14)2 Rev. Mr "W he well's Address to the Geological Society. 



to many of us by private friendship, and admired by all for his talents, his 

 knowledge, and his services. Dr Edward Turner, Professor of Chemistry in 

 the London University, filled the office of our Secretary for five years, and 

 subsequently was two years Vice-President, which situation he held at the 

 time of his death in February 1837- Several of you may remember, Gentle- 

 men, that our last anniversary meeting was in some measure clouded by the 

 recollection of this then recent calamity ; and that many of the Fellows of 

 the Society, on that occasion, expressed their intention of testifying their 

 respect and regard for the departed by attending his funeral. Of Dr Tur- 

 ner's i)rivate virtues, and of the charm of his society, I must not here speak. 

 I will not allow myself to dwell upon the admirable clearness and precision 

 of his thoughts as expressed in conversation, — upon the delightful openness 

 and candour of his character, — upon the kind and gentle cheerfulness of his 

 demeanour, the genuine fruit of a deep habitual religious feeling. But I 

 may take this occasion to say, that in him chemistry suffered a loss, not only 

 great, — for that all would at once say, — but much greater and more difficult 

 to repair than may at first sight appear. Dr Turner entertained a convic- 

 tion (I am stating the result of many interesting conversations which I have 

 held with him) that the time was come when the chemist could not hope to 

 follow out the fortunes of his science, and to read in her discoveries their full 

 meaning, without being acquainted with the language, and master of the re- 

 sources of mathematics. Acting upon this enlightened view, he did not he- 

 sitate to encounter the great labour and exertion of a course of study in the 

 higher mathematics ; and he succeeded entirely in making himself a good 

 mathematician. And he was one of the very few who, in our country, labour 

 at a branch of chemistry which is of the highest importance to us as geolo- 

 gists ; but which, — we may suppose from its laborious and intricate nature, — 

 appears to repel our most active chemists ; I mean that portion of chemistry 

 which is connected with mineralogy. 



Yet this department is, in truth, more inviting than it may at first appear. 

 No doubt in it clear mathematical conceptions are necessary, and perhaps 

 some little training in mathematics ; biit there is good promise that the la- 

 bour which this line of investigation demands will be rewarded. I am fully 

 persuaded that there is no portion of the frontier line of our knowledge of 

 which we can so certainly say, " Here we are on the brink of great discove- 

 ries." Had Dr Turner been spared to us some years longer, I know no one 

 who was more likely to have had a principal share in such discoveries. Two 

 papers of his, in the Philosophical Transactions,* show that he was able to 

 deal with the atomic theory in a mode which combines the resources of the 

 skilful analytical chemist with the rigour of the mathematical reasoner; a 

 combination which the right prosecution of that theory requires, but which 

 has not always been found in its cultivators. 



Dr Turner lectured on chemistry at the London University from its first 

 foundation in 1828 ; he was there surrounded by students, whose affection he 

 gained by his kindness, as well as their admiration by the clearness of his 

 teaching. He also gave a course of lectures on geology, in conjunction with 



* On the Composition of Chloride of Barium, 1829 ; Researches on Atomic^Weights, 1833. 



