,dublin      
,society1 in the month of ,november     
next4      ,be pleased to express to the
 ,dublin ,society my grateful           
acknowledgments for the honour they have
 done me in making such a               
proposition2 and assure them that ,i    
shall use my best exertions     to      
promote their views for the extension of
 ,chemical ,science1 and     every other
 species of useful knowledge4      ,i   
beg to be permitted to thank you1 ,sir1 
for the flattering manner     in which  
you had the goodness to convey to me    
their proposal4      ,i am1 ,sir1 with  
great respect1      ,your obliged and   
obedient servant1      ,h4 ,,davy1      
,,sec4 ,r4 ,s4   ,on the commencement of
 the ,course1 on the #hth of ,november  
#ahaj1 three hundred and seventy-one    
admission tickets had been issued2 and  
the ,committee of ,chemistry having     
expressed their opinion to the ,society1
 that the lecture-room would not afford 

accommodation for a greater number of   
persons1 the ,assistant ,secretary was  
directed to limit his tickets to that   
number4 ,on the #aeth instant1 however1 
the number was increased to four        
hundred1 without inconvenience4  ,at the
 close of the ,course1 on the #bith of  
,november1 the ,dublin ,society passed  
the following ,resolutions3--           
,resolved1 ,that the thanks of the      
,society be communicated to ,mr4 ,davy  
for the excellent ,course of ,lectures  
which1 at their request1 has been       
delivered by him in their ,laboratory2  
and to assure him that the views which  
led the ,society to seek for these      
communications1 have been answered even 
beyond their hopes2--that the manner in 
which he has unfolded his discoveries   
has not merely imparted new and valuable
 information1 but further appears to    
have given a direction of the public    
mind towards ,chemical and              
,philosophical enquiries1 which cannot  
fail in its consequences to produce the 

improvement of the ,sciences1 ,arts1 and
 ,manufactures in ,ireland4  ,that the  
thanks of the ,society be communicated  
to the ,royal ,society for their ready  
compliance with our request1 in         
dispensing with the engagements of ,mr4 
,davy1 during the last six weeks4  ,that
 ,mr4 ,davy be requested to accept the  
sum of five hundred guineas from the    
,society4#if    #if ,there were four    
hundred tickets issued for the ,course1 
sixty   of which were honorary2 the     
produce of the remainder amounted to    
#fgbl4 #es4 #c;d4 ,davy received #ebel42
 and the surplus went   to officers and 
servants1 and for the discharge of      
incidental   expenses4  ,the following  
letter appears1 from the date1 to have  
been written about a week before his    
arrival in ,dublin4       ,,to ,,thomas 
,,poole1 ,,esq4      ,october #ab1      
#ahaj4      ,,my ,,dear ,,poole1        
,upon every occasion your               
recommendation1 or opinion1 would have  
great weight with me4      ,amongst the 

candidates for the office of ,clerk to  
the ,royal     ,society1 there is one   
,mr4 ,w----1 that ,i am well acquainted 
with1     and who was formerly attached 
to the ,royal ,institution4 ,he appears 
to me1 as well from his scientific      
character1 as from his habits     and   
pursuits1 to be admirably fitted for the
 situation4 ,i advised     him nearly   
two months ago1 in consequence of a     
conversation with     ,sir ,joseph      
,banks1 to offer himself for the        
situation4 ,i cannot     therefore      
interest myself for any other person who
 does not possess     superior          
qualifications4      ,sir ,joseph's     
maxim1 which ,i hope will be adopted by 
all the     members1 is--let it be given
 to the most worthy4 ,i have no doubt   
that ,mr4---- would fill the situation  
with credit1 and that he     is a very  
worthy man2 but1 from all that ,i can   
learn1 his claims     are much inferior 
to those of ,w----4 ,we want not merely 
a civil1     gentlemanlike1 honest man1 

but a man a little accustomed to        
calculation1 to astronomical            
observation1 and to experiment4      ,i 
am in a delightful country here--the    
,valley of the ,tyne--enjoying     a few
 days' leisure after a rather hard      
chemical campaign1 and     preparing    
health and spirits for another in       
,ireland1 where ,i am     going next    
week4      ,i hope to be in ,london by  
the first week in ,december4 ,i intend  
next     summer to go into              
,cornwall--,god willing2 and ,i will not
 go through     without seeing you1 and 
telling you that1 under all             
circumstances1     ,i shall always think
 of you with the warmest esteem1 and    
shall     always be      ,your sincere  
friend1      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,in the      
following year1 ,davy was again         
solicited by the ,dublin ,society to    
deliver lectures in their laboratory2   
and at a meeting of the members on the  
#acth of ,june #ahaa1 a series of       
resolutions were passed1 by which he was

 empowered to procure copies of many of 
the geological sketches referred to in a
 course of lectures he had delivered on 
,geology at the ,royal ,institution2 and
 also to superintend the construction of
 a large ,voltaic battery1 for the      
illustration of the proposed lectures4  
,in compliance with this request1 ,davy 
delivered two distinct courses2 one on  
the ,elements of ,chemical ,philosophy1 
the other on ,geology1 for which he     
received the unanimous thanks of the    
,society1 and as a more substantial     
testimony of their gratitude1 the sum#ig
 of seven hundred and fifty pounds2 the 
receipt of which ,davy acknowledged by  
the following letter4    #ig ,these     
,courses were more numerously attended  
than those in   #ahaj1 there having been
 issued about five hundred and          
twenty-five   tickets2 the proceeds of  
which were #aajal4 #bs4       ,,to ,b4  
,,mac ,,carthy1 ,,esq4 ,,assistant      
,,secretary ,,to ,,the ,,dublin         
,,society4      ,dublin1 ,december #i1  

#ahaa4      ,,sir1      ,i have received
 your letter1 inclosing a draught for   
seven hundred     and fifty pounds      
,irish4      ,i am very much gratified  
by the thanks of the ,dublin ,society1  
for     the courses of lectures which ,i
 had the honour of delivering in        
their laboratory2 and ,i am proud of    
their opinion1 that they will     be    
useful to the ,irish public4      ,the  
attention1 candour1 and indulgence with 
which they were     received by the     
audience1 ,i shall remember with the    
warmest     feelings of gratitude as    
long as ,i live4      ,i have the honour
 to be1 ,sir1 with much esteem1 your    
obliged and     obedient servant1       
,h4 ,,davy4   ,before he quitted        
,dublin1 the ,provost and ,fellows of   
,trinity ,college conferred upon him the
 honorary degree of ,,ll4,d41 as an     
expression of the high admiration which 
his eminent scientific merits had so    
universally commanded4  ,in the month of
 ,august1 in the same year1 his opinion 

was requested by a committee1 as to the 
best method to be adopted for           
ventilating the ,house of ,lords2 to    
which circumstance he alludes in the    
following note to his friend ,mr4       
,pepys4       ,august #aj1 #ahaa4       
,,my ,,dear ,,pepys1      ,i find that  
,i am engaged on ,wednesday1 to meet    
,lord ,liverpool1 at     the ,house of  
,lords1 to consider a mode of           
ventilating it4      ,this business1    
most unluckily1 will prevent my         
accompanying you2     but ,i shall be   
glad to go with you on some other day1  
and to touch     up the trout at        
,cheynies1 and afterwards to proceed to 
,serge ,hill4      ,very affectionately 
yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,this         
undertaking1 it must be allowed1 was on 
,davy's part a most complete failure3   
whether he had miscalculated the        
diameter and number of the apertures    
necessary for establishing a current1 it
 is difficult to say1 but it was obvious
 that the stream of fresh air thus      

introduced was by no means adequate to  
the demand for it4#ih    #ih ,in        
,february #ahab1 he exhibited a model1  
in one of his   lectures at the ,royal  
,institution1 in illustration of his    
plan2   from which it appeared that the 
air deteriorated by respiration   was   
conducted through three copper pipes1   
terminating in a single   tube1 to the  
roof of the building2 and by means of   
ventilators   below1 there was a        
constant supply of fresh air1 the       
circulation   of which was promoted by a
 furnace4  ,the failure1 so vexatious to
 ,davy1 became to others a fertile      
source of pleasantry1 and numerous      
epigrams1 not exactly of a character to 
meet the public eye1 were very generally
 circulated1 and which1 in recording the
 miscarriage of science1 displayed the  
triumph of wit4  ,the scientific renown 
of ,davy having attracted the attention 
of his late ,majesty1 at that time      
,prince ,regent1 he received from his   
,royal ,highness the honour of          

,knighthood1 at a levee held at ,carlton
 ,house1 on ,wednesday1 the #hth of     
,april #ahab2 and it may be remarked1   
that he was the first person on whom    
that honour had been conferred by the   
,regent4  ,on the day following this    
occurrence1 ,sir ,humphry delivered his 
farewell lecture before the members of  
the ,royal ,institution2 for he was on  
the eve of assuming a new station in    
society1 which induced him to retire    
from those public situations which he   
had long held with so much advantage to 
the world1 and with so much honour to   
himself4 ,how far such a measure was    
calculated to increase his happiness ,i 
shall not enquire2 but ,i am bound to   
observe1 that it was not connected with 
any desire to abandon the pursuit of    
science1 nor even to relax in his       
accustomed exertions to promote its     
interests4 ,it was evident1 however1 to 
his friends1 that other views of        
ambition than those presented by        
achievements in science1 had opened upon

 his mind3 the wealth he was about to   
command might extend the sphere of his  
usefulness1 and exalt him in the scale  
of society3 his feelings became more    
aristocratic1 he discovered charms in   
rank which had before escaped him1 and  
he no longer viewed ,patrician          
distinction with philosophic            
indifference4  ,on the #aath of ,april  
#ahab1 ,sir ,humphry married ,mrs4      
,apreece1 the widow of ,shuckburgh      
,ashby ,apreece1 ,esq4 eldest son of    
,sir ,thomas ,apreece3 this lady was the
 daughter and heiress of ,charles ,kerr1
 of ,kelso1 ,esq4 and possessed a very  
considerable fortune4  ,immediately     
after the celebration of the marriage1  
,sir ,humphry and his bride proceeded to
 the hospitable mansion of ,sir ,john   
,sebright1 and afterwards made a tour   
through ,scotland1 receiving wherever   
they went the most flattering marks of  
attention4  ,during their excursion1    
,davy wrote various letters to his      
scientific friends1 several of which ,i 

shall introduce2 but1 in order that     
those to ,mr4 ,children may be          
understood1 it will be necessary that   
the reader should be made acquainted    
with a transaction which occurred in the
 year #ahaa4  ,in consequence of some   
conversation on gunpowder1 during which 
,davy observed that its composition     
might be greatly improved by rendering  
it less hygrometric1 a proposition was  
started1 that he should join ,mr4       
,children and ,mr4 ,burton in           
establishing a manufactory for its      
preparation upon chemical principles4   
,whether ,davy considered himself1 in   
the strict commercial sense1 a partner1 
or merely a chemical adviser1 it is     
perhaps not easy to determine2 but it is
 quite clear that both ,mr4 ,children   
and ,mr4 ,burton considered him in the  
former light1 although it is an act of  
justice to those gentlemen to state1    
that the very moment ,davy expressed his
 disinclination to such an arrangement1 
they immediately1 without the slightest 

hesitation1 released him from all       
responsibility4 ,this ,i am enabled to  
assert1 after a most careful            
investigation of all the correspondence 
that passed upon the occasion4          
,,to ,,john ,,george ,,children1 ,,esq4 
,harewood ,house1 ,july #ad1 #ahab4     
,,my ,,dear ,,friend1      ,i am very   
sorry that ,i missed you the day before 
,i set out on my     journey4 ,you will 
have learnt from your solicitor that ,i 
signed the     articles4 ,i still think 
,i shall return before any powder will  
be     made1 at least if you do not make
 it till ,december1 for our present     
intention is to be in town early in that
 month4      ,i sent to you an imperfect
 copy of my book1#ii in which there were
     no engravings1 and in which one    
cancel was not inserted1 thinking       
that you would prefer a copy sent in    
that way3 the cancelled     leaf1 which 
you have not1 contains a correction for 
the quantity     of nitrous acid gas and
 water to form the crystalline compound1

     which is the base of oil of        
vitriol4 ,three parts nitrous acid gas  
condense four parts sulphurous gas4     
,i have my little apparatus1 which will 
enable me to pursue my     experiments  
on gunpowder4 ,there is one conclusion  
very obvious     resulting from the new 
facts1--a perfect gunpowder ought to    
contain no more charcoal than is        
necessary to convert the oxygen of      
the nitre into carbonic acid4 ,sulphur  
forms from nitre just as much           
elastic fluid as charcoal1 i4 e4 if     
similar quantities of nitre     be      
entirely decomposed1 one by charcoal1   
and one by sulphur1 and     if the      
sulphurous gas and the carbonic acid gas
 be compared1 their     volumes will be 
equal4 ,the advantage of forming        
carbonic acid gas     is1 that it is    
more readily disengaged from the alkali4
 ,now it is a     question1 whether     
sulphur will decompose sulphate of      
potash1--it     will decompose the      
carbonate2 of this we are sure4         

,there ought1 then1 to be just as much  
sulphur as will form     sulphuret of   
potash with the potash3 #aia of nitre1  
#bhe of     charcoal1 and #cj of        
sulphur1 are the true proportions for   
forming     nothing but sulphuret of    
potash and elastic matter4      ,pray   
send me some cards to circulate2 address
 to me1 ,post ,office1     ,edinburgh4  
,i hope you got ,cavendish's balance4   
,i have been here for two days3--it is a
 very magnificent place3     good       
fishing for pike1 trout1 and grayling4  
,lady ,d4 desires her     kind          
remembrances4      ,i am1 my dear       
friend1      ,most affectionately yours1
      ,h4 ,,davy4    #ii ,elements of   
,chemical ,philosophy1 to be presently  
noticed4       ,,to ,,the ,,same4       
,dunrobin ,castle1 near ,golspie1       
,august #ba4      ,,my ,,dear ,,friend1 
,i hope you are making progress in our  
manufactory4 ,i shall expect1     on my 
return1 to find your powder the best and
 strongest1 and to     make trial of it4

 ,i wish ,i had some of it here1 the    
black-cock and     grouse would feel its
 efficacy4 ,i have been expecting a     
letter from     you every day4          
,this house is so delightful1 the       
scenery so grand1 and the               
field-sports so perfect1 that ,i think  
we shall not quit it for a              
fortnight4      ,i went to ,inverness   
and fished for salmon4 ,i also went to  
two or     three other places1 but not  
one did ,i catch till ,i arrived here4  
,the first day ,i landed seven noble    
ones1 and played three more in     four 
or five hours4 ,the next day ,i played  
eight and landed three1     besides     
white trout in abundance4      ,i have  
shot only one day1 for a few hours2 but 
we found grouse     at every fifty      
yards1 and ,i shot seven4 ,we are just  
going to try     sea-fishing4      ,pray
 write to me a little news of what is   
doing for science and the     world4    
,i beg you will remember me most kindly 
to your father and to ,dr4              

,babington1 and ,brande1 when you see   
them4      ,i am1 my dear friend1       
,most affectionately yours1      ,h4    
,,davy4       ,,to ,,william            
,,clayfield1 ,,esq4      ,dunrobin1 near
 ,golspie1 ,august #bh1 #ahab4          
,,dear ,,clayfield1      ,i am much     
obliged to you for two very kind        
letters1 and for a box     containing   
specimens from ,st4 ,vincent4#ajj ,i beg
 you will thank     the gentleman who   
was so good as to cause them to be      
collected for     me4 ,the box followed 
me to ,inverness4      ,the ashes1 ,i   
think1 are likely to fertilize          
,barbadoes4 ,there is     a parallel    
case of materials having been carried so
 far in the     eruption in ,iceland in 
#aghc4      ,i have been with my wife   
making a tour through the ,north since  
the     beginning of ,july4 ,we have    
arrived at our extreme point1 and shall 
slowly proceed ,south in about a        
fortnight4      ,i wish you could be of 
our party here2 we are in a delightful  

house1 that of ,lord ,stafford1 in a    
country abounding with fish and         
game4 ,i have caught about thirty salmon
 since ,i have been here1 and     killed
 grouse1 wild ducks1 teal1 c4 ,i have   
not yet shot a stag1     but ,i hope to 
do so this next week4      ,i have just 
published a volume of the ,elements of  
,chemistry1 and ,i     hope to publish  
another in the course of the ,spring4   
,having given up lecturing1 ,i shall be 
able to devote my whole time     to the 
pursuit of discovery4      ,i have not  
sent you a copy of my book1 for ,i have 
thought that the     best mode of       
avoiding giving offence to some1 was by 
not making     presents at all4 ,had ,i 
not so determined1 one of the first     
copies     would have been sent to you1 
as a mark of the warm esteem and        
regard of      ,your affectionate       
friend1      ,h4 ,,davy4    #ajj        
,specimens of substances ejected from   
the crater in that   island1 which ,mr4 
,clayfield forwarded to ,davy1 in       

consequence   of having heard that he   
had been engaged in examining the sand  
collected at ,barbadoes1 and which was a
 product of the same   eruption4        
,,to ,,samuel ,,purkis1 ,,esq4          
,dunrobin ,castle1 ,aug4 #bi1 #ahab4    
,,my ,,dear ,,purkis1      ,you may     
probably be surprised to receive a      
letter from me from this     remote     
corner of the ,north2 but ,i owe you a  
letter1 and ,i have a     great         
inclination1 wherever ,i may be1 to     
discharge all debts1 and                
particularly those rendered due by      
kindness4      ,receive my warm         
acknowledgments for your kind           
congratulations on my     becoming a    
,benedick4 ,i can now speak from        
experience1 in which you     have long  
participated4 ,i am convinced that the  
natural state of     domestic society is
 the best fitted for man1 whether he be 
devoted     to philosophy1 or to active 
life4      ,i shall have much pleasure  
in presenting my wife to you and to     

,mrs4     ,purkis1 on my return4        
,we have had a delightful tour through  
the ,highlands4 ,we are at     the      
extreme point of our journey4 ,the      
pleasures of a refined     society--that
 of ,lord and ,lady ,stafford's         
family--have induced     us to make a   
long pause here4 ,we think we shall be  
in ,london the     beginning of         
,december4      ,i have spent some days 
such as we passed together in ,wales4   
,we have     had all the varieties of   
river1 mountain1 and wood scenery4 ,the 
,lakes of ,scotland are infinitely finer
 than those of ,wales2 but     the glens
 of the ,principality may fairly stand  
in competition with     those of the    
,highlands4      ,i hope ,i shall find  
you and your family in good health1 and 
that     you will have spent a very     
pleasant summer4 ,i am1 my dear ,purkis1
      ,very sincerely and affectionately
 yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4       ,,to     
,,john ,,george ,,children1 ,,esq4      
,dunkeld1 ,sept4 #bg1 #ahab4      ,,my  

,,dear ,,friend1      ,i have received  
your two kind letters4 ,i hope your     
quiet life1 and     reasonable medical  
discipline1 will entirely restore your  
health4      ,we are now on our return1 
and probably shall arrive in ,london    
before the middle of ,november3 our     
time1 however1 is uncertain1 as     the 
,election may hasten1 or keep us back   
for want of horses4      ,i can do      
nothing respecting the licence till my  
return2 ,i will     then see ,mr4       
,wharton1 or ,mr4 ,vansittart4 ,i have  
another subject     of conversation in  
which they are interested1 and ,i can   
easily     introduce that of gunpowder4 
,i have been tolerably successful as a  
shot lately4 ,i have not     fished4 ,my
 last adventure was at the ,spey1 near  
,gordon ,castle1     where ,i killed    
some noble salmon4 ,at ,blair ,athol ,i 
shot some     ptarmigans and a stag4 ,i 
am now at ,dunkeld1 which ,i think the  
most     beautiful habitable spot in the
 ,highlands4 ,the ,tay1 a noble river1  

rolls with a majestic stream through    
lofty woods seated upon cliffs     and  
rounded hills2 and in the background are
 the ,mountains of     ,benyglor and the
 hills of ,killycrankie4      ,my wife  
desires her kind remembrances4 ,pray    
offer mine to     your father and       
daughter1 and believe me to be always   
most     affectionately yours1      ,h4 
,,davy4       ,,to ,,the ,,same4        
,edinburgh1 ,october #ad4      ,,my     
,,dear ,,friend1      ,we are on our    
return3 ,i am well1 but ,i am sorry to  
say that ,lady ,d4     is very much     
indisposed1 and anxiety for her hastens 
my journey to     town4         99      
99       99       99       99      ,i   
have received a very interesting letter 
from ,ampre4 ,he says     that a        
combination of chlorine and azote has   
been discovered at     ,paris1 which is 
a fluid1 and explodes by the heat of the
 hand2 the     discovery of which cost  
an eye and a finger to the author4 ,he  
gives     no details as to the mode of  

combining them4 ,i have tried in my     
little apparatus with ammonia cooled    
very low1 and chlorine1 but     without 
success4      ,there is little doing    
here 444 dresses and dances4 ,sir ,james
 ,hall     is writing on a sort of      
,deluge4 ,playfair is the true and      
amiable     ,philosopher4 ,my brother is
 making experiments on animal matter4   
,i hope your gunpowder works are nearly 
finished4 ,i shall be at the     opening
 ball4 ,as soon as ,i return ,i shall   
give my mind up to this     matter4 ,my 
wife desires her kind remembrances4     
,mine to your worthy     father and     
,anna4      ,god bless you1 my dear     
friend1 and believe me      ,ever       
affectionately yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4  
,on his return to town1 after this tour1
 the following letter was addressed to  
his friend at ,tonbridge3--             
,october #bd1 #ahab4      ,,my ,,dear   
,,children1      ,i have just seen      
,pepys1 and rejoice that he gives me so 
good an     account of your health4 ,my 

wife is much better1 except that she    
has a swollen foot4 ,i have never seen  
her in such good health and     spirits4
 ,she is resolved to lead a home life of
 perfect quiet for     six weeks1 and ,i
 fear you will not be able to tempt her 
to quit her     fire-side1 though there 
is no visit she would make with greater 
pleasure3 but lameness does not suit the
 country2 and for one so                
enthusiastically fond of nature1 it     
would be vexatious to be in the         
country1 and not to be able to enjoy    
hills1 and meads1 and woods4      ,but  
,i am ready to come to my business      
whenever you think ,i can be     useful4
 ,i shall set to work to make gunpowder 
with as much ardour     as ,miles       
,peter--,i hope with similar results4   
,i shall not be able to endure a very   
long separation from my wife1     but   
for three or four days ,i am at your    
command4      ,i have been working      
yesterday and to-day on some new        
objects2 and     we are to have a       

meeting on ,wednesday1 at one o'clock1  
at the     ,institution1 to try to make 
this compound of azote and chlorine1    
and to try some other experiments4      
,afterwards we 7,angling ,chemists7     
propose a dinner at ,brunet's4 ,if you  
can come to town on that day1     ,i    
will promise to return with you4        
,god bless you1 my dear ,children1 and  
believe me to be most     affectionately
 yours1      ,h4 ,,davy4     ,,chapter  
,,ix4     ,davy's ,elements of ,chemical
 ,philosophy examined4--,his ,memoir    
on some combinations of ,phosphorus and 
,sulphur1 c4--,he    discovers          
,hydro-phosphoric gas4--,important      
,illustrations of    the ,theory of     
,definite ,proportionals--,bodies       
precipitated    from water are          
,hydrats4--,his letter to ,sir ,joseph  
,banks on    a new detonating           
compound4--,he is injured in the eye by 
its    explosion4--,his second letter on
 the subject4--,his paper on the        
,substances produced in different       

chemical processes on ,fluor            
,spar4--,his work on ,agricultural      
,chemistry4   ,the ,elements of         
,chemical ,philosophy1 a work to which  
he has alluded in several of the        
preceding letters1 was published in     
,june #ahab4 ,it is dedicated to ,lady  
,davy1 to whom he offers it as a pledge 
that he shall continue to pursue        
,science with unabated ardour4  ,this   
work1 although only a small part of the 
great labour he proposed to accomplish1 
must be considered as one of high       
importance to the cause of science4 ,it 
has not perhaps announced any           
discoveries which had not been          
previously communicated to the ,royal   
,society1 but it has brought together   
his original results1 and arranged them 
in one simple and digested plan--it has 
given coherence to disjointed facts1 and
 has exhibited their mutual bearings    
upon each other1 and their general      
relations to previously established     
truths4  ,very shortly after the        

publication of this first part1 it was  
asserted by a scientific critic that the
 work could never be completed upon the 
plan on which it had commenced1 which   
was little less than a system of        
chemistry1 in which all the facts were  
to be verified by the author3 an        
undertaking far too gigantic for the    
most intrepid and laborious             
experimentalist to accomplish4 ,there   
was too much truth in the remark3--the  
life of the ,author has closed--the work
 remains unfinished4  ,although it bears
 the title of ,elements1 its plan and   
execution are rather adapted for the    
adept than the ,tyro in science2 it has1
 however1 enabled the discoverer to     
expand several of his opinions with a   
freedom which is not consistent with the
 studied compression and elaborate      
brevity that necessarily characterise   
the style of a ,philosophical           
,memoir1--and thus far it may have      
served the more humble labourer4  ,the  
first impression which this volume must 

produce1 is that of admiration at the   
rapid and triumphant progress of        
,chemistry1 during the period of a very 
few years2 while a comparison of this   
work with others1 even of very recent   
date1 will show how much we are indebted
 for this progress to the unrivalled    
labours of ,davy4  ,the first part of   
his projected system1 which constitutes 
the volume under review1 extends only to
 the general laws of chemical changes1  
and to the primary combinations of      
undecompounded bodies4 ,it is resolved  
into seven divisions1 upon each of which
 ,i propose to offer some remarks4      
,,the ,,first ,,division embraces the   
consideration of the three different    
forms of matter1 viz4 ,solidity1        
,liquidity1 and elastic ,fluidity2 and  
that of the active powers on which they 
depend1 and by which they are changed1  
such as ,gravitation1 ,cohesion1        
,calorific repulsion1 or ,heat1 and     
,attractions chemical and               
electrical2--the laws of which he has   

expounded in a lucid and masterly       
manner2 although it will be only        
necessary to quote the following        
passage1 to show that the greatest      
philosopher may occasionally slide into 
error4 ,in solids1 the attractive force 
predominates over the repulsive2 in     
fluids1 and in elastic fluids1 they may 
be regarded as in different states of   
equilibrium2 and in ethereal substances1
 the repulsive must be considered as    
predominating over and destroying the   
attractive force4 ,a reviewer has very  
justly observed1 that it is difficult to
 conceive how so much error and         
confusion could have been collected1 by 
such an author1 into so short a         
sentence4 ,it is a solecism to say that 
two forces may exist in different states
 of equilibrium2 besides1 it is         
generally admitted that the repulsive   
force alone exists in elastic fluids1   
and that it is only compensated by      
external pressure1 or gravitation4  ,in 
treating the subject of ,heat1 he       

maintains the same opinion1 though in a 
manner somewhat more subdued1 as that   
which he had formed at the very         
commencement of his scientific          
career1#aja--that it is nothing else    
than motion1 and that the laws of ,heat 
are the same as the laws of ,motion4    
#aja ,see ,page #dd4  ,in taking a      
general view of the subject of ,chemical
 ,attraction1 there is a remarkable     
clearness in his enunciation of its     
several propositions1 and a great       
felicity in the selection of its        
illustrations4 ,he combats the theory of
 ,berthollet1 respecting the influence  
of mass1 with singular success1 and     
confirms the general law1 that all      
bodies combine chemically1 in certain   
definite proportions to be expressed by 
numbers2 so that1 if one number be      
employed to denote the smallest quantity
 in which a body combines1 all other    
quantities of the same body will be as  
multiples of this number2 and the       
smallest proportions in which the       

undecompounded substances enter into    
union being known1 the constitution of  
the compound they form may be learnt2   
and the element which unites chemically 
in the smallest quantity being expressed
 by unity1 all the other elements may be
 represented by the relations of their  
quantities to unity4 ,unfortunately1    
however1 there has existed amongst      
philosophers a want of agreement as to  
the unit to which the relative values of
 the other numbers shall be referred4   
,mr4 ,dalton selected ,hydrogen as the  
unit2 ,davy followed his example1 but   
doubled the weight of oxygen2 while     
,wollaston1 ,thompson1 and ,berzelius1  
have proposed oxygen as the most        
convenient unit1 since that element     
enters into the greatest number of      
combinations4  ,to ,dalton is now       
universally conceded the glory of having
 established the laws of definite       
proportions2 but in unfolding them1 he  
has employed expressions which involve  
speculations as to their physical cause1

 and has thus given to that1 which is   
nothing more than a copious collection  
of facts1 the appearance of a refined   
theory4 ,it may be perfectly true1 as   
,mr4 ,dalton supposes1 that all bodies  
are composed of ultimate atoms2 but in  
the present state of our knowledge1 we  
can neither form any idea of the nature 
of such atoms1 nor of the manner in     
which they may be grouped together4 ,we 
are therefore indebted to ,davy for     
having1 by his early and powerful       
example1 taught the chemist how to      
disentangle fact from hypothesis1 and to
 investigate the doctrine of            
proportionals1 without any reference to 
the atomic theory which has been        
proposed for its explanation4  ,,the    
,,second ,,division treats of ,radiant  
or ,ethereal ,matter1 and of its effects
 in producing vision1 heat1 and chemical
 changes4 ,it contains some refined     
speculations respecting the possible    
conversion of terrestrial bodies into   
light and heat1 and vice vers4  ,,the   

,,third ,,division presents us with an  
account of ,empyreal undecompounded     
,substances1 or those which support     
combustion2 together with that of the   
compounds which they form with each     
other4 ,upon this occasion1 ,davy has   
completely rescued us from the trammels 
of the ,anti-phlogistic theory1 and has 
shown that1 so far from the process of  
combustion depending upon the position  
or transfer of oxygen1 it is a general  
result of the actions of any substances 
possessed of strong chemical            
attractions1 or different electrical    
relations1 and that it takes place in   
all cases in which an intense and       
violent motion can be conceived to be   
communicated to the corpuscules of      
bodies1 without any regard to the       
peculiar nature of the substances       
engaged4 ,the announcement of the       
general law is followed by a history of 
the only two undecompounded bodies      
included under this arrangement1 viz4   
,oxygen1 and ,chlorine4#ajb ,in naming a

 class of bodies by their relations to  
combustion1 he distinctly states that he
 merely intends to signify that the     
production of heat and light is more    
characteristic of their actions1 than of
 those of any other substances2 and that
 they are1 at the same time1 opposed to 
all other undecompounded substances by  
their electrical relations1 being always
 in ,voltaic combinations attracted to1 
or elicited from the positive surface2  
whereas all other known undecompounded  
substances are separated at the negative
 surface4    #ajb ,iodine1 ,fluorine1 c4
 had not been discovered at this        
period4  ,,the ,,fourth ,,division      
comprises the history of ,undecompounded
 ,inflammables1 or ,acidiferous         
,substances1 not ,metallic1 and that of 
their binary combinations with oxygen   
and chlorine1 or with each other4  ,the 
bodies considered under this division1  
are the following3--,hydrogen1 ,azote1  
,sulphur1 ,phosphorus1 and ,boracium1 or
 ,boron4 ,under the history of ,sulphur1

 he gives us the true theory of the     
process by which sulphuric acid is      
produced by the combustion of that body 
in mixture with nitre1 and which had    
never before been explained in any      
chemical work4  ,,the ,,fifth ,,division
 contains the ,metals2 their primary    
combinations with other undecompounded  
bodies1 and with each other4  ,in the   
order of classification adopted on this 
occasion1 the newly discovered          
inflammable metals1 producing by        
combustion alkalies1 alkaline earths1   
and earths1 commence the series2 next   
come those which produce oxides2 and    
lastly1 those which produce acids4 ,thus
 are we presented with a chain of       
gradations of resemblance which may be  
traced throughout the whole series of   
metallic bodies4  ,,the ,,sixth         
,,division comprehends certain bodies   
7the ,fluoric ,principle1 and the       
,ammoniacal ,amalgam7 which present some
 extraordinary and anomalous results4   
,it is worthy of remark1 that1 at the   

period at which this work was written1  
,davy considered the peculiar acid      
developed from fluor spar1 by the action
 of sulphuric acid1 as a compound of an 
acid unknown in a separate state1 and   
water2 whence he proposed to call it    
,hydro-fluoric acid1--a term extremely  
objectionable from its ambiguity1 since 
it would indicate either hydrogen or    
water as one of its constituents4 ,at   
the conclusion1 however1 of this        
chapter1 in consequence of having       
observed certain phenomena displayed by 
this gas1 when in combination with      
silica and boracic acid1 he for a moment
 seems to have caught the truth1 but it 
as quickly eluded his grasp1 and he     
dismisses the conjecture which it was   
his good fortune some years afterwards  
to verify1 viz4 that the fluoric acid is
 a compound of an unknown principle1    
analogous to chlorine1 with hydrogen and
 water1 and that fluor spar is a        
compound of the same principle with     
calcium1 or the base of lime4  ,,the    

,,seventh ,,division offers to the      
chemical enquirer various speculations1 
as to the probable nature of certain    
bodies hitherto undecompounded4 ,he     
observes1 that we know nothing of the   
true elements belonging to nature2 but  
as far as we can reason from the        
relations of the properties of matter1  
that hydrogen is the substance which    
approaches nearest to what the elements 
may be supposed to be4 ,it has energetic
 powers of combination1 its parts are   
highly repulsive of each other1 and     
attractive of the particles of other    
matter2 it enters into combination in a 
quantity very much smaller than any     
other substance1 and in this respect it 
is approached by no known body4 ,after  
hydrogen1 oxygen perhaps partakes most  
of the elementary character3 it has a   
greater energy of attraction1 and1 with 
the exception just stated1 enters into  
combination in the smallest proportion4 
,in conclusion1 he hints at the         
possibility of the same ponderable      

matter in different electrical states1  
or in different arrangements1           
constituting substances chemically      
different1 and he thinks that there are 
parallel cases in the different states  
in which bodies are found connected with
 their different relations to           
temperature3 thus1 steam1 ice1 and      
water1 are the same ponderable matter2  
and certain quantities of steam and ice 
mixed together produce ice-cold water4  
,that the forms of natural bodies may   
depend upon different arrangements of   
the same particles of matter1 has been a
 favourite hypothesis1 advanced in the  
earliest era of physical research1 and  
often supported by the reasonings of the
 ablest philosophers4 ,this sublime     
chemical speculation1 sanctioned by the 
authority of ,hooke1 ,newton1 and       
,boscovich1 must not be confounded with 
the ideas advanced by the alchemists1   
concerning the convertibility of the    
elements into each other4 ,the possible 
transmutation of metals has generally   

been reasoned upon1 not as a            
philosophical research1 but as an       
empirical process4 ,those who have      
asserted the actual production of the   
precious metals1 or their decomposition1
 or who have defended the chimera of the
 philosopher's stone1 have been either  
impostors1 or men deluded by impostors4 
,in this age of rational enquiry1 it    
will be useless to decry the practices  
of the adepts1 or to caution the public 
against confounding the hypothetical    
views respecting the elements founded   
upon distinct analogies1 with the dreams
 of alchemical visionaries1 most of     
whom1 as an author of the last century  
justly observed1 professed an art       
without principles1 the beginning of    
which was deceit1 and the end poverty4  
,on the #ahth of ,june #ahab1 ,davy     
presented to the ,royal ,society a paper
 entitled ,on some ,combinations of     
,phosphorus and ,sulphur2 and on some   
other subjects of ,chemical ,inquiry4   
,by the researches detailed in this     

,memoir1 he accomplished three important
 objects3 he established the existence  
of some new compounds--furnished        
additional evidence in support of the   
doctrine of definite proportions--and   
ascertained that most of the substances 
obtained from aqueous solutions by      
precipitation1 are compounds of water1  
or ,hydrats4 ,in the first place1 he    
recognised the formation of two distinct
 compounds of phosphorus and chlorine3  
one1 solid1 white1 and crystalline in   
its appearance2 the other1 fluid1 limpid
 as water1 and volatile4 ,the latter    
body he found to contain just double as 
much chlorine as the former4  ,on       
experimenting upon this latter body with
 water1 he obtained a crystallized      
substance which he proposed to call     
,hydro-phosphorous acid1 since it       
consists of pure phosphorous acid and   
water4 ,by decomposition in close       
vessels1 it is resolved into phosphoric 
acid1 and a peculiar gas1 consisting of 
one proportional of phosphorus and four 

of hydrogen1 and for which he proposed  
the term ,hydro-phosphorous gas4 ,the   
reader1 no doubt1 will be immediately   
struck with the impropriety of a        
nomenclature in which the prefix ,hydro 
is made to express water in the former1 
and hydrogen in the latter instance4    
,in examining the results of the mutual 
decomposition of water and the          
phosphoric compounds of chlorine1 ,davy 
remarks1 that it is scarcely possible to
 imagine more perfect demonstrations of 
the laws of definite combination3 no    
products are formed except the new      
combinations1 7phosphoric acid from the 
solid1 phosphorous acid1 from the liquid
 compound1 and in both muriatic acid27  
neither oxygen1 hydrogen1 chlorine1 nor 
phosphorus1 is disengaged2 and therefore
 the ratio in which any two of them     
combine being known1 the ratio in which 
the rest combine1 in these cases1 may be
 determined by calculation4  ,lastly1 he
 ascertained that most of the substances
 obtained by precipitation from aqueous 

solutions are compounds of water3 thus  
zircona1 magnesia1 and silica1 when     
precipitated and dried at #bab1 still   
contain definite proportions of water2  
and many of the substances which had    
been considered as metallic oxides1 he  
found1 when obtained from solutions1 to 
agree in this respect2 and that their   
colours and other properties are        
materially influenced by this combined  
water4  ,on the #eth of ,november #ahab1
 was read before the ,royal ,society a  
letter addressed by ,davy to ,sir       
,joseph ,banks1 on the subject of the   
detonating compound already alluded to  
in his communications to ,mr4 ,children4
 ,he expresses his anxiety to have the  
circumstances made public as speedily as
 possible1 since experiments upon the   
substance may be connected with very    
dangerous results4  ,he had some time   
before received information from ,paris 
of a combination having been effected   
between chlorine and azote1 and that it 
was distinguished by detonating         

properties2 but he was wholly ignorant  
of the mode by which it had been        
prepared1 and he could not obtain any   
information upon this point from any of 
the ,french journals4  ,so curious and  
important a result could not fail to    
interest him1 as he had himself been    
long engaged in experiments on the      
action of azote and chlorine1 without   
gaining any decided proofs of their     
power of combining with each other4 ,it 
was evident from the notice1 that this  
new body could not be formed in any     
operations in which heat is concerned2  
he therefore attempted to combine the   
elements by presenting them to each     
other artificially cooled1 the azote    
being in a nascent state4 ,for this     
purpose he introduced chlorine into a   
solution of ammonia2 a violent action   
ensued1 and minute films of a yellow    
colour were observed on the surface of  
the liquor1 but they immediately        
resolved themselves into gas4 ,as he was
 about to repeat the experiment with    

some other ammoniacal compounds1 ,mr4   
,children reminded him of the           
circumstance which he had previously    
communicated to him in a letter1 that   
,mr4 ,james ,burton1 junr1 on exposing  
chlorine to a solution of nitrate of    
ammonia1 had observed the formation of a
 yellow oil1 but which he had not been  
able to collect4 ,davy availed himself  
of the hint1 and obtained the substance 
in question3 on examining its properties
 by the application of heat1 the tube in
 which it was contained was shivered to 
atoms by its explosion1 and he received 
a severe wound in the transparent       
cornea1 which was followed by           
inflammation1 and disabled him from     
pursuing his enquiry4  ,in the following
 ,july1 however1 he communicated in a   
second letter to ,sir ,joseph ,banks1   
the continuation of this enquiry1 and   
furnished a full and satisfactory       
history of the body in question4 ,having
 procured it in sufficient quantity1 he 
attempted to effect its analysis by the 

action of mercury1 but a violent        
detonation occurred1 and he was again   
wounded in the head and hands2          
fortunately1 however1 the injury was    
slight1 in consequence of his having    
taken the precaution to defend his face 
by a plate of glass attached to a proper
 cap4  ,in a subsequent experiment1 by  
using smaller quantities1 and recently  
distilled mercury1 he succeeded in      
obtaining results without any violence  
of action3 the mercury united with the  
chlorine1 and the azote was disengaged2 
from which he was enabled to conclude   
that it was composed of four volumes of 
chlorine and one volume of azote4 ,for  
this new body ,davy suggested the name  
of ,azotane2 but ,i have already        
observed1 that his nomenclature of the  
compounds of chlorine has never been    
adopted2 the detonating substance is now
 very properly denominated ,chloride of 
,nitrogen4  ,shortly after the          
publication of this paper1 ,m4          
,berzelius1 in a letter to ,professor   

,gilbert1 asserted that ,azotane is     
nothing more than dry nitro-muriatic    
acid1 since it dissolves slowly in      
water1 and forms a weak aqua regia4     
,these few observations1 says he1 show  
clearly that ,davy's analysis of this   
substance is inaccurate1 and that he    
corrected his results in consequence of 
theoretical views4  ,this was an        
imputation upon the philosophical       
character of ,davy1 which excited in him
 no small degree of indignation4 ,in    
reply he says1 ,it is difficult to      
discover what meaning ,m4 ,berzelius    
attaches to the term dry nitro-muriatic 
acid2 and it is wholly unnecessary to   
refute so unfounded and vague an        
assertion4  ,on ,july #h1 #ahac1 a paper
 was read by ,davy before the ,royal    
,society1 entitled ,some ,experiments   
and ,observations on the ,substances    
produced in different chemical processes
 on ,fluor ,spar4  ,the views which he  
formerly entertained with respect to the
 fluoric acid have been already         

noticed3#ajc in the present paper he    
renounces his previous opinions1 and    
establishes1 by experiments of the most 
satisfactory character1 that the base of
 fluoric acid is a highly energetic body
 not hitherto obtained in an insulated  
form1 and the properties peculiar to    
which are as yet unknown4 ,it appears1  
however1 to belong to the class of      
negative electrics1 and1 like oxygen and
 chlorine1 to have a powerful affinity  
for hydrogen and metallic substances4   
,with hydrogen1 it constitutes the      
peculiar and very powerful acid long    
known by the name of fluoric acid1--with
 boron1 the fluoboric1 and with         
silicium1 the silicated-fluoric1 acids4 
,although this theory had originally    
suggested itself to the mind of ,davy1  
yet the chemical world is unquestionably
 indebted to ,m4 ,ampre for establishing
 it2 and the ,english chemist has very  
justly acknowledged the obligation4     
,during the period that ,i was engaged  
in these investigations1 says he1 ,i    

received two letters from ,m4 ,ampre1 of
 ,paris1 containing many ingenious and  
original arguments in favour of the     
analogy between the muriatic and fluoric
 compounds4 ,m4 ,ampre communicated his 
views to me in the most liberal manner3 
they were formed in consequence of my   
ideas on chlorine1 and supported by     
reasonings drawn from the experiments of
 ,,mm4 ,gay ,lussac and ,thnard4    #ajc
 ,see page #cfd4  ,it has been stated   
that ,davy gave his last public lecture 
on the #ith of ,april #ahab2 he however 
afterwards delivered an occasional      
lecture to the ,managers1 on his own    
discoveries1 and did not formally resign
 his professorship until the next year4 
,the following record has been extracted
 from the ,journal of the ,institution4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,minutes of the ,proceedings of a       
general ,monthly ,meeting of the        
,members of the ,royal ,institution1    
held on ,monday1 ,april #e1 #ahac4      
,earl of ,winchelsea1 ,president1 in the

 ,chair4  ,this being the meeting       
appointed by ,article #b4 chap4 xix4 of 
the bye-laws1 for putting in nomination 
from the chair the professors for the   
year ensuing1 ,sir ,humphry ,davy rose1 
and begged leave to resign his situation
 of ,professor of ,chemistry2 but he by 
no means wished to give up his          
connection with the ,royal ,institution1
 as he should ever be happy to          
communicate his researches1 in the first
 instance1 to the ,institution1 in the  
manner he did in the presence of the    
members last ,wednesday1 and to do all  
in his power to promote the interest and
 success of this ,institution4  ,sir ,h4
 ,davy having retired1 ,earl ,spencer   
moved1 ,that the thanks of this ,meeting
 be returned to ,sir ,h4 ,davy1 for the 
inestimable services rendered by him to 
the ,royal ,institution4 ,this motion   
was seconded by the ,earl of ,darnley1  
and on being put1 was carried           
unanimously4  ,earl ,spencer further    
moved1 ,that in order more strongly to  

mark the high sense entertained by this 
,meeting of the merits of ,sir ,h4      
,davy1 he be elected ,honorary          
,professor of ,chemistry2 which1 on     
being seconded by the ,earl of ,darnley1
 met with unanimous approbation4  ,the  
,chairman having declared the           
,professorship of ,chemistry vacant1 put
 in nomination ,william ,thomas ,brande1
 ,esq4 ,f4,r4,s4 as a candidate for that
 office1 with a salary of #bjjl4 per    
annum4  ,on ,monday1 ,june #g1 #ahac1   
,william ,thomas ,brande1 ,esq4 was     
unanimously elected4         99       99
       99       99       99  ,in ,march 
#ahac1 ,davy published his ,elements of 
,agricultural ,chemistry1 being the     
substance of a course of lectures which 
he had1 for ten successive seasons1     
delivered before the members of the     
,board of ,agriculture1 to whom the work
 is inscribed1 as a mark of the author's
 respect4  ,this work1 which may be     
considered as the only system of        
philosophical agriculture ever published

 in this country1 has not only          
contributed to the advancement of       
science1 but to that for which he has an
 equal claim upon our gratitude1--the   
diffusion of a taste amongst the higher 
classes for its cultivation2 for it has 
been wisely remarked1 that not he alone 
is to be esteemed a benefactor to       
mankind who makes an useful discovery1  
but he1 also1 who can point out an      
innocent pleasure4  ,it has been already
 stated1 that ,davy became early        
impressed with the importance of the    
subject3--that in future life its       
investigation should have been to him so
 fertile a source of pleasure1 may be   
readily imagined1 when it is remembered 
with what passionate delight he         
contemplated the ever varying forms of  
creation4 ,i am1 said he1 a lover of    
,nature1 with an ungratified            
imagination1 and ,i shall continue to   
search for untasted charms--for hidden  
beauties4 ,in unfolding1 then1 the      
secrets of vegetable life1 he did but   

remove the veil from his mistress4 ,from
 the same poetical feeling sprang his   
love of angling3 it was a pursuit which 
carried him into the wild and beautiful 
scenery of ,nature1 amongst the mountain
 lakes1 and the clear and lovely streams
 that gush from elevated hills1 or make 
their way through the cavities of       
calcareous strata4#ajd ,in the early    
spring1 it led him forth upon the fresh 
turf in the vernal sunshine1 to scent   
the odour of the bank perfumed by the   
violet1 and enamelled with the primrose1
 while his heart participated in the    
renovated gladness of ,nature4    #ajd  
,see his ,salmonia1 ,edit4 #b4 p4 #i4   
,i had hoped that1 amidst the voluminous
 correspondence of my late friend ,mr4  
,arthur ,young1 some important letters  
might have been found from ,davy on     
agricultural subjects2 but the          
communications which took place between 
them were generally in conversation1 and
 ,i have therefore only been able to    
procure two letters1 which ,i shall here

 insert3 the first will show that1      
during his tours1 his attention was     
alive to the practices of husbandry2 and
 the second will prove that he had once 
seriously contemplated the labour of    
writing the agricultural history of his 
native county4       ,,to ,,arthur      
,,young1 ,,esq4      ,killarney1 ,june  
#ahjf4      ,,dear ,,sir1      ,you have
 been of great and durable service to   
,ireland4 ,i have met     with a number 
of persons who have been enlightened by 
your labours1     and who now follow an 
enlightened system of ,agriculture4 ,one
 very     intelligent gentleman you will
 recollect1--,mr4 ,bolton of ,waterford3
     he is zealously pursuing           
improvements1 and is instructing his    
neighbours by precept and example4 ,i   
am1 c4      ,h4 ,,davy4   ,the above    
letter contains also some observations  
on a chemical mixture1 but which is     
unintelligible from our being ignorant  
of the conversation to which it refers4 
,,to ,,the ,,same4      ,april1 #ahjg4  

,,dear ,,sir1      ,i called this       
morning with the hope of seeing you1 and
 of gaining     some explanation on the 
subject of your note4 ,i shall not be   
able     to leave ,london until the     
middle of ,july1 and ,i must return     
early     in ,october4      ,i do not   
think there would be sufficient time    
between these periods     for           
accomplishing the objects you mention2  
nor do ,i think myself     qualified to 
write upon the agriculture of a county4 
,i wished     likewise to devote the    
leisure of this summer to the           
preparation of     my lectures on the   
,chemistry of ,agriculture for          
publication4 ,i have     a great deal of
 information concerning the mineralogy  
and geology     of ,cornwall1 but none  
concerning the farming4      ,if the    
business admits of being postponed1 ,i  
might perhaps be able     to accomplish 
it next summer2 that is1 by devoting a  
part of this     summer1 and the whole  
of my next3 but ,i would rather confine 

myself     to my own province1 the      
mineralogy and geology of the county1   
and     leave the agriculture to abler  
hands4      ,be pleased to receive my   
thanks1 and to communicate them to the  
,president for the honour of the        
proposal4 ,i remain1 c4      ,h4 ,,davy4
   ,the majority of my readers will     
probably concur in the wisdom of this   
decision3 they will consider that to    
have doomed ,davy to a drudgery of this 
nature1 would have been wasting talents 
upon an object which might be           
accomplished by smaller means4 ,from my 
acquaintance1 however1 with ,cornwall1  
,i am induced to form a different       
opinion4 ,davy never approached even    
those subjects which had already        
received from others the most thorough  
investigation1 without extracting from  
them new and important truths4 ,what1   
then1 might not have been expected from 
his genius1 when applied to a department
 upon which the light of science had    
scarcely dawned8  ,it is only in a      

primitive country like ,cornwall1 that  
the natural relations between the       
varieties of soil and the subjacent     
rocks can be studied with success3 as we
 advance to alluvial districts1 such    
relations become gradually less distinct
 and apparent1 and are ultimately lost  
in the confused complication of the soil
 itself1 and in that general obscurity  
which envelopes every object in the     
ulterior stages of decomposition4 ,we   
can1 therefore1 only hope to succeed in 
such an investigation by a patient and  
laborious examination of a primitive    
country1 after which we may be enabled  
to extend our enquiries with greater    
advantage through those regions which   
are more completely covered with soil1  
and obscured by luxuriant vegetation2 as
 the eye1 acquainted with the human     
figure1 on gazing upon a beautiful      
statue1 traces the outline of the limbs1
 and the swelling contour of its form1  
through the flowing draperies which     
invest it4 ,the importance of the       

subject1 as well as the general interest
 it has excited1 induce me to offer an  
analysis of his ,elements of            
,agricultural ,chemistry4  ,the work is 
divided into eight lectures2 and in his 
introductory chapter1 after adverting to
 the difficulties which the enquiry     
presents to the lecturer1 he offers a   
general view of the objects of the      
course1 and of the order in which he    
proposes to discuss them4  ,agricultural
 ,chemistry has not yet received a      
regular and systematic form4 ,it has    
been pursued by competent experimenters 
for a short time only2 the doctrines    
have not as yet been collected into an  
elementary treatise2 and on an occasion 
when ,i am obliged to trust so much to  
my own arrangements1 and to my own      
limited information1 ,i cannot but feel 
diffident as to the interest that may be
 excited1 and doubtful of the success of
 the undertaking4 ,i know1 however1 that
 your candour will induce you not to    
expect any thing like a finished work   

upon a science as yet in its infancy2   
and ,i am sure you will receive with    
indulgence the first attempt made to    
illustrate it1 in a distinct course of  
lectures4  ,agricultural ,chemistry has 
for its objects all those changes in the
 arrangements of matter connected with  
the growth and nourishment of plants2   
the comparative values of their produce 
as food2 the constitution of soils2 and 
the manner in which lands are enriched  
by manure1 or rendered fertile by the   
different processes of cultivation4     
,that such objects are intimately       
connected with the doctrines of         
chemistry1 he proceeds to show by       
several appropriate and striking        
illustrations4  ,if land be             
unproductive1 and a system of           
ameliorating it is to be attempted1 the 
sure method of obtaining the object is1 
by determining the cause of its         
sterility1 which must necessarily depend
 upon some defect in the constitution of
 the soil1 which may be easily          

discovered by chemical analysis4 ,are   
any of the salts of iron present8 they  
may be decomposed by lime4 ,is there an 
excess of siliceous sand8 the system of 
improvement must depend on the          
application of clay and calcareous      
matter4 ,is there a defect of calcareous
 matter8 the remedy is obvious4 ,is an  
excess of vegetable matter indicated8 it
 may be removed by liming1 paring1 and  
burning4 ,is there a deficiency of      
vegetable matter8 it is to be supplied  
by manure4  ,in the selection also of   
the remedy1 after the discovery of the  
evil1 chemical knowledge is of the      
highest importance4 ,limestone varies in
 its composition1 and by its            
indiscriminate application we may       
aggravate the sterility we seek to      
obviate4 ,peat earth is an excellent    
manure1 but it may contain such an      
excess of iron as to be absolutely      
poisonous to plants4 ,how are such      
difficulties to be met but by the       
resources of chemistry8 ,it is also     

evident that the scientific             
agriculturist should possess a general  
knowledge of the nature and composition 
of material bodies1 and the laws of     
their changes2 for the surface of the   
earth1 the atmosphere1 and the water    
deposited from it1 must1 either together
 or separately1 afford all the          
principles concerned in vegetation2 and 
it is only by examining the chemical    
nature of these principles1 that we are 
capable of discovering what is the food 
of plants1 and the manner in which this 
food is supplied and prepared for their 
nourishment4  ,davy likewise advocates  
the necessity of studying the phenomena 
of vegetation1 as an important branch of
 the science of organized nature2 for1  
although exalted above inorganic matter1
 vegetables are yet in a great measure  
dependent for their existence upon its  
laws4 ,they receive their nourishment   
from the external elements2 they        
assimilate it by means of peculiar      
organs2 and it is by examining their    

physical and chemical constitution1 and 
the substances and powers which act upon
 them1 and the modifications which they 
undergo1 that the scientific principles 
of ,agricultural ,chemistry are         
obtained4  ,with respect1 however1 to   
the practical utility of this latter    
branch1 different opinions have been    
entertained4 ,i confess1 ,i am inclined 
to agree with an able reviewer#aje when 
he says1 ,it is the proper business of  
the chemist to examine and ascertain the
 nature and properties of dead and      
inorganized matter1 and the various     
combinations which1 according to        
chemical laws1 it is capable of forming4
 ,the chemical composition of organized 
bodies1 and of the products which they  
form1 fall likewise under his           
cognizance2 but when he proceeds to     
consider the physical constitution of   
these bodies1 and the manner in which   
they act in forming their products1 he  
no longer works with the instruments of 
the laboratory1 or conducts processes   

which can be properly imitated there4   
#aje ,edinburgh ,review1 vol4 #bb1 page 
#bec4  ,in concluding his introductory  
observations1 he remarks upon the       
prejudice which persons1 who argue in   
favour of practice and experience1 very 
commonly entertain against all attempts 
to improve agriculture by philosophical 
enquiries and chemical methods4 ,that   
much vague speculation may be found in  
the works of those who have lightly     
taken up agricultural chemistry1 it is  
impossible to deny4 ,it is not uncommon 
to find a number of changes rung upon a 
string of technical terms1 such as      
oxygen1 hydrogen1 carbon1 and azote1 as 
if the science depended upon words1     
rather than upon things4 ,but this is1  
in fact1 an argument for the necessity  
of the establishment of just principles 
of chemistry on the subject4--,if a     
person journeying in the night wishes to
 avoid being led astray by the ignis    
fatuus1 the most secure method is to    
carry a lamp in his own hand4  ,there is

 no idea more unfounded than that a     
great devotion of time1 and a minute    
knowledge of general chemistry1 are     
necessary for pursuing experiments on   
the nature of soils1 or the properties  
of manures4 ,the expense connected with 
chemical enquiries is extremely         
trifling3 a small closet is sufficient  
for containing all the materials        
required4  ,in the ,,second ,,lecture1  
he enters upon the consideration of the 
general powers of matter1 such as       
gravitation1 cohesion1 chemical         
attraction1 heat1 light1 and            
electricity2 and then proceeds to       
examine the elements of matter1 and the 
laws of their combinations and          
arrangements4  ,to an audience          
constituted of persons who were not     
familiar with the elementary principles 
of the science1 it might have been very 
necessary for the lecturer to enter upon
 such preliminary details2 but there    
cannot be any good reason for his having
 published them in his system4 ,as they 

are to be found in every work on        
chemistry1 it will not be necessary to  
bestow upon them any further notice4    
,in the ,,third ,,lecture1 he enters    
into a description of the organization  
and living system of plants2 in which he
 connects together into a general view1 
the observations of the most enlightened
 philosophers who have studied the      
physiology of vegetation--those of      
,grew1 ,malpighi1 ,sennebier1 ,hales1   
,decandolle1 ,saussure1 ,bonnet1        
,darwin1 ,smith1 and above all1 of ,mr4 
,knight1 whose enquiries upon these     
subjects are not only the latest1 but by
 far the most satisfactory and          
conclusive4  ,as there is little in     
these descriptions that may not be found
 in the original authors1 ,i shall not  
unnecessarily trespass upon the time of 
the reader by relating them4 ,in the    
latter part of this lecture1 he         
describes the properties and ultimate   
composition of the proximate principles 
of which vegetable matter consists1 and 

into which it may be resolved by        
different processes of art2 such are    
gum1 starch1 sugar1 albumen1 gluten1    
extract1 tannin1 resin1 oils1 c4 c4 ,but
 since the publication of this work1    
vegetable analysis has advanced to a    
degree of refinement which could        
scarcely have been anticipated in so    
short a period1 and consequently many of
 his statements appear deficient2 but   
his general directions for conducting an
 analysis of any vegetable substance1   
with a degree of accuracy sufficient for
 the views of the agriculturist1 remain 
unimpeached4  ,the most valuable1 and   
more strictly original part of this     
lecture1 is his statement of the        
quantity of soluble or nutritive matters
 contained in varieties of the different
 substances that are used as articles of
 food1 either for man or cattle1 and    
which he has displayed in a tabular     
form4  ,the analyses were his own1 and  
were conducted with a view to a         
knowledge of the general nature and     

quantity of the products1 rather than to
 that of their intimate chemical        
composition4 ,he proceeded upon the     
assumption1 that the excellence of the  
different articles1 as food1 will be in 
a great measure proportional to the     
quantities of soluble matter they       
afford2 although he admits that these   
quantities cannot be regarded as        
absolutely denoting their value4        
,albuminous or glutinous matters have   
the characters of animal substances2    
sugar is more1 and extractive matter    
less nourishing than any other          
principles composed of carbon1 hydrogen1
 and oxygen4 ,certain combinations      
likewise of these substances may be more
 nutritive than others4 ,there are some 
principles also1 which1 although soluble
 in the vessels of the chemist1 pass    
through the alimentary canal of animals 
without change2 such is tannin3 on the  
other hand1 there are bodies which1     
although sparingly soluble in water1 are
 readily acted upon by the gastric      

juice2 gluten is a principle of this    
description4  ,shortly after ,dr4       
,wollaston published his scale of       
chemical equivalents1 it occurred to me 
that by applying the sliding rule to a  
series of nutritive substances1 arranged
 according to the analyses of ,davy1    
some curious and important problems#ajf 
might be solved2 or at least1 that the  
accuracy of the conclusions might be    
thus conveniently submitted to the test 
of practice4 ,i accordingly             
superintended the construction of such  
an instrument1 and submitted it to      
,davy1 who expressed his approbation of 
the principle1 but doubted how far the  
accuracy of his analyses would justify  
the experiment4    #ajf ,for            
example3--,what weight of wheat is      
equivalent to a given   weight of oats1 
barley1 rye1 c48 ,suppose three hundred 
pounds of   potatoes feed twenty head of
 cattle for any given time1 how many    
will the same weight of oats feed8  ,to 
such a scheme1 however1 ,i soon found   

that there existed a much more serious  
objection4 ,the operation of the        
insoluble matter had been wholly        
neglected2 and whatever views the       
chemist may entertain1 the experience of
 the physiologist has established1      
beyond doubt1 the influence of such     
matter in the process of digestion4 ,the
 capacity of the alimentary organs of   
graminivorous animals sufficiently      
proves that they were designed for the  
reception of a large bulk of food1 and  
not for provender in which the nutritive
 matter is concentrated2 and since the  
gramineous and leguminous vegetables do 
not present this matter in a separate   
state1 and the animal is not furnished  
with an apparatus by which he can remove
 it1 the obvious inference is1 that he  
was designed to feed indiscriminately   
upon the whole2 and that1 unless bulk be
 taken into the account1 no fair        
inference can be deduced as to the      
nutritive value of different vegetables4
  ,notwithstanding the difficulties     

which prevent our arriving at any thing 
like an accurate conclusion upon so     
complicated a subject1 the results may  
be received as affording some general   
views with regard to the comparative    
value of different nutritive vegetables4
 ,it would thus appear that at least a  
fourth part of the weight of the potatoe
 consists of nutritive matter1 which is 
principally starch2--that wheat consists
 of as much as ninety-five1 barley of   
ninety-two1 oats of seventy-five1 rye of
 eighty1 and peas and beans of about    
fifty-seven per cent4 of nutritive      
matter4  ,the ,,fourth ,,lecture        
comprises subjects of the utmost        
importance1 and must be considered as   
constituting by far the most original   
and valuable division of the work4 ,it  
treats of soils1--their constituent     
parts1 their chemical analysis1 their   
uses1 their improvement1 and of the     
rocks and strata found beneath their    
surface4  ,in the execution of this part
 of his labours1 he has not only        

improved on the processes of ,fordyce   
and ,kirwan1 but he has enriched the    
subject with much interesting and novel 
research4  ,soils1 although extremely   
diversified in appearance and quality1  
consist of comparatively few elements1  
which are in various states of chemical 
combination1 or of mechanical mixture4  
,these substances are silica1 lime1     
alumina1 magnesia1 the oxides of iron1  
and of manganese2 animal and vegetable  
matters in a state of decomposition2    
together with certain saline bodies1    
such as common salt1 sulphate of        
magnesia1 sometimes sulphate of iron1   
nitrates of lime and magnesia1 sulphate 
of potash1 and the carbonates of potash 
and soda4  ,the silica in soils is      
usually combined with alumina and oxide 
of iron2 or with alumina1 lime1         
magnesia1 and oxide of iron1 forming    
gravel and sand of different degrees of 
fineness4 ,the carbonate of lime is     
usually in an impalpable form2 but      
sometimes in the state of calcareous    

sand4 ,the magnesia1 if not combined in 
the gravel and sand of the soil1 is in a
 fine powder united to carbonic acid4   
,the impalpable part of the soil1 which 
is commonly called clay or loam1        
consists of silica1 alumina1 lime1 and  
magnesia2 and is1 in fact1 visually of  
the same composition as the hard sand1  
but more finely divided4 ,the vegetable1
 or animal matters 7and the first is by 
far the most common in soils17 exist in 
different states of decomposition4 ,they
 are sometimes fibrous1 sometimes       
entirely broken down and mixed with the 
soil4  ,to form a just idea of soils1 it
 is necessary to conceive different     
rocks decomposed1 or ground into parts  
and powder of different degrees of      
fineness2 some of their soluble parts   
dissolved by water1 and that water      
adhering to the mass1 and the whole     
mixed with larger or smaller quantities 
of the remains of vegetables and        
animals1 in different stages of decay4  
,soils1 then1 would appear to have been 

originally produced from the            
disintegration of rocks and strata2 and 
hence there must be at least as many    
varieties of them1 as there are species 
of rocks exposed at the surface of the  
earth2 and they may be distinguished by 
names derived from the rocks from which 
they were formed4 ,thus1 if a fine red  
earth be found immediately above        
decomposing basalt1 it may be           
denominated basaltic soil4 ,if fragments
 of quartz and mica be found abundant1  
it may be denominated granitic soil2 and
 the same principles may be extended to 
other analogous cases4  ,a general      
knowledge then of geology becomes       
essential to the scientific             
agriculturist1 not only to enable him to
 form a correct judgment with respect to
 the connection between the varieties of
 soil and the subjacent rocks1 but to   
direct him to the different mineral     
substances which may be associated      
together in their vicinity1 and which   
may contain principles capable of       

extending their fertility1 or of        
correcting the circumstances upon which 
their poverty or barrenness may depend4 
,with this conviction1 ,davy proceeds to
 offer a general view of the nature and 
position of rocks and strata in nature2 
but which1 ,i confess1 appears to me to 
be wholly useless to those who have any 
acquaintance with the subject1 and far  
too meagre to convey any instruction to 
those who have not made this branch of  
science an object of study4  ,upon this 
view1 however1 he has grounded a number 
of valuable remarks2 although his       
observations appear to have been too    
limited to enable him to do justice to a
 subject of such extent and importance4 
,had he fulfilled his intention of      
making a survey of the county of        
,cornwall1 the science must have been   
greatly advanced by his labours1 for    
there is no district in ,great ,britain 
so rich in fact1 and so capable of      
elucidating the history of soil1 and the
 advantages of cultivation1 when        

conducted on the principles of chemical 
philosophy4 ,the soils superincumbent   
upon the different rocks are distinct   
and characteristic2 and even in the same
 species varieties may be observed1 in  
consequence of geological peculiarities4
 ,i have1 for instance1 found that the  
fertility of a granitic soil is         
increased by the abundance of felspar in
 the parent rock2--that of a slaty soil 
by the degree of inclination or dip of  
the strata3 but the most extraordinary  
circumstance perhaps connected with this
 subject1 is the very remarkable        
fertility of the land which lies over   
the junction of these rocks1--so obvious
 indeed is it1 that the eye alone is    
sufficient to trace it4  ,we are        
indebted to the author1 in this lecture1
 for some very ingenious and important  
remarks on the relations of different   
soils to heat and moisture1 and for a   
series of experiments by which his views
 are supported4  ,some soils1 he        
observes1 are more easily heated and    

more easily cooled than others3 for     
example1 those that consist principally 
of a stiff white clay are heated with   
difficulty2 and being usually very      
moist1 they retain their heat only for a
 short time4 ,chalks also are           
difficultly heated2 but being dryer1    
they retain their heat longer1 less     
being consumed in the process of        
evaporation4  ,a black soil1 and those  
that contain much carbonaceous or       
ferruginous matter1 acquire a higher    
temperature by exposure to the sun1 than
 pale-coloured soils4  ,when soils are  
perfectly dry1 those that most readily  
become heated1 most rapidly cool2 but   
the darkest-coloured dry soil1 abounding
 in animal and vegetable matters1 cools 
more slowly than a wet pale soil1       
composed entirely of earthy matter4     
,these results ,davy gained by          
experiments made on different kinds of  
soils1 exposed for a given time to the  
sun1 and in the shade2 the degrees of   
heating and cooling having been         

accurately ascertained by the           
thermometer4  ,nothing can be more      
evident1 than that the genial heat of   
the soil1 particularly in spring1 must  
be of the highest importance to the     
rising plant4 ,and when the leaves are  
fully developed1 the ground is shaded1  
and any injurious influence1 which in   
the summer might be expected from too   
great a heat1 entirely prevented2 so    
that the temperature of the surface1    
when bare and exposed to the rays of the
 sun1 affords at least one indication of
 the degree of its fertility2 and the   
thermometer may therefore be sometimes a
 useful instrument to the purchaser or  
improver of lands4  ,water is said to   
exist in soils1 either in a state of    
chemical combination1 or of cohesive    
attraction4 ,it is in the latter state  
only that it can be absorbed by the     
roots of plants1 unless in the case of  
the decomposition of animal and         
vegetable substances4 ,the more divided 
the parts of the soil are1 the greater  

is its attractive power for water2 and  
the addition of vegetable and animal    
matters still farther increases this    
power4  ,the quality of soils to absorb 
water from air1 is much connected with  
fertility4 ,davy informs us that he has 
compared this absorbent power in        
numerous instances1 and that he always  
found it greatest in the most productive
 lands3 he states1 however1 the         
important fact1 that those soils1 such  
for instance as stiff clays1 which take 
up the greatest quantity of water1 when 
it is poured upon them in a fluid form1 
are not such as absorb most moisture    
from the atmosphere in dry weather4     
,they cake1 and present only a small    
surface to the air1 and the vegetation  
on them is generally burnt up almost as 
readily as on sands4  ,there is probably
 no district in which the importance of 
moisture in relation to fertility is    
more apparent than in ,cornwall2 and    
there is a provincial saying1 that the  
land will bear a shower every weekday1  

and two upon a ,sunday3 indeed1 of such 
importance is moisture1 that it is by no
 means an uncommon practice to encourage
 the growth of weeds1 in order to       
diminish the evaporation2 a necessity   
which arises from the excess of         
siliceous matter in the soil4  ,to those
 who are disposed to prosecute this     
enquiry1 ,i should recommend a perusal  
of ,mr4 ,leslie's treatise on the       
,relations of ,air to ,heat and         
,moisture4  ,i must not quit the        
consideration of this lecture1 without  
adverting to the directions with which  
its author has furnished the            
philosophical farmer for analysing the  
different varieties of soil2 and which  
are so clear1 so perfect1 and above all 
so simple1 that they are now introduced 
into all elementary works on chemistry1 
as the only guide to such researches4   
,his method for ascertaining the        
quantity of carbonate of lime in any    
specimen1 consists in determining the   
loss of weight which takes place on its 

admixture with muriatic acid2 for since 
carbonate of lime1 in all its states1   
contains a determinate proportion of    
carbonic acid1 it is evident that1 by   
estimating the quantity of elastic      
matter given out1 the proportion of     
carbonate of lime will be known4 ,for   
conducting this experiment1 he contrived
 a very simple and ingenious piece of   
pneumatic apparatus1 in which the bulk  
of the carbonic acid is at once measured
 by the quantity of water it displaces4 
,in his ,,fifth ,,lecture he enters upon
 the nature of the atmosphere1 and its  
influence on vegetables3 he also        
examines the process of the germination 
of seeds1 and the functions of plants in
 their different stages of growth2 and  
concludes with a general view of the    
progress of vegetation4  ,i shall merely
 mention a few of the more interesting  
points in this enquiry4  ,in            
illustrating the importance of water to 
the vegetable creation1 he observes that
 the atmosphere always contains water in

 its elastic and invisible form1 the    
quantity of which will vary with the    
temperature4 ,in proportion as the      
weather is hotter1 the quantity is      
greater2 and it is its condensation by  
diminution of temperature1 which gives  
rise to the phenomena of dew and mist4  
,the leaves of living plants appear to  
act upon this vapour1 and to absorb it4 
,some vegetables increase in weight from
 this cause1 when suspended in the      
atmosphere1 and unconnected with the    
soil2 such are the house-leek1 and      
different species of the aloe4 ,in very 
intense heats1 and when the soil is dry1
 the life of plants seems to be         
preserved by the absorbent powers of    
their leaves2 and it is a beautiful     
circumstance in the economy of ,nature1 
that aqueous vapour is most abundant in 
the atmosphere when it is most needed   
for the purposes of life2 and that when 
other sources of its supply are cut off1
 this is most copious4#ajg    #ajg ,the 
history of his native county would have 

furnished   him with a parallel instance
 of the intelligence and design   which 
,nature displays in connecting the wants
 and necessities   of the different     
parts of creation1 with the power and   
means   of supplying them4 ,in a        
primitive country like ,cornwall1 the   
siliceous soil necessarily requires much
 moisture1 and we may   perceive that   
the cause which occasions1 at the same  
time   supplies this want2 for the rocks
 elevated above the surface1   solicit a
 tribute from every passing cloud2 while
 in alluvial   and flat districts1 where
 the soil is rich1 deep1 and retentive  
of moisture1 the clouds float           
undisturbed over the plains1 and   the  
country frequently enjoys that          
uninterrupted series of dry   weather   
which is so necessary to its fertility4 
,linnus observes1   that the plants     
which chiefly grow upon the summit of   
mountains1   are rarely found in any    
other situation1 except in marshes1     
because the clouds arrested in their    

progress by such elevations1   keep the 
air in a state of perpetual moisture4   
,if water in its elastic and fluid      
states be essentially necessary to the  
economy of vegetation1 so even in its   
solid form1 it is not without its uses4 
,snow and ice are bad conductors of     
heat2 and at a period when the severity 
of the winter threatens the extinction  
of vegetable life1 ,nature kindly throws
 her snowy mantle over the surface2     
while in early spring the solution of   
the snow becomes the first nourishment  
of the plant2 at the same time1 the     
expansion of water in the act of        
congelation1 and the subsequent         
contraction of its bulk during a thaw1  
tend to pulverise the soil1 to separate 
its parts from each other1 and1 by      
making it more permeable to the         
influence of the air1 to prepare it for 
the offices it is destined to perform4  
,he next proceeds to consider the action
 of the atmosphere on plants1 and to    
connect it with a general view of the   

progress of vegetation4 ,he commences   
with examining its relations to         
germination4  ,if a healthy seed be     
moistened and exposed to air at a       
temperature not below #de1 it soon      
germinates2 it shoots forth a plume     
which rises upwards1 and a radicle which
 descends4  ,if the air be confined1 it 
is found that1 in the process of        
germination1 the oxygen1 or a part of   
it1 is absorbed4 ,the azote remains     
unaltered2 no carbonic acid is taken    
away from the air2 on the contrary1 some
 is added4 ,upon this point1 critics    
have been disposed to break a lance with
 ,sir ,humphry4  ,the doctrine1 let it  
be observed1 is at variance with the    
numerous experiments made on this       
subject by ,scheele1 ,cruickshank1 and  
,de ,saussure2 the results of which     
agree in proving1 that if seeds be      
confined and made to germinate in a     
given portion of air1 not a part only1  
but the whole of the oxygen is consumed2
 and that its place is supplied1 not    

merely by some1 but by an equal bulk of 
carbonic acid4  ,objections have been   
also started to his theory of the       
chemical changes which the seed         
undergoes during the process of         
germination3 but were ,i to enter upon  
these discussions1 time and space would 
alike fail me1 to say nothing of the    
patience of the reader1 which would be  
exhausted long before we could arrive at
 any satisfactory conclusion4 ,i shall  
for the same reasons pass over his      
observations upon the influence exerted 
upon growing plants on the air3 the     
subject is involved in much difficulty1 
which can be only removed by fresh      
experiments2 nor1 after all1 is the     
great question1 whether the purity of   
the atmosphere is maintained by         
vegetation1 of any practical moment1--it
 is one which partakes more of curiosity
 than of use1 and might therefore have  
been well dispensed with in a system of 
agriculture4  ,he agrees with many other
 philosophers in considering the process

 of malting as merely one in which      
germination is artificially produced1   
and in which the starch is changed into 
sugar1 which sugar is afterwards1 by    
fermentation1 converted into spirit4    
,it is1 he continues1 very evident from 
the chemical principles of germination1 
that the process should be carried on no
 farther than to produce the sprouting  
of the radicle1 and should be checked as
 soon as this has made its distinct     
appearance4 ,if it is pushed to such a  
degree as to occasion the perfect       
developement of the radicle and the     
plume1 a considerable quantity of       
saccharine matter will have been        
consumed in producing their expansion1  
and there will be less spirit formed in 
fermentation1 or produced in            
distillation4  ,as this circumstance is 
of some importance1 ,i made1 in ,october
 #ahjf1 an experiment relating to it4 ,i
 ascertained by the action of alcohol1  
the relative proportions of saccharine  
matter in two equal quantities of the   

same barley2 in one of which the        
germination had proceeded so far as to  
occasion protrusion of the radicle to   
nearly a quarter of an inch beyond the  
grain in most of the specimens1 and in  
the other of which it had been checked  
before the radicle was a line in length2
 the quantity of sugar afforded by the  
last was to that in the first nearly as 
six to five4  ,the whole of this subject
 appears to be debateable ground between
 the physiologists and chemists3 the one
 considering the change of starch into  
sugar as the result of the vital action 
of the seed2 the other affirming that   
the growth of the germ is in no way     
necessary to the result1 and is to be   
considered as a mere indication of the  
due degree of change being effected in  
the organic matter1 or1 in other words1 
that when the organized parts exhibit a 
certain degree of developement1 then the
 inorganic matter is most completely    
changed4 ,all growth beyond this is     
injurious1 as leading to a consumption  

of the inorganic matter4 ,all less than 
this is not otherwise disadvantageous1  
than as an indication that the inorganic
 matter is not duly changed4 ,this      
change1 it is farther affirmed1 so far  
from depending upon vegetable life1 can 
be wrought on the matter of the seed    
after it is even reduced to powder1 or  
is separated in the form of starch4 ,at 
all events1 it must be admitted as a    
beautiful arrangement in nature1 that   
the same agents which urge on the       
developement of the organized parts1    
should1 at the same time1 assist in     
preparing food for their support4  ,from
 this subject ,davy is very naturally   
led to the consideration of the ravages 
inflicted upon the infant plant by      
insects2 the saccharine matter in the   
cotyledons at the time of their change  
into seed-leaves1 rendering them        
exceedingly liable to such attacks4 ,he 
appears to have bestowed much attention 
on the turnip-fly1 a colyopterous       
insect1 which fixes itself upon the     

seed-leaves of the turnip at the time   
that they are beginning to perform their
 functions4 ,he relates the several     
remedies which have been proposed for   
this evil2 and from letters which have  
been put in my possession1 addressed to 
,dr4 ,cartwright as early as the year   
#ahjd1 he appears to have been engaged  
with that gentleman in experiments made 
by sprinkling the young plants with lime
 and urine4  ,after alluding to the     
parasitical plants of different species1
 which attach themselves to trees and   
shrubs1 feed on their juices1 destroy   
their health1 and finally their life1   
for which1 at present1 there does not   
exist any remedy1 he thus concludes his 
lecture3  ,to enumerate all the animal  
destroyers1 and tyrants of the vegetable
 kingdom1 would be to give a catalogue  
of the greater number of the classes in 
,zoology4 ,every species of plant almost
 is the peculiar resting-place1 or      
dominion1 of some insect tribe2 and from
 the locust1 the caterpillar1 and snail1

 to the minute aphis1 a wonderful       
variety of the inferior insects are     
nourished1 and live by their ravages    
upon the vegetable world4  ,the ,hessian
 fly1 still more destructive to wheat   
than the one which ravages the turnip   
plant1 has in some seasons threatened   
the ,united ,states with a famine4 ,and 
the ,french government is at this       
time#ajh issuing decrees with a view to 
occasion the destruction of the larv of 
the grasshopper4    #ajh ,january #ahac4
  ,in general1 wet weather is most      
favourable to the propagation of mildew1
 funguses1 rust1 and the small          
parasitical vegetables2 dry weather1 to 
the increase of the insect tribes4      
,nature1 amidst all her changes1 is     
continually directing her resources     
towards the production and              
multiplication of life2 and in the wise 
and grand economy of the whole system1  
even the agents that appear injurious to
 the hopes1 and destructive to the      
comforts of man1 are in fact ultimately 

connected with a more exalted state of  
his powers and his condition4 ,his      
industry is awakened1 his activity kept 
alive1 even by the defects of climates  
and season4 ,by the accidents which     
interfere with his efforts1 he is made  
to exert his talents1 to look farther   
into futurity1 and to consider the      
vegetable kingdom1 not as a secure and  
unalterable inheritance spontaneously   
providing for his wants1 but as a       
doubtful and insecure possession1 to be 
preserved only by labour1 and extended  
and perfected by ingenuity4  ,,his      
,,sixth ,,lecture treats of manures of  
animal and vegetable origin1 and of the 
general principles with respect to their
 uses and modes of application4  ,it is 
evident that plants1 by their growth1   
must gradually exhaust the soil of its  
richer and more nutrient parts2 and     
these can be alone restored by the      
application of manures4 ,it is equally  
obvious1 that if a soil be sterile from 
any defect in its constitution1 such a  

defect can be only remedied by          
artificial additions4 ,hence the        
introduction of foreign matter into the 
earth1 for the purpose of accelerating  
vegetation1 and of increasing the       
produce of its crops1 is a practice     
which has been pursued since the        
earliest period of agriculture4         
,unfortunately1 however1 the greatest   
ignorance has prevailed in all ages with
 regard to the best modes of rendering  
such a resource available2 and the      
farmer1 instead of enriching the soil1  
has too frequently given his treasures  
to the winds4 ,it is quite lamentable1  
says an intelligent writer1#aji to      
survey a farm-yard in many parts of the 
kingdom2 to see the abundance of        
vegetable matter that is trodden for    
months under-foot1 over a surface of    
perhaps half an acre of land1 exposed to
 all the rains that fall1 by which its  
more soluble and richer parts are washed
 away1 or perhaps carried down to poison
 the water of some stagnant pool1 which 

the unfortunate cattle are afterwards   
compelled to drink4 ,from the yard1 the 
manure is often carted to the field1 at 
the time when the land is rendered      
impenetrable by frost2 or1 if this      
operation be delayed to a less          
unseasonable period1 it is then         
frequently laid down in small heaps1 or 
sometimes spread over the surface1      
exposed for many days to the sun1 the   
winds1 and the rain1 as if with the     
direct design of dissipating those more 
volatile parts which it ought to be the 
farmer's first endeavour to preserve4   
#aji ,edinburgh ,review1 vol4 xxii4 p4  
#bgj4  ,nothing can be so likely to     
remove ignorance so deplorable1 and     
prejudices so inveterate1 as the        
diffusion of real knowledge concerning  
the nature of manures1 and their mode of
 action on soils1 and on the plants     
which grow in them4  ,davy1 fully       
sensible of the practical importance of 
the subject1 and impressed with the     
conviction that it was capable of being 

materially elucidated by the recent     
discoveries of chemistry1 determined to 
put forth his strength1 in order to     
bring this department of agriculture    
under the dominion of science2 and upon 
this occasion our philosopher presents  
himself in the only character in which  
he ever ought to appear--in that of an  
original experimentalist4  ,his first   
step in the enquiry was to ascertain    
whether solid substances can pass from  
the soil through the minute pores in the
 fibres of the root4 ,he tried an       
experiment by introducing a growing     
plant of peppermint into water which    
held in suspension a quantity of        
impalpably powdered charcoal3 but after 
a fortnight1 upon cutting through       
different parts of the roots1 no        
carbonaceous matter could be discovered 
in them1 nor were the smallest fibres   
even blackened1--though this must have  
happened1 had the charcoal been absorbed
 in a solid form4 ,if a substance so    
essential to plants as carbonaceous     

matter cannot be introduced except in a 
state of solution into their organs1 he 
very justly concludes that other less   
essential bodies must be in the same    
case4  ,he also proved by experiment    
that solutions of sugar1 mucilage1      
jelly1 and other principles1 unless     
considerably diluted1 clogged up the    
vegetable organs with solid matter1 and 
prevented the transpiration by the      
leaves3 when1 however1 this precaution  
was taken1 the plants grew most         
luxuriantly in such liquids4  ,he next  
proceeded to determine whether soluble  
vegetable substances passed in an       
unchanged state into the roots of       
plants1 by comparing the products of the
 analysis of the roots of plants of mint
 which had grown1 some in common water1 
some in a solution of sugar3 the results
 favoured the opinion that they were so 
absorbed4 ,it appeared1 moreover1 that  
substances even poisonous to vegetables 
did not offer an objection to this law4 
,he introduced the roots of a primrose  

into a weak solution of oxide of iron in
 vinegar1 and suffered them to remain in
 it till the leaves became yellow2 the  
roots were then carefully washed in     
distilled water1 bruised1 and boiled in 
a small quantity of the same fluid3 the 
decoction of them passed through a      
filtre was examined1 and found to       
contain iron2 so that this metal must   
have been taken up by the vessels or    
pores in the root4  ,if to these facts  
are added those connected with the      
changes which animal and vegetable      
substances undergo by the process of    
putrefaction1 we have all the data      
necessary for forming a rational theory1
 to guide us in the management and      
application of manures4  ,davy has very 
satisfactorily shown the cases in which 
putrefaction or fermentation should be  
encouraged1 and avoided4 ,as a general  
rule1 it may be stated1 that when manure
 consists principally of matter soluble 
in water1 its fermentation or           
putrefaction should be prevented as much

 as possible2 but on the contrary1 when 
it contains a large proportion of       
vegetable or animal fibre1 such         
processes become necessary4  ,to prevent
 manures from decomposing1 he recommends
 that they should be preserved dry1     
defended from the contact of the air1   
and kept as cool as possible4 ,salt and 
alcohol1 he observes1 appear to owe     
their powers of preserving animal and   
vegetable substances to their attraction
 for water1 by which they prevent its   
decomposing action1 and likewise to     
their excluding air4 ,the importance of 
this latter circumstance he illustrates 
by the success of ,m4 ,appart's method  
of preserving meat4  ,by allowing the   
fermentation of manure to proceed       
beneath the soil1 rather than in the    
farm-yard1 we not only preserve elements
 which would otherwise be dissipated1   
but we obtain several incidental        
advantages2 for example1 the production 
of heat1 which is useful in promoting   
the germination of the seed4 ,this must 

be particularly favourable to the wheat 
crop1 in preserving a genial temperature
 beneath the surface late in autumn1 and
 during winter4  ,again3--it is a       
general principle in chemistry1 that in 
all cases of decomposition1 substances  
combine much more readily at the moment 
of their disengagement1 than after they 
have been perfectly formed4 ,and in     
fermentation beneath the soil1 the fluid
 matter produced is applied instantly1  
even whilst it is warm1 to the organs of
 the plant1 and consequently is more    
likely to be efficient than in manure   
that has gone through the process1 and  
of which all the principles have already
 entered into new combinations4  ,he    
examines with much attention the various
 animal and vegetable matters which have
 been used as manure1 and furnishes the 
farmer with a number of practical       
remarks on their nature and mode of     
operation4 ,for these1 the reader must  
refer to the work itself2 for my limits 
will not allow me to enter into the     

consideration of                        
rape-cake--malt-dust--linseed-cake--sea-
weeds--peat                             
--wood-ashes--fish--bones--hair1woollen 
rags1 and feathers--blood1 c4 c42 to    
each of which he assigns peculiar       
qualities and virtues4  ,as he regards  
the due regulation of the fermentative  
process of the utmost importance1 he has
 furnished some valuable hints for the  
conduct of the farmer upon this         
occasion4 ,he considers that a compact  
marle1 or a tenacious clay1 offers the  
best protection against the air2 and    
before the dung is covered over1 or1 as 
it were1 sealed up1 he recommends that  
it should be dried as much as possible4 
,if at any time it should heat strongly1
 he advises the farmer to turn it over1 
and thus cool it by exposure to the air2
 for the practice sometimes adopted of  
watering dunghills is inconsistent with 
just chemical views4 ,it may cool the   
dung for a short time2 but moisture1 it 
will be remembered1 is a principal agent

 in all processes of decomposition4  ,in
 cases of the fermentation of dung1     
there are simple tests by which the     
rapidity of the process1 and            
consequently the injury done1 may be    
discovered4 ,if1 for instance1 a        
thermometer plunged into the mass does  
not rise above #ajj1 it may be concluded
 that there is not much danger of the   
escape of ariform matter2 but should it 
exceed this1 the dung ought to be       
immediately spread abroad4  ,when a     
piece of paper moistened in muriatic    
acid1 held over the steams arising from 
a dunghill1 gives dense fumes1 it is a  
certain test that the decomposition is  
going too far2 for this indicates that  
volatile alkali is disengaged4  ,it may 
be truly said that1 under the hand of   
,davy1 the coldest realities blossomed  
into poetry3 the concluding passage of  
this lecture certainly sanctions such an
 opinion1 and is highly characteristic  
of that peculiar genius to which ,i have
 before alluded4#aaj ,a subject less    

calculated than a heap of manure to call
 forth a glowing sentiment1 can scarcely
 be imagined4    #aaj ,page #aia4  ,the 
doctrine1 says he1 of the proper        
application of manures from organized   
substances1 offers an illustration of an
 important part of the economy of       
nature1 and of the happy order in which 
it is arranged4 ,the death and decay of 
animal substances tend to resolve       
organized forms into chemical           
constituents2 and the pernicious        
effluvia disengaged in the process seem 
to point out the propriety of burying   
them in the soil1 where they are fitted 
to become the food of vegetables4 ,the  
fermentation and putrefaction of        
organized substances in the free        
atmosphere are noxious processes2       
beneath the surface of the ground they  
are salutary operations4 ,in this case  
the food of plants is prepared where it 
can be used2 and that which would offend
 the senses1 and injure the health1 if  
exposed1 is converted by gradual        

processes into forms of beauty and of   
usefulness2 the fetid gas is rendered a 
constituent of the aroma of the flower1 
and what might be poison1 becomes       
nourishment to man and animals4  ,the   
,,seventh ,,lecture is devoted to the   
investigation of manures of a mineral   
origin4 ,he commences the subject by    
refuting the opinion of ,schrader and   
,braconnot1 that the different earthy   
and saline substances found in plants   
arise from new arrangements of the      
elements of air and water1 by the       
agencies of their living organs4  ,in   
#ahja1 he made an experiment on the     
growth of oats1 supplied with a limited 
quantity of distilled water1 in a soil  
composed of pure carbonate of lime4 ,the
 soil and the water were placed in a    
vessel of iron1 which was included in a 
large jar1 connected with the free      
atmosphere by a tube1 so curved as to   
prevent the possibility of any dust1 or 
fluid1 or solid matter1 from entering   
into the jar4 ,his object was to        

ascertain whether any siliceous earth   
would be formed in the process of       
vegetation2 but the oats grew very      
feebly1 and began to be yellow before   
any flowers formed4 ,the entire plants  
were burnt1 and their ashes compared    
with those from an equal number of      
grains of oat4 ,less siliceous earth was
 given by the plants than by the grains2
 but their ashes yielded much more      
carbonate of lime4  ,numerous other     
authorities might be quoted to the same 
effect4 ,jacquin states that the ashes  
of ,glasswort 7,salsola-,soda7 when it  
grows in inland situations1 afford the  
vegetable alkali2 but when on the       
sea-shore1 the fossile or mineral       
alkali4 ,du ,hamel also found1 that     
plants which usually grow on the        
sea-shore1 made small progress when     
planted in soils containing little      
common salt4 ,the ,sunflower1 when      
growing on lands not containing nitre1  
does not afford that substance2 though  
when watered by its solution1 it yields 

nitre abundantly4 ,de ,saussure made    
plants grow in solutions of different   
salts2 and he ascertained that1 in all  
cases1 certain portions of the salts    
were absorbed by the plant1 and found   
unaltered in their organs4  ,it may be  
admitted then as established1 that the  
mineral principles found in plants are  
derived from the soils in which they    
vegetate4 ,this fact becomes the        
foundation of the theory respecting the 
operation of mineral manure4  ,davy     
observes1 that the only substances which
 can with propriety be called fossile   
manures1 and which are found unmixed    
with the remains of any organized       
beings1 are certain alkaline earths1 or 
alkalies1 and their combinations4 ,if he
 intends to limit the term to those     
bodies only which find their way into   
the structure of plants1 his definition 
may be correct2 but ,i am inclined to   
take a much wider view of the subject1  
and to include all those mineral        
substances which promote vegetation by  

modifying the texture of the soil3--but 
of this hereafter4  ,lime1 not only from
 its importance1 but from the           
controversies which it has occasioned1  
ranks first in the list of mineral      
manures4  ,that disputes concerning the 
uses of lime and its carbonate1 should  
have long existed1 and be still         
continued amongst a class of persons    
who1 whatever may be their practical    
knowledge1 are not acquainted with the  
composition of the substances about     
which they differ1 is certainly by no   
means extraordinary4 ,davy1 therefore1  
very properly introduces the subject1 by
 a description of the nature and        
qualities of these bodies1 and by       
marking the distinctions between        
quicklime and its carbonate4  ,the      
substance commonly known by the name of 
,limestone is a compound of lime and    
carbonic acid1 associated generally with
 other earthy bodies1 the nature and    
proportions of which vary in different  
species4 ,when a limestone does not     

copiously effervesce in acids1 and is   
sufficiently hard to scratch glass1 it  
contains siliceous1 and probably        
aluminous earth4 ,when it is deep brown 
or red1 or strongly coloured of any of  
the shades of brown or yellow1 it       
contains oxide of iron2 when it is not  
sufficiently hard to scratch glass1 but 
effervesces slowly1 and makes the dilute
 nitric acid in which it effervesces    
milky1 it contains magnesia2 and when it
 is black1 and emits a fetid smell if   
rubbed1 it contains coally or bituminous
 matter4  ,as the agricultural value of 
limestone is materially modified by the 
substances with which it may be         
associated1 their analysis becomes an   
object of much importance1 and the      
author has accordingly proposed a simple
 method of effecting it4  ,before any   
opinion can be formed of the manner in  
which these different ingredients       
operate1 it is necessary that the action
 of the pure calcareous element as a    
manure should be thoroughly understood4 

,in its caustic state1 whether used in  
powder1 or dissolved in water1 lime is  
injurious to plants4 ,davy informs us   
that he has1 in several instances1      
killed grass by watering it with lime   
water2 but in its combination with      
carbonic acid1 it is an useful          
ingredient in soils4  ,when newly-burnt 
lime is exposed to the atmosphere1 it   
soon falls into powder1 from uniting    
with the moisture of the air2 and the   
same effect is immediately produced by  
throwing water upon it1 when it heats   
violently1 and the water disappears3 in 
this state it is commonly called slacked
 lime3 chemists have named it the hydrat
 of lime2 and when this hydrat becomes a
 carbonate1 by long exposure to the air1
 its water is in part expelled1 and the 
carbonic acid takes its place4  ,lime1  
whether freshly burnt1 or slacked1 acts 
powerfully on moist fibrous vegetable   
matters1 and forms with them a compost1 
of which a part is usually soluble in   
water4 ,by this operation1 it renders   

inert vegetable matter active2 and as   
charcoal and oxygen 7the elements of    
carbonic acid7 abound in vegetables1 it 
is itself1 at the same time1 converted  
into a carbonate4 ,but limestone simply 
powdered1 marls1 or chalks1 do not thus 
act on vegetable matter2 and hence the  
operation of quicklime and mild lime    
depends on principles altogether        
different4 ,quicklime acts on any hard  
vegetable matter1 so as to render it    
more readily soluble2 the mild limes1 or
 carbonates1 act only by improving the  
texture of the soil1 or by supplying a  
due proportion of calcareous matter3    
thus almost all soils which do not      
effervesce with acids1 are improved by  
mild lime and sand1 more than clays4 ,i 
apprehend that it is upon this principle
 the application of shelly sand proves  
beneficial in ,cornwall1 although ,i    
have ascertained that1 on some          
occasions1 its value depends upon its   
chemical action upon mineral bodies in  
the soil4  ,soils abounding in soluble  

vegetable manures are injured by        
quicklime1 as it tends to decompose     
their soluble matters1 or to form with  
them compounds less soluble than the    
pure vegetable substance4 ,with animal  
manures1 it is equally exceptionable1   
unless indeed they be too rich1 or it   
becomes necessary to prevent noxious    
effluvia3 for since it decomposes them1 
it destroys their efficacy1 and tends to
 render the extractive matter insoluble4
  ,the limestones containing alumina and
 silex are less fitted for the purposes 
of manure than pure limestones2 but the 
lime formed from them has no noxious    
quality4 ,such stones are less          
efficacious1 merely because they furnish
 a smaller quantity of quicklime4       
,those1 however1 that contain magnesia1 
if indiscreetly used1 may be very       
detrimental4  ,it had been long known to
 farmers in the neighbourhood of        
,doncaster1 that lime made from a       
certain limestone1 when applied to the  
land1 often injured the crops           

considerably4 ,mr4 ,tennant discovered  
that this limestone contained magnesia2 
and on mixing some calcined magnesia    
with soil1 in which he sowed different  
seeds1 he found that they either died1  
or very imperfectly vegetated2 and with 
great justice and ingenuity1 he referred
 the bad effects of the peculiar        
limestone to the magnesian earth it     
contained4 ,in prosecuting the enquiry1 
,davy however ascertained that there    
were cases in which this magnesian lime 
was used with good effect1--in small    
quantities1 for example1 on rich land3  
and during his chemical consideration of
 the question1 he was led to the        
following satisfactory solution4        
,magnesia has a much weaker attraction  
for carbonic acid than lime1 and will   
remain in the state of caustic or       
calcined magnesia for many months1      
though exposed to the air2 and as long  
as any caustic lime remains1 the        
magnesia cannot be combined with        
carbonic acid1 for lime instantly       

attracts carbonic acid from magnesia4   
,when therefore a magnesian limestone is
 burnt1 the magnesia is deprived of its 
carbonic acid much sooner than the lime1
 and in this state it is a poison to    
plants4 ,that more magnesian lime may be
 used upon rich soils1#aaa seems to be  
owing to the circumstance1 that the     
decomposition of the manure in them     
supplies carbonic acid1 and thus        
converts it into a mild carbonate4      
,besides being used in the forms of lime
 and carbonate of lime1 calcareous      
matter is applied for the purposes of   
agriculture in other combinations4 ,the 
principal body of this kind is gypsum1  
or sulphate of lime2 respecting the uses
 and operation of which very discordant 
opinions have been formed4    #aaa      
,these facts have been confirmed by     
agriculturists1 who   could not possibly
 have had any favourite theory to       
support4 ,dr4   ,fenwick tells us1      
7,essays on ,calcareous ,manures1 p4    
#aa4 #agih17   that in the county of    

,durham1 the farmers always distinguish 
between hot and mild limes4 ,they never 
apply the former   to exhausted lands1  
or to any soil that has been long under 
a   course of tillage1 unless it be very
 deep and rich4 ,in peaty   soils1 and  
in new1 sour1 and wild lands1 the hot   
limes1 on   the contrary1 are preferred 
to the mild ones4 ,dr4 ,fenwick   made  
some experiments to ascertain the cause 
of the differences   between these      
varieties of lime2 and though he failed 
to discover   that by analysis which    
,mr4 ,tennant subsequently ascertained1 
he   nevertheless arrived at a just     
conclusion by simple observation2   and 
was led to believe1 that what farmers   
term hot limes1 are   such as re-absorb 
their fixed air more slowly1 and        
therefore   continue longer to exert the
 peculiar action of quicklime4  ,its    
beneficial operation has been referred  
to two causes1 viz4 to its power of     
attracting moisture from the air1 or to 
its assisting the putrefaction of animal

 substances2 but ,davy has shown by     
experiments that neither of these       
theories can be supported by facts4     
,the most extraordinary circumstance    
perhaps connected with the history of   
this mineral manure1 is the very        
opposite opinions which have been formed
 respecting its value4 ,in this country1
 although there are various testimonies 
in its favour1 it has never been        
employed with the signal success which  
marked its adoption in ,america1 and    
which was so palpable and extraordinary 
as at once to have ensured its universal
 introduction4  ,i was some years since 
assured by ,mr4 ,maclure of             
,philadelphia1 that whenever any doubt  
or hesitation betrayed itself with      
respect to its fertilizing agency1 it   
was only necessary to sprinkle a small  
quantity in a meadow1 to satisfy the    
most sceptical2 and that this was       
usually done in the form of letters or  
characters1 which in a short time became
 so much more luxuriant than the        

surrounding grass1 as to be visible at a
 considerable distance4 ,it is1 ,i      
understand1 chiefly applied to grass    
lands as a top-dressing2 and the        
,american farmers#aab explain its       
operation upon its solubility in water1 
and its consequent absorption by the    
roots of the grass4 ,davy1 in examining 
the ashes of sainfoin1 clover1 and      
rye-grass1 which had grown in soils     
manured by gypsum1 found considerable   
quantities of that substance2 and he    
thinks it probable that it was          
intimately connected with their woody   
fibre4 ,he attempts to explain the      
reason why the application of gypsum is 
not generally efficacious1 by supposing 
that most of the cultivated soils may   
already contain it in sufficient        
quantities for the use of the grasses4  
,i strongly suspect1 however1 that it   
will be hereafter discovered to depend  
upon the nature of the soil in its      
hygrometric relations4 ,from the facts  
already recorded1 it would appear that  

it never answers near the sea1 nor in   
wet lands4 ,in consequence of its       
solubility1 it is enabled to penetrate  
and pervade the whole vegetable         
structure2 and the experiments of ,davy 
have proved its presence in the ashes of
 plants exposed to its operation1 and   
have rendered it probable that it enters
 into union with their woody fibre1 by  
which the density of their textures will
 be increased1 and consequently the     
evaporation from their leaves           
diminished2 ,i am from such             
considerations induced to think that    
gypsum does not act by effecting any    
chemical change in the soil1 but solely 
by diminishing the plants evaporation4  
,this idea seems to be borne out by the 
evidence furnished by the different     
circumstances attending the operation of
 this manure3 we find1 for example1 that
 succulent vegetables1 planted on dry   
soils1 are those which are principally  
benefited by its application1 and that  
the various grasses so manured retain   

their verdure1 even in the dryest season
 and on the most arid lands2 at the same
 time1 we find that these crops1        
especially clover1 acquire a            
proportionate increase in the density of
 their fibres1 that is to say1 that they
 become much more rank and stubborn1 and
 often to such a degree does this take  
place1 that in ,america1 where its      
effects are best understood1 sheep not  
uncommonly refuse to feed upon them4    
,upon the same principle we find that1  
under circumstances or in situations    
where the evaporation of a plant is     
provided for by a constant supply of    
moisture1 the effects of gypsum cease to
 be apparent4    #aab ,when this        
substance was first introduced into     
,america1   which is nearly forty years 
since1 it was imported from the         
quarries of ,montmartre1 and in such    
request was it1 that a bushel   of wheat
 was usually given for the same measure 
of gypsum3   it is now1 ,i believe1     
obtained from ,nova ,scotia2 ,i have not

   heard that it has been found within  
the ,states4 ,it may perhaps   serve to 
convey some idea of the extent to which 
it has been   applied1 when ,i state1   
that ,mr4 ,maclure assured me that not  
less than three hundred vessels are     
constantly employed in the   traffic1   
and that in ,philadelphia twenty        
merchants1 at least1   are engaged in   
supplying the demand for it4 ,its       
efficacy appears   to be considerably   
increased by applying it in a minute    
state   of division2 and a want of      
attention to this circumstance may      
possibly have been one of the causes    
which have rendered its   advantages    
less conspicuous in ,england4 ,in       
,america1 three or four   hundred mills1
 of a peculiar construction1 have been  
erected in   different parts for the    
purpose of grinding it4  ,davy hints at 
a process by which gypsum may be formed 
in a soil containing sulphate of iron1  
by the action of calcareous manure1#aac 
and which was first pointed out by ,dr4 

,pearson4 ,i can confirm this statement 
by the results of experiments ,i        
formerly made in ,cornwall1 where soil  
containing this salt of iron had been   
manured by shelly sand4    #aac ,gypsum 
is readily produced by the admixture of 
decomposing   pyrites and calcareous    
matter3 in proof of which the           
,mineralogist   can produce specimens of
 oyster shells studded with crystals of 
selenite from ,shotover2 and alum from  
the aluminous shale at   the ,hurlet    
,mine near ,glasgow4  ,in pursuing his  
enquiry into the efficacy of mineral    
manure1 ,davy proceeds to investigate   
the efficacy of the fixed alkalies1 and 
observes that their general tendency is 
to give solubility to vegetable matters1
 and in this way to render carbonaceous 
and other substances capable of being   
taken up by the tubes in the radical    
fibres of plants4 ,the vegetable alkali 
has likewise a strong attraction for    
water1 and even in small quantities may 
tend to give a due degree of moisture to

 the soil1 or to other manures4  ,he    
considers that pure salt may act1 like  
gypsum1 phosphate of lime1 and the      
alkalies1 by entering into the          
composition of the plant4 ,upon the     
subject of salt1 however1 his remarks   
are very meagre and unsatisfactory3 at  
the time he composed his lecture1 the   
subject had not excited that public     
attention which the writings of ,mr4    
,parkes1 ,sir ,thomas ,bernard1 and     
others1 have since awakened4  ,had our  
philosopher undertaken the agricultural 
survey of ,cornwall1 his lecture on     
mineral manure must have been very      
considerably extended4 ,he would have   
learnt that various rocks reduced to    
small fragments1 are commonly applied as
 dressing2 he would have explained the  
cause of the fertility so generally     
associated with hornblende rocks2--he   
would have speculated upon the influence
 of iron in giving fruitfulness2 and    
above all1 he would have taught the     
agriculturist the scientific use of     

calcareous sand1 by pointing out the    
description of lands which are most     
likely to be benefited by its           
application4  ,the ,,eighth ,,lecture   
concludes the subject of the chemistry  
of ,agriculture1 by establishing the    
theory of the operation of burning      
lands4 ,he considers the process to be  
useful in rendering the soil less       
compact1 and less tenacious and         
retentive of moisture2 and that1 when   
properly applied1 it is capable of      
converting a matter that was stiff1     
damp1 and cold1 into one powdery1 dry1  
and warm1 and much more proper as a bed 
for vegetable life4 ,he states the great
 objection made by speculative chemists 
to paring and burning1 to be the        
unavoidable destruction of vegetable and
 animal matter1 or the manure of the    
soil2 but he considers that1 in those   
cases in which the texture of its earthy
 ingredients is permanently improved1   
there is more than a compensation for so
 temporary a disadvantage2 and that in  

some soils1 where there is an excess of 
inert vegetable matter1 the destruction 
of it must be beneficial1 and that the  
carbonaceous matter remaining in the    
ashes may be more useful to the crop    
than the vegetable fibre from which it  
was produced4  ,in this view of the     
subject it is evident1 that all poor    
siliceous sands must be injured by the  
operation2 and here1 says ,davy1        
practice is found to accord with theory4
 ,mr4 ,arthur ,young1 in his ,essay on  
,manures1 states1 'that he found burning
 injure sand2' and the operation is     
never performed by good agriculturists  
upon siliceous sandy soils1 after they  
have been once brought into cultivation4
 ,an intelligent farmer in ,mount's ,bay
 told me1 that he had pared and burned a
 small field several years ago1 which he
 had not been able to bring again into  
good condition4 ,i examined the         
spot1--the grass was very poor and      
scanty1 and the soil an arid siliceous  
sand4 ,irrigation1 or watering land1 is 

a practice1 he observes1 which at first 
view appears the reverse of             
torrefaction2 and1 in general1 the      
operation of water in nature is to bring
 earthy substances into an extreme state
 of division4 ,but in the artificial    
watering of meadows1 the beneficial     
effects may depend upon many different  
causes1 some chemical1 some mechanical4 
,it may act as a simple supply of       
moisture to the roots1 or it may carry  
into the soil foreign matter1 or diffuse
 that which exists in it more equally   
through its substance4  ,he concludes   
with some valuable scientific           
observations upon the process of        
fallowing1 by which he attempts to      
correct the prejudices which have       
existed with regard to its benefits4 ,he
 points out1 on the other hand1 the     
great advantages of the convertible     
system of husbandry1 by which the whole 
of the manure is employed2 and those    
parts of it which are not fitted for one
 crop1 remain as nourishment for        

another4 ,these views he illustrates by 
a reference to the course of crops      
adopted by ,mr4 ,coke1 in which the     
turnip is the first in the order of     
succession2 and this crop is manured    
with recent dung1 which immediately     
affords sufficient soluble matter for   
its nourishment2 and the heat produced  
in fermentation assists the germination 
of the seed and the growth of the plant4
 ,after turnips1 barley with grass seeds
 is sown2 and the land having been      
little exhausted by the turnip crop1    
affords the soluble parts of the        
decomposing manure to the grain4 ,the   
grasses1 rye-grass1 and clover remain1  
which derive a small part only of their 
organized matter from the soil1 and     
probably consume the gypsum in the      
manure which would be useless to other  
crops2 these plants likewise1 by their  
large system of leaves1 absorb a        
considerable quantity of nourishment    
from the atmosphere2 and when ploughed  
in at the end of two years1 the decay of

 their roots and leaves affords manure  
for the wheat crop2 and at this period  
of the course1 the woody fibre of the   
farm-yard manure1 which contains the    
phosphate of lime and the other         
difficultly soluble parts1 is broken    
down2 and as soon as the most exhausting
 crop is taken1 recent manure is again  
supplied4  ,at the end of his system is 
added an ,appendix1 containing ,an      
,account of the results of ,experiments 
on the produce and nutritive qualities  
of the ,grasses and other plants used as
 the food of animals2 instituted by     
,john ,duke of ,bedford4 ,but as these  
experiments do not admit either of      
abridgement or analysis1 the reader must
 refer to the original source for       
information4  ,i shall conclude this    
long1 and1 ,i fear1 somewhat tedious    
review1 with the animated appeal so     
earnestly addressed by the illustrious  
author to the philosophical readers of  
his work4  ,i trust that the enquiry    
will be pursued by others2 and that in  

proportion as chemical philosophy       
advances towards perfection1 it will    
afford new aids to agriculture3 there   
are sufficient motives connected both   
with pleasure and profit1 to encourage  
ingenious men to pursue this new path of
 investigation4 ,science cannot long be 
despised by any persons as the mere     
speculation of theorists1 but must soon 
be considered by all ranks of men in its
 true point of view1 as the refinement  
of common sense guided by experience1   
gradually substituting sound and        
rational principles for vague popular   
prejudices4  ,the soil offers           
inexhaustible resources1 which1 when    
properly appreciated and employed1 must 
increase our wealth1 our population1 and
 our physical strength4  ,we possess    
advantages in the use of machinery1 and 
the division of labour1 belonging to no 
other nation4 ,and the same energy of   
character1 the same extent of resources1
 which have always distinguished the    
people of the ,british ,islands1 and    

made them excel in arms1 commerce1      
letters1 and philosophy1 apply with the 
happiest effects to the improvement of  
the cultivation of the earth4 ,nothing  
is impossible to labour1 aided by       
ingenuity4 ,the true objects of the     
agriculturist are likewise those of the 
patriot4 ,men value most what they have 
gained with effort2 a just confidence in
 their own powers results from success2 
they love their country better1 because 
they have seen it improved by their own 
talents and industry2 and they identify 
with their interests the existence of   
those institutions which have afforded  
them security1 independence1 and the    
multiplied enjoyments of civilized life4
  ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,volume4    
,,london3  ,,printed ,,by ,,samuel      
,,bentley1  ,dorset ,street1 ,fleet     
,street4  ,transcriber's note3          
,minor spelling and punctuation         
inconsistencies1 and hyphenated         
words1  have been harmonized4 ,the      
formatting of the letters     has been  

regularized4 ,every effort to decipher  
the hand written     letter by ,sir     
,humphry ,davy has been made1 however1  
there are no     guarantees that it is  
correct4