on ike Oil Question. 93 



acids as being sweet, and detonations to be explosions with 

 noise, cannot reasonably censure the term ' silent explosion ' 

 as an absurdity." From the length of this passage, it will be 

 most convenient to divide it into two, and pay my respects to 

 each of them separately. It may however be observed in 

 passing, that it was matter of surprise to me that these Asso- 

 ciates did not fix upon some real error in a work like the Che- 

 mical Catechism, but were obliged to go also to a little school 

 book, printed eleven years ago, to find a blot (and this is no blot) 

 to exhibit to general notice. What can this be attributed to, but 

 to their impatient and eager anxiety to lose no time in present- 

 ing their volume to the public ? 



Mr. Parkes tells us that prussic acid has a sweet taste ; 

 and what of that ? The great Scheele, who made the first im- 

 portant discoveries on prussic acid, called it sweet ; and at the 

 time when the Rudiments of Chemistry were printed, in the year 

 1809, every chemical writer of any note, called it sweet. A few 

 volumes taken from the shelves of my library, as tliey acci- 

 dentally occur, will prove this to the satisfaction of any indi- 

 vidual who may entertain doubts on the subject. " Prussic 

 acid has a strong odour, its taste is sweetish and pungent."— 

 Dr. Murray's Si/stem of Chemistry, Vol. IV. p. 713, 2d edition. 

 " Its taste, which at first is sweetish, soon becomes acrid," 

 S)e. — Fourcroy, Vol. IX. p. 127, English translation. " Prussic 

 acid is a colourless liquid ; its taste is sweetish," 4"C.— 'Doctor 

 Thomson's System of Chemistry, second edition, Vol. II. 

 p. 183. " This acid has a sweet taste." — Bouillon Lagrange, 

 English translation, V^ol. II. p. 356. " The prussic acid has a 

 sweetish taste, and a smell resembling that of bitter almonds." 

 Doctor Henry's Epitome of Chemistry, 4th edition, p. 306. 

 " The prussic acid has a sweetish and acrid taste." — Aikin's 

 Chemical Dictionary, Vol. II. p. 254. 



Again, in all fairness, I think Mr. Parkes must allow, that 

 he who describes acids as being sweet, cannot reasonably cen- 

 sure the term, &c. This statement, though said to be made 

 " in all fairness," is surely any thing but fair, and I must leave 



