AMERICAN 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, &c. 
Art. I.— Review of the Scientific Labors and Character of Sir Hum- 
phry Davy. 
Tue last number of this Journal contained an obituary notice of 
Sir Humphry Davy, who closed his extraordinary career, on earth, 
at Geneva, on the 28th of May last. A character of no ordinary 
stamp has thus disappeared from our view: one of those meteors, 
which visit our world at distant intervals, has suddenly withdrawn 
itself from our firmament. 
No full biography of this great chemist has yet reached us, nor has 
the writer of this article, enjoyed the happiness of being personally ac- 
quainted with him. Indeed, we have learned but few particulars of his 
private history. Rarely, therefore, have we been presented with so 
fair an opportunity as the present, for estimating the character of an 
eminent cotemporary from his works alone, or of tracing the march of 
genius from its own naked monuments. If we have felt a strong admi- 
ration of Sir Humphry Davy, it has not been because he has enjoyed 
unbounded popularity, or been crowned with distinguished honors, but 
because a character in which splendor of genius, and majesty of in- 
tellect, and greatness of soul, were united, could not be viewed with- 
out admiration. While, therefore, the opinion we have’ formed of 
the character of Davy, remains simply that which his achievements 
and writings have inspired, unbiased as yet by the portraiture with 
which perhaps the partial hand of friendship may shortly present us, 
we hasten to review his scientific life and labors ;—to trace, as we 
shall of course do, the progress of chemical science for the same pe~- 
riod ; and to learn from so striking an example, both the character- 
istics of intellectual greatness, and the methods by which the powers 
of a great mind are most successfully developed and applied. 
Vou. XVII.—No. 2. 1 
