Notices respecting New Books. 221 



very easily have escaped notice at a period when mineral analysis was 

 in a far less advanced state than it is at present." We profess utter 

 ignorance as to the parties who have said much on this occasion : 

 the mistake mis^ht be readily pardoned at all times by those ac- 

 quainted with the difficulties' of chemical analysis ; this will be still 

 more readily admitted, when it is recollected that Berzelms himself, 

 certainly one of the most skilful analysts that ever existed, actually 

 overlooked sixteen per cent, of the same acid in uranite. 



His next paper was entitled ' An Account of analyzing Stones 

 containing a fixed Alkali, by means of Boracic Acid' .- for this and 

 the above-mentioned papers the Society awarded him the Copley 

 medal This communication was followed by the Bakenan lecture, 

 read on the 20th of November 180(5. According to Dr. Paris, this 

 paper " unfolded the mysteries of general voltaic action ; and as far 

 as theory goes, may be almost said to have perfected our knowledge 

 of the chemical agencies of the pile. This grand display of scientific 

 light burst over Europe like a spendid meteor, throwing its radiance 

 into the deepest recesses, and opening to the view of the philosopher 

 new and splendid regions." The subjects investigated in this memoir 

 are arranged by Dr. Paris as follows :— the changes produced m 

 water by electricity ; the agencies of electricity in the decomposi- 

 tion of various compound bodies ; the transfer of certain constituent 

 parts of bodies by the action of electricity ; the passage of acids, al- 

 kalies and other substances, through various attracting chemical 

 menstrua, by means of electricity ; general observations on these 

 phitnomena, and on the mode of decomposition and transition ; the 

 general principles of the chemical changes produced by electricity ; 

 the relations between the electrical energies of bodies and their 

 chemical affinities j the mode of tlie action of the pile of Volta, with 

 experimental elucidations ; general illustrations and applications of 

 the foregoing facts and principles. Dr. Paris gives a very able 

 analysis of this paper, which we should be glad to copy if our space 

 would allow. It is no small commendation of this paper that the 

 author received for it tlie prize of the French Institute. 



Davy's second Bakerian Lecture was read on the 19th of November 

 1807. Of this lecture Dr. Paris also gives an analysis, for which we 

 must refer to his book : to stamp the value and importance of this 

 communication, it would be sufficient to say that it announces the 

 discovery of tiie metallic bases of the alkalies, potash and soda. On 

 this subject Dr. Paris well remarks, "thus then was a discovery ef- 

 fected, and at once rendered complete, which all the chemists in 

 Europe had vainly attempted to accomplish. The alkalies had been 

 tortured by every variety of experiment which ingenuity could sug- 

 gest, or perseverance perform, but all to no purpose ; nor was the 

 jiursuit abandoned until indefatigable effort had wrecked the patience 

 and cxl.-austed the every resource of the experimentalist. Such was the 

 disheartening, and almost forlorn ('ondition of the philosopher, when 

 Davy entered the field : he created new instruments, new powers, 

 and 'fresh resources; and Nature, thus interrogated on a diflferent 

 plan, at once revealed her long cherished secret." 



It is observed by Davy in his Bakerian Lecture, that " an account of 



the 



