1825.] An Explanatory Dictionary, 6jc. 57 



We learn from the Preface that the design of the present pub- 

 lication is to supply the want of plates in most of the elementary 

 treatises on chemistry, and to assist students who attend the 

 public chemical lectures, but have not sufficient time or oppor- 

 tunity to examine the furniture of i.he lecture-table, so as to be 

 enabled perfectly to comprehend the construction and principles 

 of every article of apparatus. The author acknowledges that he 

 has made free use of the best authorities, and at the same time 

 lays claim to many original remarks and explanations. 



'The first chapter is devoted to a dissertation on the general 

 nature of chemical apparatus and instruments; and though the 

 remarks are somewhat diffuse, the young chemist will find in 

 them, on the whole, a good deal of useful matter ; but we think 

 the necessity of havmg shelves, drawers, cupboards, bottle 

 brushes, sponges, towels, &,c. &.c. in the laboratory, might have 

 been left to the tyro's own sagacity to find out, wiio u ill probably 

 not be long before he discovers that chemical operations are 

 marvellously apt to make dirty hands, and that he nmst be no 

 niggard of his trouble in often cleaning his flasks, precipitating 

 glasses, retorts, &c. &c. as well as his own fingers, before he 

 quits the fumes of the laboratory for the peri"umes of the draw- 

 ing room. 



This chapter also contains a pretty long list of instruments 

 and utensils, and another of tests, &c. ; in the latter of which, 

 the same articles are in several instances repeated under differ- 

 ent heads ; for instance, under the head Tests, we find carbonate 

 of ammonia, nitrate of barytes, nitrate of lead, sulphate of iron, 

 &c. and the same substances occur again in the next page under 

 the head Salts. Is this for the sake of amplification, or from 

 inattention? It is bad at all events. Next come heat and fuel, 

 amongst which the author has omitted to notice the new sub- 

 stance obtained from the distillation of wood, and, not very pro- 

 perly perhaps, called naphtha ; it is a cheap and excellent sub- 

 stitute for spirits of wine. This chapter concludes with some 

 remarks on the method of conducting experiments, hicludiug 

 some good advice to young operators, extracted from Macquer 

 and Dr. Henry. 



The very small space we can afford to our further remarks on 

 this volume will allow of only a few short extracts from some of 

 the articles, as a specimen of the general style of the work. 



Blowpipe. — Figures and descriptions are given of Bergman's, 

 Black's, and Woilaston's, which may be considered as legitimate 

 blowpipes, as they are supported by the hand, and the blast 

 urged by the Ijrealh of the operator, the only possible method of 

 givinf'-all the nice varieties of flame and position that are reiiuired 

 in the dexterous management of this admirable little instrument. 

 There are also figures of Brooke's Oxy-hydrogen Blowpipe, an 

 useful instrument, when we wish to throw an intense heat on a 



