665 l^ew PulUcaiioni. 



have been inecimpafably ardent and fuccefsful. Our fathers 

 were therefore content, during that period, to accept the 

 Germans, Dutch, and French, for their chemical indruftors. 

 The French, though not the proper authors of the moft im- 

 portant difcoveries in that which is called Modern Chemiftry, 

 were, however, the firft to combine, correft, and advance 

 thofe difcoveries into one general fyllem : and we therefore 

 honour them as our mafters ; and have fubmitted to receive 

 from them, as well a new chemical language, as our favourite 

 elementary chemical books. Even the Germans, though not 

 more fortunate than we in difcovery, nor more &h\y inftruc- 

 tive In academical lefturea and the exhibition of experiments, 

 have been lately more forward to publifli: compilations of the 

 fafts and principles of chemical fcience ; and we neither deny 

 praife to their induftry, nor rejeft their aid. Such is the 

 progrefs of chemical difcovery as to demand the frequent 

 compofition of new fyftems, which fliall afifemble fafts as 

 they are obferved, and principles as they are eftablifhea* 

 Books thus neceffary we gladly accept, from whatever quar- 

 ter and under whatever name. We fliould wifli them to be 

 originally in Englifh, to illuftrate efpecially the ftate of Britifh 

 fcience^ of Britiih inveftigation, of Britidi arts. But, poffefs 

 they the true merits which are to be defired of fuch works 

 in general, we ftiall receive them with eager gratitude and 

 refpeft even in tranflation from a foreign language. 



The following abftraft of this work, by Dr. Gren, may 

 perhaps affift our readers to judge what utilities are likely to 

 refult from the addition of it to the prefent ftock of Engliflz 

 chemical literature. 



It opens with an introductory fketch of the hiftory of che- 

 miftry. In the Jirji chapter are explained thofe more general 

 laws which refpeft alike all the other parts of chemical fci- 

 ence, the general nature of the moft remarkable procefles of 

 the laboratory, and the forms and peculiar ufes of thofe in- 

 flruments which chemiftry chiefly employs. The chemical 

 hiftory of the more remarkable gafes, and of fome of their 

 proximate compounds, fills the Jl-cofid chapter. The general 

 chara£lers of the acids, of the pilkalles, and of their neutral 

 compounds, are exhibited ia the ihird. The four lb traces 

 7 the 



