200 [Assembly 



ence to a new discovery of the action of heat upon water, where- 

 by vast results may be obtained by very trifling outlay. 



The many strange misunderstandings and gross misrepresent- 

 ations disseminated on these important matters, induced the lec- 

 turer to examine for the first time, and disclose how enormously 

 Gay Lussac, Dr. Dalton, other chemists, and all writers on the 

 steam engine had erred, in stating it required four hundred and 

 eighty degrees of heat to double a volume of steam heated apart 

 from water, by showing it required but four degrees of heat to- 

 double a volume of steam heated apart from water, and but six- 

 teen degrees of heat to treble a volume of steam heated apart 

 from water ; and having at the same time described simple in- 

 struments and easy means for proving these useful facts, and 

 more especially the immediate deduction, from steam being an 

 invariable atomic compound of water and heat, an additional 

 quantity of heat must, of necessity, constitute it a distinct che- 

 mical element, we have named Stame, and shown it to be both 

 mechanically, economically, and chemically distinct from and 

 of immensely greater value than steam. 



This great chemical discovery of a new element, which can 

 neither be over valued nor disproved, has become exceedingly 

 distasteful to numerous engineers, bacause it so immeasurably 

 exceeds their best performances ; to many learned men, who, too 

 indolent to examine, or too conceited to believe, because it ex- 

 ceeds their book knowledge and cherished theories, whence 

 these gentlemen have learned a little, because but little can be 

 learned of the inscrutable properties of matter and of heat, with 

 their peculiar modesty, assume the knowledge of every property 

 thereot, however incomprehensible to the best understanding, 

 and ridiculously attempt to deny or to detract from any new 

 facts that contradict their impoten": theories, 'all of which yet 

 broached on the subject of heat, are so insufficient and puerile 

 as to be discreditable to the age. 



An atrocious attempt of several members of one of the most 

 learned universities of this country, to substitute, by arrogance 

 and fraud, old pernicious vagaries for truth, will be given here- 

 after, for the purpose of showing as evil a spirit as tortured Ga- 



