liij the same Author. 

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'rA:\IILIAll LETTERS on CHEMISTRY, in its 



I relations to Pliysiology, Dietetics, Agriculture, Coniuicrce, ami Politic.il Economy. 

 15y JrsTus Von Likbio. Fourth JMlilion, revised and enlarged. Edited by JouN 

 Blytu, M.D., Professor of Chemistry in Queen's College, Cork. 



CONTENTS. 



Lkttkr U. — Isomer 



Lkttfr 1.- Importance of Chemistry ; Its ranVnmoiiK 

 scu'ncfs ; R*ft-»'nt onifin of modern Cncmislry ; Like Mu- 

 tliemalirs and Phjsica, Chemiatr; is a lanfiadse.an instru- 

 ment, nhiih can 'only lead to liiscoviry in llie hands of 

 genius ; Chemical AnaUsis ; \ ;■ ! i 1,1, .-try ; Theory 

 of Chemistry; Chemical j-r,. ,, Iims are Uie 



foundation of all the rest of iK • . • ■ lu-lry esscn- 



tial to the future progress oi' ■'■' hi. . I'lty and I'hy* 



siology ; Philosophiial melliiu! ii u^iuli iiilo the vitul 

 phenomena; Great adiantages uirc.idy derived from Che- 

 mistry. 



LbttekS.— The Inductive and Aristotelian pliilosopliy 

 compared ; The true mode of investigating nature. an>l of 

 explainine natural phenomena ; Observation and reflection 

 necessary to success; Theart of obseivmg requires practice 

 hnd training ; Value of experiments to ascertain natural 

 laws ; Theory and practice contrasted ; Problems proposed 

 to be solved by Chemistry; I'hilosophical relations of 

 Chemistry; Immensity of the universe. Mind the cause of 

 motion ; Importance of the study of natural laws, such as 

 those of Chemical Combination. 



Lf.tter 3.— Origin and progress of Chemistry ; Tlie 

 Philusupher's Stone and the Transmutation of Metals; 

 Alchemy and the Alchemists; Learning of the Alchemists ; 

 True nature of Alchemy, it was the (*hemistry of the period ; 

 The wonders of modern science exceed the wildest dreams 

 of Alchemists; The theory of Phlogiston useful at the time 

 in classifying facUs and in generalisation; Stahl ; Caven- 

 di-li; HIa. k , I.aMiisier; The Anti-phlogistic Theory ; The 



LETTKr. 4.-Teiicliing of the Dark Ages ; Opposition 

 to new ideas; Columbus; Copernicus; Invention of 

 I'rinting; Universities founded; Galileo; Overthrow of 

 Galenic Medicine; Doctrines of Aristotle; System of 

 Galeo ; Elements of tlie Alnhemists; The Universal Medi- 

 cine ; Paracelsus ; Medical Chemistry ; Later Medical 

 Theories. 



LK1TKR5. — Cliemical Combination and Decompo- 

 sition; chemical Affinity; Influence of Heat, Cohesion, 

 and other forces ; Solubility ; Use of Solvents in Analysis. 



Lktteb fi.— Chemical Equivalents- Detinitc Proixir- 



tions; Multiple Priiportions ; .Method of calculating from 

 analysis, the lelntive numliers sf the equivalents of the 

 different Lleinents of a Compound; Chemical Symbols; 

 Examples; Acids and Oases; Chemical Formula; How 

 determined ; Examples. 

 LettfbV.— Cause of definite proportions; Atomic 

 Theory; Definition ol Physical and C:hemital Atoms; prac 

 tirfllly indivisible by mechanical and chemical means re- 

 spectively ; Compound Atoms or Molecules; Atomic 

 w>ighte; Distinction between the facts and the hjpo- 



Letteb 8.— Form of Atoms or Molecules; Isomor- 

 phism; Ismorphous groups; specific Gravity; Atomic 

 Volumes 



Letter 9.— Chemical Implements; Glass; Cork; Pla- 

 tinum ; Their imporUnce to the Cliem'St ; The Balance 

 equally indispensable; Analysis of Minerals; Artificial 

 production of Minerals ; Chemical Synthesis; Physiological 

 Chemistry the problem of the present day. 



I-ETTBB 10.— Solids, Liquids, G.a8es, are not permanent 



states of Matter ; Liquefaction and Solidification of Gasis ; 

 Solid Carbonic Acid ; The Spheroidal State ; True Expla 

 nation of the Experiments of Lcidenfrost and Bout'gny ; 

 Condensation of Gases on tlie surface of Solid Bodies ; 

 Charcoal; Spongy Platinum; Manufacture of Oil of Vitriol 

 and of Vinegar in this way ; The Nascent sUte of Bodies. 



Lettbb 11.- Imiwrtance of the manufacture of Sod;i 

 from Salt; Oil of Vitriol, its import.ince; Uses of Oil of 

 Vitriol in preparing So<la ; Muriatic Acid, Bleaching 

 Powder, Rone Glue; .Manufacture of Glass; Preparation of 

 the Soluble Glass of Fuchs ; lu Applications; Use of Oil 

 of Vitriol in r>-fining Silver, in preparing Superphosphate 

 of Lime, &c. ; ImporUnce to England of the Sulphur trade. 



Letter 12.— Electricity as a motive power; Expense 

 of It, i.nd of Zinc compared with Coals ; Comparative cost 

 of Beet root and of Cane Sugar; ProspecU of both ; Conti- 

 nental tax on <;olonial Sugar; Potition of the manufac- 

 ture of Gas from resin, oils, coals and wood. 



Letter lU.— Machines do not create power: Belief 



in |H.Tpetual motion founded in error; Mayer's views of ihe 

 nature of force or poner; Motion and heat are convertible 

 into each other; Interesting application of this fact; 

 Electricity as a mntnc po«er can be measured in the same 

 way as heat ; Its power also measured by the decomposi 

 tion of water ; By the viul procesM-a of planU the heal of 

 the sun's rays becomes latent; Food of animals destined 

 for nutrition and for the production of he-itj The chemical 

 changes in the cunstitueutt of the body are the causes of 



Polymerism ; Examples ; 



tion; Amorphous bo.lies; Allotropic transfur- 

 clements and compounds 



Letter 15.- Allotropic States of Bodies; O/.onifed 

 Oivgen, ite preparation, remarkable properties, and mode 

 of detection ; lu destruction by heat; Preparation of Ozone 

 bv oxidation of Bitter Almonds, Oil of Turpentine, Sul- 

 phurous Acid, &c : Spongy Platinum ozonises Uxtgen ; 

 An explanation of the transformations of Oxygen not pns 

 Bible in the present state of science ; The properties of 

 Ozune are acquired by chemir-' --— . .' . 

 Brodie's views of cliemical acli 

 of Oxygen. 



Letter 16.— Chemical Attraction forms the substance 

 of organised bodies; Influence upon it of Light, Meat 

 Cohesion, Gravity, and the Vital Force; Action of Heat' 

 both on Inorganic and Organic Bodies; Disturbance of 

 equilibrium ; Direction of Attraction ; Organic Atoms or 

 Molecules; No element, as such, can serve as food for a 

 plant or animal 



Letter 17.— Origin of Organic Atoms, from Carbonic 

 Acid, Water, and Ammonia; Derivation of non-azotised 

 Vegetable Products from Carbonic Acid and Water by 

 Deoxidation ; Coupled Compounds; Deciy of Organic 

 Bodies, caused by the action of Oxygen, as seen in cut 

 fruit; Putrefaction and Fermentation defined and de- 

 scribed ; Vinous Fermentation of Sugar ; Heat modifies 

 Fermentation; Ferments; Flavour of Wines and Spirita 



Lettkh IK.- Vegetable Caseine and the Emulsion of 

 Almonds as Ferments ; Effects of the latter body on Sali- 

 cine and Ainygdaline ; OU of Mustard ; Gluten of Flour as 

 a Ferment; Translormation of Starch into Gum and 

 Sugar; Germination and Malting; Maturation ol Fruits; 

 Skin and Membranes a^ree in many properties with Gluten 

 and 'Yeast; Making of Cheese; Action of the Lining 

 Membr.ine of the Stomach in Digestion; Pcpsine dots not 

 exist; Theory of the Action of Ferments; Various kinds of 

 Ferments. 



Letter 19.— Oxygen i.^ the exciting cause of Putrefac- 



t_ve Transformations, all of which begin with Decay or slow 

 Combustion ; Eremacausis, or decay, is a process or com- 

 bustion at the common temperature ; Examples of Erema- 

 causis in Bleaching ; Decay of animal matter ; Decav or 

 Eremacausis of Alcohol; Acetification, Nitrification," the 

 Eremacausis of Ammonia; Making of Wines, of Beer; 

 Bavarian Beer, cause of iu sup. riority ; Application of the 

 same to hasten the Ripening of Wines. 



Letter 20.— Boiling checks fermentation ; Preserva- 

 tion of meat, fruits, &c., by Apperfs process; Effect 01 the 

 introduction into the system of putrescent matters ; I'oison- 

 inn from dissection, from bad sausages, &c ; Antidotes to 

 these poisons ; Danger of bad meat. 



Letter 21.— Tlieory which ascribes fermentation to 

 Fungi re'uted; Characters of Yeast; Putrefaction not 

 caused by Animalculic, but decay Is hastened by them ; 

 Parasitic theory of t:ontagion refuted; Scabies; Muscar- 

 dine; Limits of Vital and Ihjtical Forces. 



Lktter 22.— Connection of the Sciences; True Pro- 

 vince of Physiology and Chemistry ; Chemical and Physio 

 logical notions of niood. Urine, and Bile, eifler ; The Vital 

 Force is something more than the known Physical and 

 Chemical forces ; I'he Vital Force must co-operate with 

 known forces; Little is known of the nature of Physical and 

 Chemical forces; Examples; Crystallisation of Glaubers 

 Salts; Engravings copied bj chemical means; Action of 

 tlie blood corpuscles in respiration. 



Letter 23.— In inorganic nature, Mechanical and 

 ( hemical Forces predominate; The properties of organic 

 rubstances are due to the order of arrangement of their 

 elements; n organised beings a peculiar 1-oric is in opera- 

 tion ; a Viul Force is denied by those only whose kno>v- 

 ledge of Physical Forces is defective ; The law of Piogres- 

 sive Development his no foundation in nature; Views of 

 BiscboH'; Chemi'-al Forces may form an organic but not aa 

 organised body, the Viul Force alone controlling the Che- 

 mical Forces gives rise to the latter; SponUneous genera 

 tion has no existence in nature ; Views of the physiological 

 materialisU contested ; a \ ital Force recognised. 



Letter 24.- Scientific study of obscure objects ; Ex- 



I- . .._: i .. .L. . L .. .. : dpontnneous C'ombusUon of 



of it ill observed. The fact 



' all the cases, a liulit 



1, and in no esse liaH 



sh is not combustible 



gin of the belief 

 the human body; Alh 

 assumed on insufficient grounds 

 or burning fuel his been in tWe 1 

 the coml>ustion b-cn 



All 



, combustible like wood ; Living 

 les steeping it in fat or spirits 

 " itio^enous lompounils are 

 The Electrical theory is 

 po.ed cnses arose generally 



body paitly consumed. 



of drink falls on th 

 ■ furniture, and it lullucated, 1 



