334 Remarks on Chemical Theory, and on 



chemistry — La Grange and the abridgments of Thompson 

 and Murray, Chaptal, Lavoisier, Accum, Brande, and even 

 Henry,* it has, we beheve, a right to claim a peculiar character 

 as being more full than any of them, and more philosophical 

 than most of them, while it is not encumbered with more of 

 the details of the practical parts of the subject, than are ne- 

 cessary to illustrate the philosophy of the science, which ap- 

 pears to be the great object of the work. 



It would be saying a great deal to affirm that any work 

 can surpass the fine elementary treatise of Dr. Henry, pro- 

 vided we take into view its particular destination. It com- 

 bines in a happy manner, the perspicuous exhibition of 

 principle, with ample details of experiment. These are 

 stated with great precision — the selection is happy, and we 

 beheve that few of Dr. Henry's statements relating either 

 to principle or practice can be seriously invalidated. His 

 book has maintained its standing for more than twenty years, 

 and has passed through nearly half that number of editions. 

 It is not perhaps likely to be soon superceded — it had its 

 feebler youth — it now flourishes in vigorous maturity, and it 

 promises ultimately to enjoy a green old age. There is indeed 

 little interference between the works of Dr. Henry and Dr. 

 Gorhara. Each has its appropriate object and mode of exe- 

 cution, and we think Dr. Gorham having resolved to go be- 

 yond his original plan of a text book, has been judicious, 

 in giving his work the form of a general treatise on the phi- 

 losophy of chemistry. It bears more resemblance to the 

 elements (in two volumes) of the late lamented Dr. Murray, 

 than to any other book, but it is fuller, and much more re- 

 cent than his latest edition. f 



The plan of Professor Gorham's work is thus stated by 

 himself: " The first part is devoted to the general laws of 

 the science, and to the properties and modes of action of the 

 powers or agents which are concerned in the production of 

 chemical phenomena. In the second part, are detailed the 

 properties and relations of ponderable bodies and their com- 



* The American reader will not need to be informed that in addition to 

 the foreign works enumerated in the text, Drs.'Ewell, Cutbush, and Bache 

 have each published in this country a work on the elements of chemistry. 



t It will of course be undei'stood that we do not allude to Dr. Murray's 

 large system in 4 vols. 



