IN the preparation of this text-book on Chemistry, it has 

 been the design of the author to disencumber the subject 

 of much detail, which is only of interest to the professional 

 chemist, and at the same time to bring the illustration of the 

 more important phenomena of the science within the reach 

 of every school and every individual student. 



The most distinguished philosophers have not deemed it 

 beneath their dignity to employ the simplest means of inves- 

 tigation. The teacher will not be loth to take advantage of 

 similar means in illustrating their discoveries. An important 

 design of this work is to show how this object may be ac- 

 complished, by the simple addition of a few test-tubes and a 

 spirit lamp, to a list of chemical apparatus which may be 

 found in every house. 



Among the other distinctive features of the work, are a 

 more complete classification than usual according to chemi- 

 cal analogies, the explanation of chemical phenomena in 

 ordinary language, as well as symbols, and the addition of 

 a complete set of formulae in the Appendix. A number of 

 recent and important discoveries are introduced, and the 

 relations of Chemistry to the Arts and Agriculture, are es- 

 pecially considered. 



The method adopted for the explanation of chemical phe- 

 nomena, while it is believed to be more effectual in imparting 

 the leading idea of all chemical reactions, leaves to the 



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