XXV 



SIR HUMPHREY DAVY 

 I 778- I 829 



Born December ly, 1778, in Cornwall, Sir Humphrey Davy was 

 apprenticed in i/P4 to a surgeon-apothecary at Penzance in whose 

 serznce he became interested in chemistry. Made superintendent of a 

 hospital in 1798, he had opportunities for gaining acquaintance with 

 influential men who in turn recojmnended him to Count Rumford. 

 Through the tatter's assistance he was appointed lecturer on chemistry 

 at the newly-founded Royal Institution where, in spite of his un- 

 attractive appearance, he gained considerable reputation. In 1807 

 he advanced a theory which partly explained electrolysis ; in the 

 following year he discovered strontium and magyiesium ; and in 

 i8op, chlorine. In 1812 he was knighted; and shortly after his 

 marriage, in the same year, he injured an eye zvhile experimenting 

 and was compelled to interrupt his work for a short time. In 1815 

 he invented the safety-lamp used by miners. In 1818 he was created 

 a baronet, and was elected President of the Royal Society in 1820. 

 He died May 2p, i82p, at Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of fifty- 

 one. 



ON SOME NEW PHENOMENA OF CHEMICAL CHANGES 

 PRODUCED RY ELECTRICITY * 



Read November ip, 1807. 



Introduction. 



In the Bakerian Lecture which I had the honour of presenting to 

 the Royal Society last year, I described a number of decompositions 



* From the Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 



183 



