Retrofpe? of Domefite Literature.—Natural Hiftory, eo 
Lavoifier, but is by no means infenfible to 
the errors of the Cnemical Nomenclature, 
which was too haftily compiled by that 
philofopher and his affociates. To point 
cul thoie errors and partly to remedy 
them, to defend the general principles 
wpon which the whole fyftem is founded, 
and to check the propofal of any other, 
by endeavouring to eitablifh the opinion 
that nothing fhort of abfolute nertefion 
can authorize any coafiderable change, are 
the objects of the prefent work, which 
difplays profound knowledge, and is exe- 
cuted with a great deal of accuracy and 
judgment. 
Mr. Nicholfon has publifhed in eleven 
eftavo volumes his tranflation of Four- 
croy’s ** General Syftem of Chemical 
Knowledge, with a Set (which may be 
had feparately) of tewelve Synoptic 
Lables.” 
The prefent, though in itfelf an im- 
menfe work, was, in,its original defign, 
but the firft part of one of much greater 
magnitude and labour. M. Fourcroy has 
long been collecting materials for a work, 
which he purpoied to divide into four 
grand divifions. The firft, contaimneg the 
theory of the {cience ; the fecond its hif- 
tory ; the third, whatever related tg the 
infttuments or wiual operations of the 
chemitts ; and the fourth, the appl cation 
cf the {cience to the phenomena of nature 
and the various procefles of the arts. 
Feeling, however, that this projected la- 
bour would {carcely be completed within 
the ordinary limits of human life, and 
conceiving that the fubjects of each of 
thefe parts, thouzh relating to one com- 
mon {cience, mighi yet be feparately irear- 
ed ct, M. Fourcroy has made the de- 
velopement of the general theory of the 
cicnce, the primary object of the prefent 
work; he has intermixed, however, with 
the expofition of the theory, a concife 
fketch of the hikory of the fcience ; ‘fuch 
ideas are allo given of the manner of ufing 
the inftruments, and of performing the 
operations cf chemiftry, as are {ufhicient 
to explain in a great Gegree the practical 
part; and, lattly, the moft important ap- 
plications of it are deleribed with accu- 
racy. The application winch relates to 
the philofopny ot vegetables and’ animals, 
js more particularly inlifted on, as being 
mott intimately connected with the wel- 
fare of the human race. 
The fecond part is publithed of the 
«© London Philofophical Tranfagions for 
1803.’’ Among other important papers 
at contains Mg. Chenevix’s enquiries con= 
4: 
645 
cerning the nature of a metallic fubftance 
Jately told in London as a new metal un- 
der the title of ‘* Palladium.’ This inw 
genious mineralogilt has not been able 
precifely to afcertain the nature of this 
{ubtance by analyfis ; but 2s he has fuc- 
ceeded by a fymthetic procets in forming 
a metallic body perfectly refembling it, 
he has fhewn that what was endeavoured 
to be impofed upon the public as a newly~ 
difcovered fimple body, is in reality a | 
compound.—Dr. Hertchel, in a paper 
giving an account of the changes that 
have happened during the lak twenty- 
five years in the relative fituation of dou- 
ble tiars, has endeavoured to, fhew that 
the moit fimple and philofophical mode of 
explaining the phenomena of double ftars 
is, to fuppofe that the two ftars compoing 
a double {tar, defcribe ellipfes round their 
common center of gravi y.—Major Mudge 
has a moft valuable paper interted in this 
part, giving an account of the meafure- 
ment of an are of the meridian, extending 
from Dunnofe in the Ile of Wight, lat. 50°, 
37’. 8". to Clifton in Yorkfhire, lat. 53°. 
27", 31", in the courfe of the operations 
carried on for the trignometrical furvey of 
England, in the years 1800, 1801, 18026 
On a tormer occafion, we hinted that it 
was in coptemplation to publifh an abridge 
ment of the Philofophical Tranfactions of 
the Royal Society of Lendon. Several 
attempts have been made at different 
times to comprefs the fubftance of this 
voluminous wo:k ; to retain the valuable 
and difcard the worthlefs; but either 
from fome original error ia the plan or 
fubfequent injudicioufnefs in the execu. 
tion of it, thele abridgements have not an- 
fwered the wifhes or expectations of the 
public. An abridgment is now. com- 
menced, and the firft volume of it already 
publiflfed under the united aufpices of 
Drs. Hutton, Shaw, and Pearfon. It 
differs trom all others that have preceded 
it, in two very material circumftances. 
Firft, in regard to the explanatory com- 
ments, in which errors are corrected, and 
feveral deficiencies are fupplied, which 
occur in the early papers of the’ Tranfac- 
tions ; and, wherever the fubject is partis 
cularly important, an acccount is fubjoin- 
ed of the modern improvements and dif- 
coveries relative to it: fecondly, in regard 
to the biographical notices, which it is 
intended to continue throughout the re- 
maining volumes, fo as to exhibit, when 
the woik is completed, a view of the 
lives and writings, (accompanied with 
critical remarks on their refpective rib 
: ’ 9 
