1883.] on Count Hiimford, Originator of the Boyal Institution. 425 



Lord Siulley's, tlie Marquis of Salisbury's, and a hundred and fifty 

 other houses in London were pL\ced in his care. The saving of fuel, 

 with gain instead of loss of warmth, varied in these cases from one- 

 half to two-thirds. " Giving very simple and intelligible information, 

 about the philosophical principles of combustion, ventilation, and 

 draughts, he prepared careful diagrams to show the proper measure- 

 ments, disposal, and arrangements of all the parts of a fire-place and 

 flue. He took out no patent for his inventions, but left them free to 

 the public. In a poem published at this time by Thomas James 

 Matthias we have the following appreciative reference to the labours 

 of E urn ford : — 



" Xonsense, or sense, I'll bear in any shape 

 In ijown, in lawn, in ermine, or in crape : 

 "What's a fine type, where truth exerts her rule ? 

 Science is science, and a fool's a fool. 

 Yet all shall read, and all that page approve, 

 When public spirit meets with public love. 

 Tluis late, wlicre poveity with rapine dwelt, 

 Rumford's kind genius the Bavarian felt. 

 Not bv romantic charities beguiled, 

 But calm in project, ami in mercy mild ; 

 Where'er his wisdom guided, none withstood. 

 Content with peace and practicabk^ good ; 

 Round him the labourers throng, the nobles wait, 

 Friend of the poor, and guardian of the state." 



The pall of smoke which habitually hung over London, " covering 

 all its prominent edifices with a dingy and sooty mantle," curiously 

 and anxiously interested him. He " saw in that smoke the unused 

 material which wns turned equally to waste and made a means of 

 annoyance and insalubrity." He would bind himself, if the opjior- 

 tunity were allowed him, " to prove that from the heat, and the 

 material of heat, which were thus wasted, that he would cook all 

 the food used in the city, warm every apartment, and perform all the 

 mechanical work done by means of fire." Under heat Kumford would 

 doubtless comprise both the imperfectly consumed gases such as car- 

 bonic oxide, and the heated air and other gases discharged by the 

 chimneys. 



There is no doubt that the present age has entered largely into 

 the labours of Rumford. Many of the devices and conveniences 

 now employed in our kitchens owe their origin to him. The prac- 

 tical needs and mechanical ingenuity of his own countrymen have 

 caused them to follow his lead with conspicuous success. "We have, 

 for example, in our modest little kitchen in the Alps, an American 

 oven, which, with the expenditure of an extremely small amount of 

 fire-wood, heats our baths, cooks our meat, bakes our bread, boils our 

 clothes, and contributes to the warmth and comfort of the house. 

 This arrangement traces its pedigree to Eumford. 



In 179G he founded the historic medal which bears his name. 

 On the 12th of July of that year he wrote thus to Sir Joseph 



2 F 2 



