10 REMARKS ON COMBUSTION. 



III. 



Remarks on Combufiion, by Thomas Thomson, M. D. Lec- 

 turer on Chemijlry in Edinburgh. 



Phenomenon of JJ%J O operation of nature has a better claim to our attention 



combuftion is 

 very ftriking to 



than combustion. The irrefiflible devaftation which it 

 every clafs of fometimes occafions is calculated to flrike the ignorant with 

 terror; the extraordinary changes which it produces naturally 

 attract the inquisitive eye of the philofopher, while its fubfer- 

 viency to almofl every branch of domeflic economy renders it 

 a familiar and neceffary agent in the hands of every indivi- 

 dual. This familiar acquaintance with combufiion feems, 

 however, to have retarded the invefligation of its nature ; for 

 it was not till the feventeenth century that philofophers made 

 Eminent invef- it a ferious object of enquiry. The labours of Bacon, Boyle, 

 tigators of its Hooke, and Mayow are well known ; and the fuccefs with 

 which thefe labours were attended, mufl, if we recollect the 

 difficulties to be overcome, give us a very high idea of the 

 genius of thefe inveftigators of nature. But the philofophers 

 of our own age, efpecially Lavoifier, have gone far beyond 

 their predeceffors ; and have explained fome of the moll in- 

 tricate and important phenomena of combufiion. 

 Lavoifier's the- Mr. Lavoifier's theory of combuftion, improperly termed 

 ory his theory of chemijlry, is fo generally known, that it is unne- 



ceffary to enter into any detail concerning it. Its merit is in- 

 difputabie, and raifes its author to the very firfl rank among 

 philofophers. Many chemifls feem to think that it explains 

 the whole phenomena of combufiion ; but an attentive exa- 

 mination rnufl convince every impartial obferver, that the 

 theory of Lavoifier, ingenious and fatisfactory without doubt, 

 as far as it goes, leaves yet feveral parts of that very com- 

 plicated procefs as unaccountable as ever. He has corrected 

 the errors of his predeceffors, and made a very important new 

 leaves much to flep; but many new fleps are flill wanting to render the the- 

 dat^' 1 ClUC1 " ory com P^ ete - I hope, therefore, that the following remarks 

 will not be confidered as altogether improper ; they will at 

 leaf! exhibit the fubject in a new point of view, and may per- 

 haps contribute to call the attention of chemifls to certain 



phenomena 



