46 



Methods of estimating accurately 



Chemistry is certainly one of the sciences conducing most 

 to the prosperity of a manufacturing and mercantile nation. 

 What was the iron and coal trade of Britain a century 

 ago, before chemistry taught the proper processes for- pro- 

 curing that iron economically, and rendering it of good qua- 

 lity. What was her cotton manufacture till Watt developed 

 some of the chemical properties of steam, and so set her 

 cotton mills in motion. How limited were her resources 

 in dyeing and calico printing till of late years. To what 

 does she owe the economical artificial light of gas, and her 

 now beautiful porcelain. Seventy years ago, what was the 

 beginning of her sulphuric acid manufactories, which are now 

 estimated to produce for her beneficial consumption eighty 

 thousand tons a year. Thirty years ago, where was the 

 immense production of soda from sea-salt, through which the 

 price of that article, so necessary in many manufactures, has 

 been lowered to at most a fourth of its then cost. What an 

 immense benefit has resulted to sugar refining from the 

 application to it of late of a single chemical principle; and 

 how much has not a rationally applied chemistry done in 

 increasing the fertility of the soil, and the agricultural pro- 

 duce of Great Britain. Chemistry also lends great aid in 

 developing the vegetable, as well as the mineral treasures of a 

 country. It can turn to valuable purposes vegetable sub- 

 stances of once unknown properties 5 and linked with geo- 

 logy, the offspring of it, a science, which, though now ad- 

 vancing rapidly to maturity, had a few years ago no existence. 

 It can traverse a land, and say, here you will find nothing, 

 because in such a configuration of deposit nothing has yet 

 been found ; but here you are likely to find coal, here lime- 

 stone, here ores of iron, copper, tin or lead, silver or gold, 

 because in such situations these have been hitherto found ; 

 and it can determine the composition of these bodies, ascer- 

 tain their value, and the best means of turning them to ac- 

 count. Such is the rapid progress, that all these wonders 



