some parents are apprehensive would be the consequence of an early attention to them.

Every man of reflection must be convinced of the importance of economising time even in childhood; for whatever useful knowledge can be communicated in infancy is clear gain, and will allow so much the more time in future for further acquisitions. If youth are designed to move in the active scenes of life, they will have but little time in the previous years for the attainment of those various branches of knowledge, which are necessary to make them valuable and respectable characters. Surely then the parents of such youth ought to embrace every opportunity of imparting whatever the child will receive with pleasure, and retain with profit. But here it cannot be denied that great circumspection is necessary, that variety and amusement may be united with instruction; and that the interference of the parent may always act in subservience to the curiosity of the pupil. To this end every toy may be made the vehicle of some useful truth, or used to illustrate certain known principles in mechanics or philosophy. And knowledge thus acquired will not easily be obliterated.

Parents who see the advantages of laying an early foundation for a liberal education, will doubtless make choice of different sciences to begin with, according to their own views of the importance of each; and books may be found on most subjects suitable to their purpose. For my own part, I should perfer Chymistry, in the first instance; this I should do on many accounts. Having observed that few people make any proficiency in the knowledge of Chymistry, who have not acquired a taste for it in early life; and conceiving that very many advantages arise from a general diffusion of this knowledge; I would endeavour to impart it in such a way that its elementary doctrines should become perfectly familiar, and be always at hand to explain the variety of natural occurrences, which are ever presenting themselves to an observant mind. To effect this it must be taught early, and with the utmost plainness; though I know of no book on the subject which is adapted to the capacity of children, or which a Parent, who is unacquainted with the science can make use of in instructing his child.

From the present state of our chymical knowledge, and the improvements which are daily making in our arts and manufactures by the application of its principles, it is become absolutely necessary to make chymistry a part of the education of every youth who is designed for a Manufacturing Trade, or who is likely to figure in the higher ranks of life.

And this may be effected much easier than will at first be imagined: for the chymical changes which are produced on substances

submitted to experiment are calculated to engage the attention, and to impress the memory, by the gratification of that love of novelty which is common to youth.

To this end all that is necessary, is a short, plain, elementary work, rendered interesting by a set of simple and striking experiments. This I have endeavoured to furnish in the following pages, and judicious parents and preceptors may add much to their value by the addition of many experiments which their own reading and reflection will suggest.

But as some persons may not be apprised of the value of chymical knowledge, it may be necessary to enumerate a few of the advantages which arise from its acquisition; for, in order to induce that general attention to the science which it deserves, its utility must be demonstrated:

It would be no difficult matter to show that the world might derive great advantages even from the diffusion of a theoretical knowledge of philosophy and chymistry. An instance or two will place this assertion in a clear point of view. Two thousand years ago, Archimedes was ridiculed for his attention to mathematics and the abstruse sciences; yet, owing to this knowledge, he was enabled to invent such mechanical engines as were sufficient to resist the whole Roman army. And such a dread had the soldiers of this man's knowledge, that if a rope only were hung down the walls of the city of Syracuse, the whole army would retire from before it in the utmost consternation.

A further proof of the importance of the dissemination of chymical knowledge may be taken from the construction of the Steam Engine; Mr. Watt having often acknowledged that his first ideas on this subject were acquired by his attendance on Dr. Black's Chymical Lectures, and from the consideration of his theory of latent heat and the expansibility of steam*.

The well informed people of France are so satisfied of the importance of chymical knowledge, that chymistry is already become an essential part of education in their public schools. It shall be my business in this place to endeavour to demonstrate, that it is of equal importance to the various classes of our community that the science should be cultivated with the same ardour in these Kingdoms. The science that we are recommending to your regards, has for its objects every substance of the material world, and is therefore equally interesting to every civilized nation upon earth.

Is your son born to opulence,-is he the heir to an extensive domain; make him an analytical chymist, and you enable him to appreciate the real value of his estate, and to turn every acre of it

* Davy.

to the best account. Has he a barren tract of country, which has been unproductive from generation to generation, he will explore its bowels with avidity for hidden treasures, and will probably not explore it in vain. By analysing the minerals which he discovers, he will ascertain with facility and exactness what proportion of metal they contain, and which of them may be worked to profit. Thus he will operate on sure grounds, and will be prevented from engaging in expensive and unprofitable undertakings.

Chymistry will teach him also how to improve the cultivated parts of his estate; and, by transporting and transposing the different soils, how each may be rendered more productive. The analysis of the soils will be followed by that of the waters which rise upon, or flow through, them; by which means he will discover which are proper for irrigation; a practice, the value of which is sufficiently known to every good agriculturist.

Will he occupy his own estate, and become the cultivator of his own land; he must of necessity be a chymist, before he can be an economical farmer. It will be his concern not only to analyse the soils on the different parts of his farm, but the peat, the marl, the lime, and the other manures must be subjected to experiment, before he can avail himself of the advantages which might be derived from them, or before he can be certain of producing any particular effect. The necessity of analysis to the farmer is evident, from a knowledge of the circumstance, that some kind of lime is injurious to land, and would render land hitherto fertile actually sterile. Besides, a knowledge of the first principles of chymistry will teach him when to use lime hot from the kiln, and when slacked; how to promote the putrefactive process in his composts, and at what period to check it, so as to prevent the fertilizing particles becoming effete, and of little value. It will teach him moreover the difference in the properties of marl, lime, peat, dung, mud, ashes, alkaline salt, soap waste, sea water, &c. &c. and, consequently, which are most suitable for the different kinds of land. A knowledge of the chymical properties of bodies will thus give a new character to the agriculturist, and render his employment rational and respectable*.

Are you a Practitioner of MEDICINE, and have acquired great and deserved reputation in your profession,-if you are not a chymist, you must recollect many painful disappointments, and must have witnessed very unexpected results from the effects of

*Lavoisier cultivated 240 acres of land in La Vendee, on chymical principles, in order to set a good example to the farmers; and his mode of culture was attended with so much success, that he obtained a third more of crop than was obtained by the usual method, and in nine years his annual produce was doubled. Laland's Life of Lavoisier,

medicine, when you have administered two or more powerful remedies in conjunction. A slight knowledge of chymistry would have informed you, that many of the formulæ in the `Pharmacopeia, which are salutary and efficacious, are rendered totally otherwise, if given with certain other medicines,-not to say often destructive. Many instances of these chymical changes might be adduced, but one will suffice. Mercury and oxymuriatic acid have both been administered by medical men, and, separately, either of them may be taken without any injury to the animal economy; but if a physician, ignorant of the chymical operation of bodies on each other, should give these substances in conjunction, the most dreadful consequences might ensue, as oxymuriate of mercury is a most corrosive poison.

Does your son wish to follow your profession, charge him, when he walks the hospitals, to pay particular attention to the Lectures on Chymistry, and to make himself master of the chymical affinities which subsist between the various articles of the Materia Medica*. This will inspire him with professional confidence; and he will be as sure of producing any particular chymical effect upon his patient as he would if he were operating in his own laboratory. Besides, the human body is itself a laboratory, in which, by the varied functions of secretion, absorption, &c. composition, and decomposition, are perpetually going on; how, therefore, could he expect to understand the animal economy, he were unacquainted with the effects which certain causes chymically produce? Every inspiration we take, and every pulse that vibrates within us, effects a chymical change upon the animal fluids, the nature of which requires the acuteness of a profound chymist to perceive and understand. Neither can a physician comprehend the nature of the animal, vegetable, or mineral poisons, without the aid of chymistry+. Many thousand lives have been lost by poison, which might have been saved if the physician had been in

if

* Mr. Deyeux has shown, that even the preparation of plaisters may be much improved by chymistry. His ingenious paper in the 97th number of the Annales de Chimie, contains much curious matter, well worth the peru sal of medical men.

Substances which contain a large portion of oxygen are the real antidotes to † All animal and vegetable poisons destroy by deoxidizing the blood. such poisons. On the contrary metallic poisons are baneful in consequence of the oxygen they contain. Metals are devoid of activity in a metallic state, but when converted into oxides they become poisonous and corrosive, according to the portion of oxigen combined with them. Thus the grey and the

white oxides of mercury are only purgative or alterative; while the red oxide is a corrosive poison. Decoctions of bark, having a great affinity for have been given to counteract an over dose of antimonial powder, and eve produced the desired effect.-Fourcroy.

oxygen,

the whole he may now acquire by a culAnd, though the operation of many

pui hem these days well understood, I forchymacy can enable the practitioner mejipange as wit counteract their baneful

VINARONAS he kingdom, there is Kokkupiona wes not depend upon chy11\་་་་འt༑་ སོ་wtvavamc, or for its successful e connexion which sub

wil be necessary to take a care carried on in these.

try is the manufacture of the smelting of the ore to the tion is the effect of chyrequires no small share of appreciate the value of the or their reduction, which shall manner for facilitating their The subsequent process to are entirely chymical, and will be

the importance of chymical knowledge to were forcibly than a thousand arguments. saving a valuable life, I feel great plea

necary, in one of the northern counties, havwas seized with symptoms which convinced but not knowing what noxious matter he had ... analysing the remainder, no antidote could be - up as lost. A physician had been called in, but vo nor his partner, could get any information by tents of the fatal bottle, though, I understand, and in great reputation in their profession. In this & done? At last one of them recollected that a neighthe reputation of being a good chymist. To him the Atues of the patient hastened, to get the dregs a:alysed, ught to be administered. Fortunately, this gentleman had g Book of Tests, which I had procured for his brother, ce sent to him but a very short time before. By this book certain that the poison was oxide of antimony: and when ined of it, he recollected that antimonial wine had been ne years before; and suppo-ed that the porter must have he dregs being properly washed out. When the nature - ascertamed, the gentleman had no difficulty in directproper antidote, which was administered immediately; safortunate man was preserved; but, in consequence of clapae previous to its exhibition, the poison had so far the system as to deprive him of the use of a limb,