44 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
gations in organic chemistry, a great deal of labor, and that labor 
of a combined nature, will be required. I am certain that this 
object will be obtained. Organic chemistry has made its first 
step, and already its field has been extended to a very surprising 
egree. We meet every day with new and unexpected discov- 
eries. It is, however, remarkable, that in the country in which 
I now am, whose hospitality I shall never cease to remember, or- 
ganic chemistry is only commencing to take root. We live ina 
time when the slightest exertion leads to valuable results ; and, if 
we consider the immense influence which organic chemistry exer- 
cises over medicine, manufactures, and over common life, we 
must be sensible that there is at present no problem more impot- 
tant to mankind than the prosecution of the objects which organic 
chemistry contemplates. I trust that English men of science will 
participate in the general movement, and unite their efforts to 
those of the chemists of the continent, to further the advance of 
a science which, when taken in connection with the researehes in 
Physiology, both animal and vegetable, which have been so sue- 
cessfully prosecuted in this country, may be expected to afford us 
the most important and novel conclusions respecting, the meeeeons 
of organization. 
Non sition of Carbonic Acid by Planis. —Dr. Dalton 
communicated through a friend, a short paper ‘On the Non-de- 
composition of Carbonic Acid by Plants.’ He calculates, that in 
5000 years, animals supposed to live upon the earth, would pro- 
duce but .001 of carbonic acid, so that the assistance of plants to 
purify our atmosphere is not necessary. By experiment, he 
found, that a hot-house does not contain more or less carbonic 
acid, by night or by day, than the external air, and the results 
were the same in a number of repetitions of the experiments. 
This paper was said to have been penned during the convales- 
cence of its illustrious author from a late attack of illness, and 
was listened to with the greatest attention. 
Galvanic Formation of Metallic Copper.—The present is the 
first occasion on which native copper has been found, actually de- 
_ tected, as it were, in the very act of formation in the mine shaft. 
Cronebane mine has been wrought for a very lengthened pe- 
and has an eel interest as connected with the present 
from condition of the next mine to 
been 
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