1808. MT. 30.] PKOFESSOR DAVY. 353 



strontites, have many alkaline properties, which induced Mr. 

 Davy to subject them to similar experiments ; and in like 

 manner he discovered that these consisted of metallic bases 

 united to oxygen, forming compound bodies analogous to 

 the two fixed alkalies. These may justly be placed amongst 

 the most brilliant and valuable discoveries which have ever 

 been made in chemistry, for a great chasm in the chemical 

 system has been filled up ; a blaze of light has been dif- 

 fused over that part which before was utterly dark; and 

 new views have been opened so numerous and interesting 

 that the more any man who is versed in chemistry reflects 

 on them, the more he finds to admire and to heighten his 

 expectation of future important results. Mr. Davy's name, 

 in consequence of these discoveries, will be always recorded 

 in the annals of science amongst those of the most illus- 

 trious philosophers of his time. His country, with reason, 

 will be proud of him ; and it is no small honour to the 

 Royal Institution that these great discoveries have been 

 made within its walls, in that laboratory and by those 

 instruments which, from the zeal of promoting useful know- 

 ledge, have with so much propriety been placed at. the dis- 

 posal and for the use of the Professor of Chemistry. 



* This recital [said Dr. Dibden] will be sufficient to con- 

 vince those who hear of the celebrity which the author of 

 such a discovery has a right to attach to himself; and yet no 

 one, I am confident, has less inclination to challenge it. To 

 us and to every enlightened Englishman it will be a matter 

 of just congratulation that the country which has produced 

 the two Bacons and Boyle has in these days shown itself 

 worthy of its former renown by the labours of Cavendish 

 and Davy. 



* The illness of the latter, severe as it has been, is now 

 beginning to abate, 1 and we may reasonably hope, from 



1 Davy always thought he caught the fever during an experiment for 

 disinfecting Newgate Prison. 



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