RECORDS 



OF 



GENERAL SCIENCE. 



Article I. 



Biographical Account of Sir Humphry Davy, Bart. 



{Continued from page 12.) 



It is worthy of remark, that Davy during a part of these 

 laborious investigations, appears to have been in a feverish 

 state, the prelude to a severe attack of illness, and his 

 great apprehension w^as that he should die before he had 

 published his discoveries. He was afterwards of opinion, 

 that his disease was typhus fever caught during a visit to 

 Newgate. Dr. Babington considered it the result of his 

 hard work. It was severe and protracted. He took to 

 his bed on the 23rd of November, and was only convales- 

 cent nine weeks after. Fortunately, no permanent evil 

 followed from his illness, for he was able to begin his lec- 

 tures in March following, with his wonted vigour and 

 success. 



During six years his exertions were most fruitful. 

 The pages of the Philosophical Transactions testify this. 

 Twelve papers from his pen were published by the Royal 

 Society in that short space of time, all of them pregnant 

 with important additions to chemistry. In 1810, he proved 

 that the constitution of muriatic acid, contrary to the re- 

 ceived opinions and in consonance with the deductions of 

 Scheele, was a compound of chlorine and hydrogen. Davy's 

 explanation was speedily received by all chemists, with 

 the exception of one or two, who were compelled by the 



VOL. IV. G 



