Analyses of Books, [May, 



very extensive knowledge of the subject which the author dis- 

 plays, and for the candour with which he speaks of the labours 

 of his predecessors. K severe critic, indeed^ might point out a 

 few trifling mistakes into which he has fallen ; but they are of 

 little or no consequence, and do not detract in the least from the 

 merit of the whole. 



It is obvious that this volume is only a small part of a great 

 whole; whichj doubtless, is nothing less than a complete system 

 of chemistry. Such a work, when completed, cannot occupy 

 fewer than five or six volumes, of the same size as the present | 

 but I own I entertain considerable doubts whether the work will 

 ever be completed. No person entertains a higher opinion than 

 myself of the talents and industry of Sir Humphry Davy ; but 

 to publish a complete system of chemistry, all the facts con- 

 tained in which shall have been verified by the author, I hold to 

 be impossible. A very considerable part must of necessity be 

 founded on compilation, and after what has already been done in 

 that way by others. Sir Humphry Davy could hardly execute his 

 task in such a manner as not to diminish his reputation. The 

 volume before us will serve as a corroboration of this. It is 

 totally occupied with those substances to which Sir Humphry 

 Davy has devoted the greatest part of his attention, and to his 

 discoveries respecting which his reputation is entirely owing. 

 Yet even in this volume there is a very long and important 

 article, I mean the account of heaty which is nothing else than a 

 compilation. I do not blame Sir H. Davy for this : it was out 

 of his power to have acted otherwise, without omitting the sub- 

 ject altogether; but it is quite obvious that if the volume before 

 us had contained nothing more original than this, the work 

 would have detracted from, instead of adding to, his reputation. 

 Now this can scarcely avoid being the case with some of the 

 subsequent volumes. 



The title of the portion of chemistry detailed in this volume 

 is. Part 1. On the laws of chemical changes , on undecompounded 

 ladies, and their primary comhinations. It would have been 

 "better to have subdivided this division into two distinct parts ; 

 for it treats of two distinct subjects, that cannot be well amal- 

 gamated together; namely, 1. The general laws of chemistry. 

 2. A description of the simple substances, and their primary 

 compounds. Arrangement may appear at first sight an object of 

 secondary importance ; but in reality, it is one of the very first 

 magnitude, because upon it the perspicuity of the whole entirely 

 depends. If a system of chemistry be ill arranged, whatever 

 be its merits in other respects, it never can become popular, 

 because it will not be understood by beginners, on whom the 

 ^ sale of such works chieiiy depends. Chemical writers, in gene^ 

 ral^ do not seem to have sufficiently appreciated the importance 



