154 



Report on the Progress of Chemistry, 



diate and useful application of their results. A multitude 

 of other researches secondary to these only because the ap- 

 plications of their results are not so apparent is being made 

 in all the important laboratories of this and other countries. 

 In our own scientific journals may be found from month to 

 month, announcements of important and continuous con- 

 tributions from the School of Mines of Columbia College ; 

 the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale and the Lawrence 

 Scientific School of Harvard and the laboratories of other 

 institutions of our own country, while in similar foreign 

 journals are found abundant contributions of like kind from 

 the laboratories of Europe. And this leads us to notice, in 

 conclusion, that the literature of chemical science is very 

 abundant, consisting of cyclopaedias wherein are stored the 

 results of all past labors, and of serials wherein are an- 

 nounced the results of the present. Gmeliris Hand Book of 

 Chemistry and Watts' s Dictionary may be commended to those 

 who desire to familiarize themselves with what has been 

 done in the past and even up to a late day ; the latter work 

 has been declared to be the greatest chemical work which 

 England has yet produced. We are glad to find that the 

 publishers announce a supplement, now in preparation, 

 which is to bring this great work down to the year 1869. 

 But we cannot forbear to caution against depending upon 

 even these excellent books for a knowledge of a science so 

 progressive as chemistry. Books, however full or carefully 

 written, when once laid upon the library shelf are soon left 

 behind by the progress of science. "Whoever will keep pace 

 with the advance of chemistry must look to the current 

 serials for information. Among the publications of this 

 kind in our country may be especially mentioned the 

 American Chemist and the Journal of Applied Chemistry, both 

 published in New York, and both especially devoted to the 

 interests of American science. Among the serials not 

 purely chemical, the Journal of the Franklin Institute stands 



