On ike Nature of Alkalis and Earths. 21 



his experiments on this subject have always been considered 

 fallacious by the most enlightened chemists. 



The general style of O.'s communication shows merely 

 that he is little rejoiced at the progress of science, and that 

 he wishes to diminish the importance of the late discoveries. 

 He might have praised Mr. Kerr as much as he p 1 eased; and 

 no one would have been offended ; but every philosophical 

 man must be displeased at his rude and illiberal mention of 

 a chemist, whose merit (being of a totally different nature) 

 cannot possibly come in competition with that of Mr. Kerr. 



Your love of genuine science and your candour are such 

 that I am surprised you should have permitted such un- 

 worthy criticisms as those contained in the last part of O.'s 

 letter to pollute your pages. T can only attribute it to their 

 having escaped your notice. Your Philosophical Magazine- 

 has served, and I hope in future will serve, a nobler pur- 

 pose than that of affording a cloak under which a masked, 

 bravo in science may hide a dagger for the purpose of 

 wounding the feelings, and detracting from the merit, of 

 philosophical men. I am, sir, respectfully, 



your obedient humble servant, 



October 4, 1808. An EXPERIMENTER. 



*£* "An Experimenter" has mistaken entirely the 

 motive which induced us to give a place to' the uncandid 

 communication, under the signature O. Had we refused to 

 publish it, insinuations of its pretended importance, and of 

 our partiality, might have been the consequence. This we 

 have before experienced. We thought it better, therefore, 

 to allow the author to present his own statement of alleged 

 facts — facts which we meant to have exposed in our present 

 Number*, convinced that the more the subject is invesii* 

 gated, the greater will be the honour resulting to the exclu- 

 sive discoverer, Mr. Davy. Mr. Davy's modesty and merit, 

 we cannot help also observing, ought to have shielded him 

 from what we consider as a wanton attack, made upon him 

 by certain Northern reviewers. Would it be just to estimate 



* The remarks we meant to have offered are rendered unnecessary by the 

 more able exposition with which " An Experimenter" has furnished us, and 

 for which we beg he will accept our best thanks. 



E 3 their 



