126 
BRITISH ASSOCIATION.— 1835. 
On the Extension of the Study of Physics . By Dr . D. B. Reid. 
Dr. Reid stated that the importance of a practical knowledge of 
physical science to a great number of individuals who cannot afford 
the time or means required for enabling them to attend the courses 
at present given to professional persons, led him, some years ago, 
to pay great attention to the simplifying of apparatus, and the in¬ 
troduction of a course of chemistry. The first branch he had paid 
more especial attention to, which might be accessible to all classes 
of society. Last winter he completed his arrangements for this pur¬ 
pose, and gave two courses, to put his system to the test of expe¬ 
rience. In one, 100 mechanics operated at the same time on twelve 
different occasions ; and in the other, a course was given to 40 young 
persons, where the same system was adopted. In the mechanics’ 
class, the students were arranged along five boards, each being pro¬ 
vided with twenty gas-lamps, one of which was placed alternately 
on either side. Every pupil received a blowpipe, a test tube, slips 
of paper on which tests were applied, and also a broad and a narrow 
slip of glass, such as glaziers throw away. These slips were used 
for the same purposes as the paper, and also for solution, boiling, 
evaporation, crystallization, and filtration: the narrow slips, on the 
other hand, were employed for imitating furnace operations, heat 
being applied by a common lamp or candle, assisted, where this was 
necessary, by the blowpipe. The method of using the flat glass 
for the above operations was illustrated by Dr. Reid, and the spe¬ 
cimens handed to the gentlemen attending the section. Experi¬ 
ments conducted in this manner were equally ceconomical and effec¬ 
tual in communicating instruction; and the professional student 
might also, in the same way, repeat again and again, at home, at 
the most trifling expense, the greater number of those illustrations 
which he might see in the lecture-room. Dr. Reid stated, that at an 
expense varying from 2/. to 51., every schoolmaster might provide 
himself with an apparatus sufficient to show thousands of experi¬ 
ments on the small scale, and awaken the minds of his pupils so as 
to take an interest in science*. 
* Since this system was proposed, a number of individuals in London, 
Edinburgh, and Dublin have stated their intention of introducing it practi¬ 
cally both in mechanics’ institutions and in schools and academies for the 
instruction of young persons. 
THE END. 
Printed by Richard Taylor, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 
