64 On the Nature 6f the Earths* 



of the Elemens de Ckimie proves hjs title to a large share,) 

 nor should I have taken this public notice of O.'s paper, but 

 for the very extraordinary, and I must add illiberal and 

 unjust epithets, which he has thought fit to apply to the 

 objections made by il an English professor of high respec- 

 tability " (Mr. Davy) to the conclusions drawn by M. 

 Braconnot from his experiments on the " nutrition of 

 Vegetables." M. Braeonnot's experiments were certainly 

 conducted with great ingenuity and apparent accuracy, and, 

 supposing the fact's 1 to be precisely as he imagines, would 

 lead to the extraordinary conclusion, thai plants derive no 

 nourishment from any source but water and light, and con- 

 sequently that all. manure is useless, except to enable the 

 soil to retain the necessary quantity of moisture. But al- 

 though it is probable that charcoal does contain hydrogen, 

 it is by no means proved, nor is the fact at all likely, that 

 charcoal is not/ring else but hydrogen in a certain modified 

 form, as M. Braconnot seems to think may be the case : 

 and it is proved by Mr. Davy, and most satisfactorily so, 

 (vide his Bakenan Lecture, Philosophical Transactions, 

 1807, part i.) that even distilled water commonly con- 

 tains both saline and metallic impregnations, which would 

 afford much, probably ample, food to the seeds sown by 

 M. Braconnot in his experiments. The sand also, Mr. Davy 

 observes, may contain carbon and various inflammable mat- 

 ters, which the process of washing in weak muriatic acid 

 could not deprive it of: and it is perfectly true, (though per- 

 haps O. may not be aware of it.) that a stone containing 

 carbonate of lime, in very -small proportion to the other in- 

 gredients, is very slightly acted on by acid. Yet these O. 

 calls " captious and jejune" objections ! 1 cannot but testify 

 my surprise, that expressions so unwarrantable should have 

 found admission into your respectable Magazine ; and I am 

 convinced they must have escaped your notice. It is ever 

 the fate of transcendent powers to excite the jealousy of 

 little minds ; and 1 am sorry to say, this is not the only in- 

 stance in which the author of the glorious discovery of the 

 true nature of the alkalis has experienced a shameful want 

 ©f candour from self-constituted judges^ whose abilities are 



inadequate 



