NEU 
sellers of the Orphan Hospital of Zullichau, 
from papers inNeumann’s own hand- writing ; 
of this there have been two impressions, the 
tirst in a large form, the second in an abridg- 
ment ; which last, however, consists of two 
volumes quarto. From this Dr. Lewis has 
made an excellent English translation in 
two volumes, octavo, still further abridged, 
but better methodized, and enriched with 
notes. “ Neumann’s Lectures,” says Dr. 
Lewis , “ are a valuable magazine of chemi- 
cal knowledge. The author, biassed by no 
theory, and attached to no opinions, has en- 
quired by experiment into the properties 
and uses of the most considerable natural 
and artificial productions, and the prepara- 
tion of the principal commodities which de- 
pend on chemistry ; and seems to have can- 
didly, and without reserve, communicated 
all he discovered.” Such a work must re- 
tain its value, notwithstanding the great 
modern changes in chemical theory. 
NEURADA, in botany, a genus of tlie 
Decandria Decagynia class and order. Na- 
tural order of Succulent®. Rosace®, Jus- 
sieu. Essential character : calyx five-parted ; 
petals five ; capsule inferior, ten-celled, 
ten-seeded, prickly. There is but one 
species; viz. N. procumbens, an annual 
plant; native of Egypt, Arabia, and Nu- 
midia. 
NEUROPTERA, in natural history, the 
name of the fourth order of insects accord- 
ing to the Linn®an system, and so called 
on account of the nerves and veins disposed 
in their wings. The insects of this order 
have four wings: all of them membrana- 
ceous, reticulate : tail unarmed. There are 
seven genera, fir. 
Ephemera Paiiorpa 
Hemevobins Phryganea 
Libellula Raphidia 
Myrmeleon 
which see. 
NEUTRAL salts. See next article ; also 
Salts. 
NEUTRALIZATION, in chemistry, 
may be thus explained : if we take a given 
quantity of sulphuric acid diluted with wa- 
ter, and add it slowly to the solution of soda 
by little at a time, and examine the mixture 
after every addition, we shall find that for a 
considerable time it will exhibit the pro- 
perties of an acid, reddening vegetable 
blues, and having a taste perceptibly sour : 
but these acid properties gradually diminish 
after every additign of the alkaline .solution, 
and at last disappear altogether. If we still 
NEW 
continue to add the soda, the mixture gra- 
dually acquires alkaline properties, convert- 
ing vegetable blues to green, and manifest- 
ing an urinous taste. These properties be- 
come stronger and stronger the greater the 
quantity of the soda is which is added. 
Thus it appears that when sulphuric acid 
and soda are mixed together, the properties 
either of the one or the other preponderate 
according to the proportions of each ; but 
that there are certain proportions, according 
to which, when they are combined, they 
mutually destroy or disguise the properties 
of each other, so that neither predominates, 
or rather so that both disappear. When 
substances thus mutually disguise each 
other’s properties, they are said to neutralize 
one another. This property is common to 
a great number of bodies ; but it manifests 
itself most strongly, and was first observed 
ill tlie acids, alkalies, and earths. Hence 
the salts which are combinations of these 
different bodies received long ago the name 
of neutral salts. 
NEWTON (.Sir Isaac), in biography, 
one of the greatest philosophers and mathe- 
maticians the world has produced, was born 
at Woolstrop, in Lincolnshire, on Christmas 
Day, 1642. He was descended from the 
eldest branch of the family of Sir John 
Newton, Bart, who were Lords of the ma- 
nor of Woolstrop, and had been possessed 
of the estate for about two centuries be- 
fore; to which they had removed from 
Westley, in the same county ; but originally 
they came from the town of Newton, in 
Lancashire. 
Other accounts say, probably with more 
truth, that he was the only child of Mr. John 
Newton, of Coles worth, near Grantham, in 
Lincolnshire, who had there an estate of 
about 120/. a year, which he kept in his 
own hands. His mother was of the ancient 
and opulent family of the Ayscoughs, or 
Askews, of the same county. Our author 
losing his father while he was very young, 
the care of his education devolved on his 
mother, who, though she married again, did 
not neglect to improve by a liberal educa- 
tion the promising genius tlrat was observed 
in her son. At twelve years of age, by the 
advice of his maternal uncle, he was sent to 
the grammar school at Grantham, where he 
made a good proficiency in the languages, 
and laid the foun<iation of his future studies. 
Even here was observed in him a strong 
inclination to figures and philosophical sub- 
jects. One trait of this early disposition is 
told of him : he had then a rude method of 
