1818.] Mr. Dalton on the Lamp without Flame. 245 



The same general remarks will apply to his scientific as to 

 his literary character. There is a mildness and modesty which 

 pervade his works, an obvious anxiety to arrive at the truth, a 

 candour towards his opponents, and an air of good faith and 

 simplicity, which cannot but produce a very favourable impres- 

 sion on the readers. On the other hand we must acknow- 

 ledge that the stile is insufferably tedious and prolix, and that 

 the information which they contain is so much diluted with 

 common-place remarks as to make them altogether uninteresting 

 in the perusal. His experiments are numerous, and were pro- 

 secuted with assiduity ; but they are seldom of that description 

 which can be stiled masterly or ingenious, but rather belong to 

 the class which derive their merit from patient observation and 

 frequent repetition. Upon the whole, however, the results are 

 not very decisive, and can scarcely be regarded as affording an 

 adequate compensation for the quantity of time which was 

 devoted to them. Besides the works which have been mentioned 

 in the course of this sketch, Senebier was the author of many 

 other publications on various topics, as well as of a number of sepa- 

 rate papers in different scientific journals. We apprehend that 

 few of them will maintain their credit with posterity ; they seem to 

 be written without much care, and to be destitute of that fire of 

 genius or brilliancy of language, which can give currency to 

 hasty productions. In short, Senebier wrote too much to write 

 well ; and we may venture to assert that he would have been 

 more useful to his contemporaries, and better entitled to the 

 gratitude of posterity, if his works had been less bulky, but more 

 correct. 



B=r*^r^jn 



Article II. 



On the Combustion of Alcohol by the Lamp without Flame. By 



John Dalton, Esq. 



(To Dr. Thomson.) 



RESPECTED FRIEND, Manchester, Aug. 3, ISIS. 



On considering the phenomena of the lamp without flame 

 continuing the combustion of alcohol by means of the coils of 

 platina wire, it struck me as desirable to ascertain whether the 

 products in this are the same as in the ordinary combustion ; I was 

 inclined to think that an imperfect or semi-combustion of the 

 charcoal might, perhaps, be the result, and that carbonic oxide, 

 rather than carbonic acid, would be found in a confined atmo- 

 sphere subject to this operation. 



About three months ago I suggested the above to Dr. Henry, 

 when we immediately burned the lamp under a bell glass; and 

 extracting a portion of the air^we were soon convinced by the 

 ordinary tests that it contained carbonic acid. A few days 



