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XXVJII. Notices respecting New Books. 



Ekmevti of Chemical Philosophy. By Sir Humphry Davy, 

 LL.D. Sec. RS. Prof. Chem. R.I. and B.A. M.R.I. 

 F.R.S.E. M.R.I. A. Member of the Royal Academy of 

 Stockholm; of the Imperial Med. and Chir. Academy 

 of St.Petersburgh ; of the American Philosophical Society^ 

 and Honorary ^Sleniber of the Societies of Dublin, Man- 

 chester, the Physical Society of Edinburgh, and the 

 Medical Society of London. Part I. Vol. I, pp. 527, 8vo. 

 1812. Johnson and Co., St. Paul's Churchyard. 



vTreat as was the expectation of this work, its importance 

 will defeat disappointment. It abounds in luminous views, 

 original conceptions, comprehensive principles, and familiar 

 yet sublime, grand yet sin)ple, developments of the laws 

 and cEConomy of the inanimate world. The impressive 

 simplicilv of the general priticiples can only be equalled by 

 the endless variety of curious and important facts brought 

 forward to elucidate or familiarize every position. Bui an 

 abstract of the author's plan of arrangement, and some 

 extracts from his original principles, will best convey an 

 idea of the nature of these " Elements of Chemical Philo- 

 sophy." 



Sir Humphry, adverse to all significant arrangements 

 which may induce erroneous inferences, or obstruct the 

 progress of free inquiry, separates the parts of this 

 volume into divisions, of which he makes seven. An In- 

 troduction, embracing an " historical view of the progress 

 of chemistry," although brief, manifests research and the 

 hand of a master. Here, however, we find the philosophy 

 of chemistry accurately defined, and more particularly the 

 application of chemical philosophy happily elucidated with 

 the characteristic animation of the author. The foundations 

 of chemical philosophy l)ein2 observation, e.vperiment, and 

 analogy, they are respectivelv illustrated by example, and 

 from their application to some particular substance a ge- 

 neral scientific truth is established. Till modern times, 

 these principles of research and combination of methods 

 were never applied ; and in the early ages, all that deserves 

 the appellation of chemical consists in observation, with 

 very little analogy and no experiment. The dyeing and 

 works in metals practised by the ancients were merely me- 

 chanical ; were rather habits occasioned by necessity, than 

 arts aided by reason. Sir H. soarclies the writings of the 

 Greeks and Romans for chemical knowledge, but finds 



Vol.40. No. 172. yiw^«?M8l2. K, none; 



