854 [Assembly 



isriter or a reader. Not only has the range of pure chemistry, aa 

 a whole, become so vast that scarcely any one mind can grasp it, 



♦ or, in a fair measure, master its details ; while by way of sim- 

 ^plification, separate divisions have successively been made into 



mineral and organic, and the latter again into animal and vege- 

 vtable chemistry ; but so many new arts have arisen from the 



• application of its principles to useful and ornamental purposes, 

 Jthat it would fill a bookseller's catalogue to name only the latest 



published and best books which relate to all the separate or spe- 

 ■cial branches. Five-and-twenty years ago, only three or four 

 imen held open schools for teaching its most difficult departments. 

 'Now, at least thirty professors, scattered over the island, teach it 

 "Systematically, and at least as many more instructed chemists ob- 

 ^in a living by superintending or giving advice on its numerous 

 applications. Of the rate at which the science is now making 

 way, a popular notion may be formed from the contents of a 

 CJerman book, the " Handworterhuch der reitien und Andgewandten 

 Chemie,''^ is a dictionary of pure and applied chemistry, which 

 l)egan to be issued a few years ago. It has now reached the let- 

 ter K, nevertheless, to bring up its accumulated arrears, a sup- 

 plement of 440 pages has been issued. 



For ages particular streams were famed for their efficacy in 

 steeping flax, and enjoyed the reputation for centuries. But a 

 new mode was devised by Schenck, owing to a chemical discovery. 

 This invention shortened the process of steeping to a few hours. 

 Anotlier chemical process here steps in, tears still further in 

 pieces the single hollow fibres of the flax, and produces a mate- 

 rial which resembles cotton in appearance, can be spun with 

 the same machinery, and according to the discoverer, M. Claus- 

 «sen, may, in all probability be brought into the market at a price 

 low enough to compete successfully with natural cotton. 



« Among the substances which are contained in and are necessa- 

 ry to the composition and usefulness of the bread of man, is one 

 to which chemists give the name of phosphate of lime. This ma- 

 terial the growing corn extracts from the soil. Without its pre- 

 fience in sufficient abundance in the earth through which its 

 roots spread, tlie plant flourishes poorly, the ear is ill-fitted, and 



