332 



Wliy and Because. 



Vol. IV. 



and habit of natural bodies. Tliis is again 

 divided into Mineralogy, (including Miner- 

 alogy proper, and Geology,) Botany and 

 Zoology. 



1. Mineralogy makes us acquainted with 

 the mineral kingdom ; i. e. the form, struc- 

 ture, and habit, of all unorganized bodies; 

 including, not only the solid parts of the 

 earth, but the loose soil which we tread, the 

 water we drink, and the air we breathe.* 



2. Botany makes us acquainted with ve- 

 getables, i. e. with all bodies having organi- 

 zation, and vitality, without the power of 

 voluntary motion. 



3. Zoology makes us acquainted with ani- 

 mals, i. e. with those organized bodies 

 which have vitality, and the power of volun- 

 tary motion. 



The second branch, viz. Mechanical Philo- 

 sophy, makes us acquainted with the laws 

 which govern masses of matter. 



The third branch, viz. Chemical Philosophy, 

 makes us acquainted with the nature and 

 composition of bodies. While Mechanical 

 Philosophy has to do with masses of matter. 

 Chemistry has to do with particles. The 

 former regards change of place, the latter 

 change of character. 



CHEMISTRY. 



1. Definition. Most substances are under- 

 going a perpetual transmutation in their phys- 

 ical characters. What at one time is soft, 

 at another is hard, or what is hard becomes 

 soft ; what to-day is sweet and palatable, to- 

 morrow is sour or nauseating ; what is now 

 of pleasant appearance and agreeable odour, 

 soon becomes disgusting and offensive; 

 what is to-day an invisible gas, or floating 

 eloud, or sparkling dew-drop, may to-morrow 

 be a constituent of a tree, a shrub, a flower, 

 a fish, a bird, a beast, or a man. These 

 changes, whether natural or artificial, whether 

 gradual or sudden, are purely chemical, and 

 the laws hy which they are governed come 

 under the cognizance of Chemical Philoso- 

 phy. 



Thus, Chemistry may be defined as that 

 science which investigates the nature and 

 composition of bodies. 



2. History of Chemistry. Chemistry, as a 

 science, can scarcely be referred farther back 

 than the close of the seventeenth century. 

 Previous to this, what little knowledge had 

 been accumulated was cloistered with the Al- 

 chemist, in his vain pursuit of the "philoso- 

 pher's stone," or his idle dreams of a " grand 



♦All natural bodies are divided into three prand 

 divisions, termed Kingdoms, viz; The Mineral King- 

 dom, tlie VoKetalile Kingdom, and the Animal King- 

 dom. All unorganized bodies are included in the 

 Mineral Kingdom. Hence, in the language of science, 

 ▲iR and WATER are minerals. 



catholicon.j"" It is, in fact, less than one 

 hundred years, since the science of chemistry 

 has begun to stand forth disenthralled of the 

 chimeras of Alchemy. 



The establishment of the Academy del 

 Limerto, in 1G51, the Royal Society of Lon- 

 don, in 1660, and the Royal Academy of 

 Science of Paris, in 1666, brought a new 

 era. About this time, the discoveries of 

 Black, Cavendish, Scheie, and Lavoisier, 

 arose as bright stars in the horizon of science, 

 — Since this period, and the adoption of the 

 New Nomenclature, discovery has succeeded 

 discovery in quick succession. Among these 

 none shine with such transcendant brilliancy, 

 as those of the lamented Sir H. Davy. To 

 him, perhaps, more than to any other one 

 man, are we indebted for the application of 

 chemistry to the business of husbandry. 



3. Utility of Chemistry. Those sciences 

 are the most interesting and the most profit- 

 able which are the most intimately connected 

 with our ordinary avocations. This being^ 

 true, the proof is easy, that few, if any sub- 

 jects, (morality aside,) have a more intimate 

 connection with the weal or woe of life, than 

 chemistry. We speak here only of its util- 

 ity to people in the common walks of life. 

 To such, chemical knowledge is useful — 



1st. ".^s a source of wealth,'''' says Pro- 

 fessor Accum, " Agriculture can only be 

 rationally improved by calling in the assist- 

 ance of chemical philosophy ; for it is chem- 

 istry that explains the phenomena of vegeta- 

 tion, germination, growth, ripening, and 

 death of })lants." It aids the farmer in the 

 selection, preparation, and appropriation of 

 his manure, and teaches hiiTi the defect or 

 excellence of his soil. It teaches the best 

 mode of preserving animal or vegetable sub- 

 stances for domestic use. — In this and other 

 respects, the Culinary art comes in for a 

 large share of profit. 



The painter, the potter, the tanner, the 

 brazier, the blacksmith, all carry on their 

 manipulations by the application of chemical 

 principles. 



Chemistry teaches the mason how to tem- 

 per his cement, and to construct fire-places, 



t The Alchemists supposed that the metals were only 

 abortive attempts of Nature to make gold and silver; 

 and that there was a substance which would complete 

 what she had thus begun. To tliis imaginary power 

 they gave the name ol^ " Philosopher's Stone." They 

 also supposed that there was an antidote for all dis- 

 eases, and even for age itself. This was called the 

 "Panacea," or "Grand Cathoi.icon." Another of 

 their visions was the "Alkahest," or "Universal 

 Solvent," by which all bodies could be reduced to their 

 original constituents. 



How far removed from the absurdities of the Al- 

 chemist are those men, who hawk about the country 

 certain nostrums, as cures for all the ills to which 

 flesh is heir ? Many of the Alchemists had the apol- 

 ogy of ignorance for their absurdities. But whether 

 modern quackery is more noted for ignorance or im 

 pudence, we will not say. 



