53G J. LAWRENCE SMITH. 



stands early attracted his attention. He first pointed out the large 

 amount of phosphate of lime in these marls, and was one of the first 

 to ascertain the scientific character of this immense airricultural 

 wealth. Dr. Smith also made a valuable and thoroush iuvesti<xation 

 into meteorological conditions, character of soils, and culture, affecting 

 the growth of cotton. His report on this subject was so valuable that 

 in 1846 he was appointed by President Buchanan, in response to a 

 request of the Sultan of Turkey, to teach the Turkish agriculturists 

 the proper method of cotton culture in Asia Minor. On arriving in 

 Turkey, Dr. Smith was chagrined to find that an associate on the 

 commission had induced the Turkish government to undertake the 

 culture of cotton near Constantinople. Unwilling to associate his 

 name with an enterprise which he felt satisfied would be a failure, — 

 the event justified his judgment, — he was on the eve of returning to 

 America, when the Turkish government tendered him an indejjendent 

 position as Mining Engineer, with most liberal provisions. He per- 

 formed the duties of this position for four years, with such signal 

 success that the Turkish government heaped upon him decorations 

 and costly presents. Since 184G the Turkish government has con- 

 tinued to receive large revenues from his discoveries of emery, chrome 

 ores, coals, etc. His papers on these subjects, read before learned 

 societies and published in the principal journals of Europe and 

 America, gave him a high position among scientific men. His dis- 

 covery of emery in Asia IMinor destroyed the rapacious monopoly of 

 this article at Naxos, in the Grecian Arcliipelago, extended its use, 

 and greatly reduced its price. His studies on emery and its associate 

 minerals led directly to its discovery in America. In Massachusetts 

 and North Carolina a large industrial product of emery is now 

 carried on. To Dr. Smith justly belongs the credit of having done 

 almost everything for these commercial enterprises by his successful 

 researches on emery and corundum. 



Dr. Smith investigated a great many Turkish resources. His paper 

 on the "Thermal Waters of Asia JNIinor" is of great scientific value. 

 In 1850 Dr. Smith invented the Inverted Microscope. This instru- 

 ment, with his ingenious eyepiece micrometer and goniometer, is an 

 important improvement; it is especially valuable in chemical work 

 and culture experiments. This instrument has been unjustly figured 

 and described in some works as Nachet's Chemical Microscope. 



After Dr. Smith's return to America, his Alma Mater, the Univer- 

 sity of Virginia, called him to the chair of Ciiemistry, made vacant 

 by the resignation of Prof. R. Y.. Rogers, in 1852. While dis- 



