PBEFACE. V 



The only text-book which has any resemblance to this in its plan is 

 Stb'ckhardt's, and the resemblance touches only a few points. The coinci- 

 dence, so far as it goes, gave me great gratification when my attention was 

 called to it by a friend to whom I was developing my plan. 



A large proportion of the experiments can be tried with very simple ap- 

 paratus, and a few dollars' worth of materials obtained from the druggist ; 

 but it will be well for the teacher to purchase a few articles such as re- 

 torts, a retort-stand, thin flasks, glass tubes, etc. at some chemical shop, 

 and also such materials as druggists do not usually have as potassium, 

 sodium, oxide of manganese, phosphorus, etc. A pneumatic trough can be 

 easily made by any tinman or cabinet-maker from the teacher's directions, 

 or he can even construct one himself by fixing a perforated shelf in a small 

 tub. At the same time, it may be said that the book can be profitably read 

 or studied with only trying such experiments as the most common materi- 

 als and apparatus which any household may furnish, because the illustra- 

 tions are drawn so abundantly from ordinary phenomena within the obser-" 

 vation of all. There are around us, and even within us, chemical reactions 

 which are the counterpart of a large proportion of the experiments which 

 the chemist performs in the laboratory. 



Questions are appended for the use of teachers if they desire them, and 

 also a full Index. There is a glossary, or rather a list of terms, with the 

 numbers of the sections where their explanation may be found. 



With the present degree of instruction in natural science in our general 

 system of education, this book is rather too far advanced for the oldest 

 scholars in common schools, though it would not be if they had gone 

 through with the previous books of the series* which I have prepared. Until 

 the different gradations which I have aimed at in this series are fairly intro- 

 duced, the proper place for this book and Part III. is the High School and 

 the Academy, while Part I. is within the comprehension of the next grade 

 below. But it is to be hoped that the time will very soon come when nat- 

 ural science shall have its due prominence during the whole course of edu- 

 cation, and then the books of this series, or other similar books, will find 



All the books of this series are mentioned in the Preface of Part I. See also 

 back of the title of the present volume. 



