ThouKis Sf'-rri/ J flint. — Frarcer. 5 
vevanceof Di-. Hunt, who phiecd liimself in n'latious with some of • 
the more promim-nt foreign i>;eolo<2;ists, wisely addino; them at first 
to the American committee, and afterwards o;a\<. indispensal)k'! 
aid to the Frencli cominittee whicli organized the lirst meeting in 
Paris, in 1S7S. 
At the ceh'liration of the one iiundretli anniversary of the dis- 
covery of (oxygen gas (which was litly sek'cted as the (hite of the 
Ijirth of modern chemistry), lield near tlie grave of i'l'iestiey. in 
Northnmherhmd, Pennsylvania. Dr. limit was among the most dis- 
tinguished guests and vice-prt'sidents. and made, as was iisnal witli 
him on snch occasions, one of tlie most thonghtfnl and imi)i'essi\e 
addi-esses. entitled '-A Centnrv s l*i'ooi-ess in Chemical Tiieory." 
It had oi'iginaliy lieen intended that young Hunt siioiiid (it him- 
self for tlie pi'ofession of medicine. l)iit his strong inclination for 
researcii in chemistry and geology resulti'd, as has lieen siiown. 
in his adoi)ting a career of pure science, interrupted only occa- 
sionally by economical rei)orts which only ditfered from his other 
work by having the consideration of values adde<l to them. 
Among his earlici- chemical essays such as ••The theory of 
chemical changes and e([uivalcnt \-olumes. ' in IS.'):!, it was e\ ident 
that he was strongly imjiressed l)y the lirilliant i-esu"lts of l;aurent 
and (icrhai'dt in the forties and early lifties. and as in so many 
other cases, this intluence is api)areiit even in his latest chemical 
works, and is notably in tlwi Northumberland address just ailiide(i to. 
Tt was characteristic of the man that, while fully aiixc to every 
new discovei'y of science, he never foi-got the rescai'clics of the 
older savants, and inxarialtly picferred to proceed fi'om llicir \in- 
finished lines to the newest genei'alizations, rather than to tak'e a 
discovery which was a natural conse([uenee of one of these incom- 
plete lines as a new (le[)art iii'e. It is through the laboi's of such 
men as he that the histoiT of scieulilic disco\-ery is a conlinuous 
narrative and not a mere desultoi'V collocation of dazzling pai'a- 
graphs. lie gleaned the memoirs of the past thinkers, carefully 
))ondering their words and eiidowiug much that was vague and 
ambiguous with a meaning which bridgt'cl over the gap liclwceii 
theirs and the nK)st modei'u work. 
In the ••Intiodiicliou a T elude de laChimie par le sysleme 
nnitaii-e" (Ch. (ieiliardl. P.-iiis. iSlS. \). 7!M. theauthoi- writes, 
