THE 



EDINBURGH NEW 

 PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNAL. 



An Estimate of the Phihsophical Character of Dr Priestley. 

 By William Henry, M. D., F. R. S. &c. &c,* 



X HE principal source of the materials of the following sketch, 

 is the work in which the discoveries of Dr Priestley were origi- 

 nally announced to the public. It consists of six volumes in 

 octavo, which were published by him at intervals between the 

 years 1774 and 1786 ; the first three under the title of " Expe- 

 riments and Observations on different kinds of Air ;"" and the 

 last three under that of " Experiments and Observations rela- 

 ting to various Branches of Natural Philosophy, with a continua- 

 tion of the Observations on Air.*" These volumes were after- 

 wards methodized by himself, and compressed into three octavos, 

 which were printed in 1790. As a record of facts, and as a 

 book of reference, the systematized work is to be preferred ; 

 but as affording materials for the history of that department 

 of science which Dr Priestley cultivated with such extraordinary 

 success, and, still more, for estimating the value of his discove- 

 ries, and adjusting his station^ as an experimental philosopher, 

 the simple narrative, which he originally gave in the order of 

 time, supplies the amplest and the firmest ground-work. 



In every thing that respects the history of this branch of ex- 

 perimental philosophy, the writings and researches of Dr Priest- 

 ley, to which I have alluded, are pecuharly instructive. They 



• Read to the first meeting of the British Association for the Promotion of 

 Science, at York, September 28. 1831. A beautiful Biographical Memoir of 

 Dr Priestley, by Baron Cuvier, is printed in the Number for July 1827 of 

 this Journal. 



VOL. XIII. NO. XXV. — JULY 1832. A 



