94 Memoir of the late 



new bodies to the science. Hence many of his discoveries 

 have been attributed to others, or rediscovered over and over 

 again ; as was the case with many of his chromium com- 

 pounds — viz., chlorochromic acid, the two potash oxalates of 

 chromium, bichromate of silver, potash chromate of magnesia, 

 chromate of chromium, hyposulphurous acid (1817), and hy- 

 drosulphurous acid (1818), S 5 5 , &c, &c, all of which were ex- 

 amined by him nearly a quarter of a century ago. The enume- 

 ration of these and numerous other discoveries must be left to 

 a more extended memoir, for which we understand there is a 

 mass of matter having an important bearing on the science 

 and literature of the country in the early part of the century. 

 In 1810, Dr Thomson published his " Elements of Che- 

 mistry," in a single volume, his object being to furnish an 

 accurate outline of the actual state of the science. In 1812, 

 he produced his " History of the Royal Society,'' a most im- 

 portant work, as shewing the influence which that society 

 produced on the progress of science. In August 1812, he 

 made a tour in Sweden, and published his observations in 

 that country in the following year. It is still a valuable 

 work, and contains a very complete view of the state of 

 science and society in that country. In 1813, he went to Lon- 

 don, and started the " Annals of Philosophy," a periodical 

 which he continued to conduct till 1822, when the numerous 

 calls upon his time in the discharge of the duties of his chair 

 at Glasgow compelled him to resign the editorship in favour 

 of Mr Richard Phillips, one of his oldest friends, who pre- 

 deceased him by one year. The journal was, in 1827, pur- 

 chased by Mr Richard Taylor, and was merged in the " Phi- 

 losophical Magazine." In 1817, he was appointed Lecturer 

 on Chemistry in the University of Glasgow ; and, in 1818, 

 at the instance of the late Duke of Montrose, Chancellor of 

 that institution, the appointment was made a professorship, 

 with a small salary, under the patronage of the Crown. As 

 soon after his appointment as he was enabled to obtain a 

 laboratory, he commenced his researches into the atomic 

 constitution of chemical bodies, and produced an amount of 

 unparalleled work in the whole range of the science, in 1825, 

 by the publication of his " Attempt to Establish the First 



