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NUMBER XXVII.-MARCH.

Biographical Account of Dr. David Rittenhouse. By Dr. Thomson,... 161

Experiments in determining the Draught of Carriages. By R. L. Edge-

worth, Esq. .

170

Experiments to determine the Definite Proportions in which the Elements

of Organic Nature are combined. By Dr. Berzelius, continued ...... 174

Observations on some Points connected with the Atomic Theory. By Dr.

Thomson

184

On the Uses of the Dorsal Vessel. By M. Marcel de Serres, continued 191

On the Orthoceraiites of Scotland. By Dr. Fleming ...

On Deepening, Cleaning, and Removing, Obstructions in Harbours. By

Mr. John Rook

206

Memoir on Iodine. By M. Gay-Lussac, continued.

207

Annual Meteorological Table for Sidmouth. By Dr. Clarke..

215

Astronomical and Magnetical Observations. By Col. Beaufoy

216

Critical Analysis of Capt. Flinders's Voyage to Terra Australis

219

Proceedings of the Royal Society, Jan. 20, Feh. 2, 9, and' 16.

227

Linnæan Society, Feb. 7 and 16

228

Geological Society, Dec. 16, 1814

229,

of Cornwall....

230

Notices of Lectures

ibid.

M. Birkbeck on French Agriculture..

231

Dr. Leach on Dr. Cross's Opinions on the Cerebelluin.

232

on Petrifactions in Plymouth Lime-stone

ibid.
Height of some Peaks of the Caucasus.

283
Discovery of Heliotrope at Kinnoul

ibid.
Quantity of Paper used in the United States

.ibid.
Dr. Granville on Burning Gas in the Appennines

.ibid.

Mr. Nicol on Shell-Fish in the Moss at Elgin

235

A remarkable Meteor, Dec. 2, 1814

ibid.

Of the Weather at Calcutta

236

Mode of Conveying Gas for Lighting the Streets

.ibid.

Mr. Accun's Treatise on Gas Light

257

Metallization of Charcoal.

ibid.

Dr. Wollaston on the Octohedral Form of Iodine

..ibid.

New Patents

238

Meteorological Table and Observations, Jap: 2 to 31

232

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TARCH.

e. By Dr. Thomson.... 164

rriages. By R. L. Edge-

170

ins in which the Elements
erzelius, continued ....... 174
e Atomic Theory. By Dr.

184

rcel de Serres, continued 191

ming.

199

uctions in Harbours. By

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NUMBER XXX.-JUNE.

A Memoir on Iodine. By M. Gay-Lussac, "continued

401

Analysis of the Excrements of the Boa Constrictor. By Dr. Prout. 413

On the Colouring Mattér, or Ink, ejected by the Cuttle Fish. By the

Same

417

Refutation of Mr. Walker's Claim to the Discovery of the Uses of the

Cerebellum: with further Observations on Respiration. By Dr. Cross 420

Experiments showing that in Hepatitis the Urine contains no Urea. By

Mr Rose

424

Reply to Mr. Phillips's Animadversions. By Mr. Hume

428

Remarks on the Phenomena of Galvanism..

438

Defence of the Opinion that all Numbers have Four Imaginary Cube

Roots. By Mr. Lockhart..

439

Astronomical and Magnetical Observations. By Col. Beaufoy..

443

Critical Analysis of the Transactions of the Geological Society, Vol. II. 444

Proceedings of the Royal Society, April 27, May 4, and 11..

452

Linnæan Society, May 2 and 24

455

Geological Society, April 21 and May 5.

456

French Institute for 1814....

457

Of the River Missouri

An Analogy respecting Volcanoes

464

Arragonite ....

465

Whether Cast-Iron expands on Congealing

..ibid.

On the Production of Complimentary Colours by the successive Reflection

of Polarized Light from Gold and Silver ...

..ibid.

On the Multiplication of Images, and the Colours which accompany,

them, in some Specimens of Iceland Spar

ibid.

Optical Properties of Iodine.

466

Queries respecting the Visibility of the Stars in the Day-time

On the Explanation of the Fluictionary Calculus

468

Milky Juice of Plants...

469

Accident at Heaton Main Colliery, near Newcastle

470

New Patents...

471

Meteorological Table and Observations. April 1 to 30

473

Index

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PHILOSOPHY.

JANUARY, 1815.

ac, continued

401 Constrictor. By Dr. Prout.... 413 ced by the Cuttle Fish. By the

417 e Discovery of the Uses of the 5 on Respiration. By Dr. Cross 420 e Urine contains no Urea. By

424 By Mr. Hume

428

438 rs have Four Imaginary Cube s By Col. Beaufoy. he Geological Society, Vol. II. 444

452 7, May 4, and 11. - 2 and 24 pril 21 and May 5. 14..

457 463 464

443

ARTICLE I.

455 456

奶奶奶奶奶奶奶奶城城

465

. ibid. cars by the successive Reflection

..ibid. ce Colours which accompany,

.ibid.

466 rs in the Day-time

ibid. culus

469 wcastle

471 cil i to 30

473 475

468

470

Sketch of the latest Improvements in the Physical Sciences.

By Thomas Thomson, M.D. F.R.S. AFTER an almost total exclusion from the Continent for about seven years, all the kingdoms of Europe have been suddenly thrown open; and it has been in our power, by importing the different foreign journals, to make ourselves acquainted with the various additions which the sciences have received during this eventful period. But these journals amount to so many volumes, that I find myself overwhelmed with matter, and foresee with regret that it will be utterly impossible for me to lay before my readers an historical sketch of the improvements which have been made in all the physical sciences. I shall therefore he under the necessity of copfining myself, at least at present, to those sciences which have been cultivated with the greatest ardour, and in which the most important improvements have taken place. These are Chemistry and Mineralogy. I shall pass more slightly over what has been done in these sciences in Britain and France; because the journals and scientific works of these countries have already become in some measure known to my readers ; partly by the contents of the Annals of Philosophy, and partly by means of the other London scientific journals. I shall dwell chiefly on what has been done in Germany and the North of Europe ; because the languages of these countries are not much cultivated in Britain, and because our connection with them was so completely interrupted, that there is a considerable probability that most of the facts which I shall state are unknown to at least the greater number of my readers. Next to chemistry and mineralogy, electricity, magnetism, and VOL. V. N° I.

А

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276 meter and Thermometer at une, 1814.

284 acture of Potatoe Flour .... 351

optics, have been studied on the Continent with the greatest atten

I shall take a subsequent opportunity of laying the improvements made in these sciences before the reader.

CHEMISTRY. This science embraces so vast a field, and is cultivated by so numerous a tribe of votaries, that its annual progress is exceedingly striking and rapid. I shall, for the sake of perspicuity, arrange thie facts I have to state under different heads; because I consider any arrangement, even though imperfect, as greatly preferable to no arrangement at all.

I. General Principles. ?

There are two general principles in chemistry of the utmost importance, which have lately attracted a great deal of the attention of chemists, and concerning which various theories have been started which have had considerable influence on the science. These two principles are, 1. The power by which bodies unite chemically. This power is usually known by the name of affinity. 2. The proportions in which bodies unite chemically. The facts established relative to this point have received the name of the atomic theory. I shall endeavour to lay a short view of the opinions relative to these two principles before my readers.

I. Alinity.-In the year 1903 an elaborate set of electrical experiments on the decomposition of salts and other bodies by the Gal-.. vanic pile was published by Hisinger and Berzelius, * This paper was republished in 1806 by the authors in the Swedish language, ti In 1803 an abstract of this paper was translated from the Germany) and published by the French cliçmuists at Paris. I Among other conclusions from their experiments, the authors draw the following : , Substances are decomposed by electricity according to a determinate : law, Oxygen and acids are attracted to the positive pole; while, hydrogen, alkalies, earths, and metals, are attracted to the negative, pole. This they consider as owing to an affinity subsisting between oxygen, and acids, and positive electricity; and between hydrogen, alkalies, earths and metais, and negative electricity. This important principle was still further developed by Sir Humphry Davy, and placed in a very luminous point of view in his celebrated lecture On some Chemical Agencies of Electricity, published in the Transactions of the Royal Society for 1808, and which gained the prize proposed by Bonaparte for the most important discovery in galvanisn. This dissertation deserves, in every point of view, to, be considered as the most valuable of all Sir Humphry Davy's philosophical discoveries. · His subsequent discoveries were more brilliant, and gave him greater eclat; but they were all derived from this profound dissertation, which pointed out the means of

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* Gehlen’s neues allgemeines Jounal der Chemie, i. 116.
of Afhandlingar i Fysik, Kemi och Mineralogi, i. 1.
I Annales de Chimie,.li. 167.

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