456 Notices respecting New Books: 
with Descriptions of the most approved Apparatus for gene- 
rating, collecting and distributing Coal-gas for Illuminating 
Purposes. With fourteen appropriate Plates, By T. S. PEcK- 
ston, of the Chartered Gas-Light and Coke Company’s Esta- 
blishment, Peter-street, Westminster. 8vo, pp. 458. x 
We have here another work. professing to embrace the same 
objects as the one, by Mr. Accum, which we have just noticed. 
Mr. Peckston in going over the same ground as Mr. A. seems not 
to have found it necessary to deviate greatly from the line of de- 
scription followed by the latter in the earlier editions. of his work: 
in some instances, indeed, he has adhered perhaps too literally 
to Mr. A.’s statements and illustrations. See particularly p. 73, 
the rules in which Mr. Accum acknowledges he borrowed from 
the Plain Dealer, but which Mr. Peckston borrows at second- 
hand without making any acknowledgement either to the Plain 
Dealer ur Mr. Accum. Compare also from p. 85 to 90. inclusive, 
on the theory of the combustion of coal, with what is said on 
the same subject in the former editions of Mr. A.’s work., Mr. 
Peckston, however, is less to be quarrelled with for enriching 
his work with valuable matter from preceding writers, than for 
omitting much new matter,which, though within his reach, seems 
altogether to have escaped his observation. A sufficient cause 
for this deficiency may perhaps be found in the following resolu- 
tion, of which in his preface he apprizes the reader; ‘‘ He (Mr. P.) 
has only further to observe, that in no one instance does he in- 
tend to lay before the public experiments which have not been 
made under his own observation; unless of such a nature as are 
likely to be beneficial, and then by stating his authority.’ Mr. 
P. has, we think, adhered sufficiently to the first part of this in- 
tention; but failed in the second. He has confined, himself too 
much to his own experience, and made too little inquiry after 
the experience of other labourers not less assiduous in the same 
department, As far us he goes he is generally an intelligent, cor- 
rect and well-informed guide, but he has neither gone far enough 
nor. looked sufficiently round about him. We shall subjoin, as 
‘we have done with Mr, Accum’s work, a table of the contents of 
Mr. Peckston’s, in order that our readers may judge for them- 
selves between them; but that the judgement we have ventured 
to pronounce may not go forth without some facts in support of 
it, we shall briefly point out a few of those instances in which we 
think the sin of omission is honestly chargeable against Mr. 
Peckston. 7 
In p. 212, in speaking of the purification of gas, he informs us 
that ‘‘ means have been tried for purifying the gas by lime in a 
semi-fluid state, thus decreasing the quantity of this objectionable 
matter ; but the vessel which my observations were made upon was 
found 
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