4 Biographical account of 



April following, or in the short space of four months, he 

 entered upon a correspondence with Dr. Beddoes, relative 

 to his researches on heat and light, and a new hypothesis 

 of their nature, to which the doctor became a convert. 

 His results were published in 1799, in his " Essays on Heat 

 and Light." His rapid advancement was promoted by 

 several fortunate circumstances. In the winter of 1797, 

 Mr. Gregory Watt, fresh from the University of Glasgow, 

 visited Penzance, and boarded with Davy's mother. Davy 

 speedily became acquainted wdth him, and the acquaintance 

 soon ripened into a close and disinterested friendship. 

 They explored the coast together, visited the most remark- 

 able mines and investigated the natural history of the dis- 

 trict. These were no small advantages. 



The acquaintance of Davy with Mr. Davies Gilbert was 

 also of great importance to him, although the benefits re- 

 sulting from it have been more insisted on by some autho- 

 rities than Dr. Davy considers the facts of the case war- 

 rant. The manner in which they became acquainted was ac- 

 cording to the authority of Mr. John, of Penzance, as follows : 

 Davy having requested Mr. John to witness some chemical 

 experiment, he remarked that he did not understand 

 these things, but that his friend Mr. Davies Giddy (now 

 Davies Gilbert) did. An introduction was the consequence. 



During his medical studies his progress must have been 

 considerable, for in the fourth year from their commence- 

 ment he was considered competent by Dr. Beddoes, to take 

 charge of the patients belonging to the Pneumatic Institu- 

 tion. On the 2nd of October, 1798, he left his home to 

 accept the office of superintendent of the Clifton Institution. 

 This was the second grand period in his life. It was the 

 outset on his splendid career. He had made as much pro- 

 gress it would appear as circumstances would admit of: 

 '* I have now made all the experiments I can make here," 

 he observes, in one of his note books. It was in 1799, that 

 he first appeared in the character of a scientific author ; 

 when his Essays on Heat and Light were published, in a 

 miscellaneous volume edited by Dr. Beddoes, termed *' Con- 

 tributions to Medical and Physical Knowledge, principally 

 from the North of England.'' They deserve little attention, 

 except as being his first productions, for they consist prin- 



