The chemical catechism : with notes, illustrations, and experiments.

  • Samuel Parkes
Date:
1812
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The chemical catechism : with notes, illustrations, and experiments. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    poisons upon the system be in these days well understood, nothing-but a knowledge of chemistry <-an enable the practitioner to administer such medicines as will counteract their baneful effects. If we look to the manufactures of the king- dom, there is scarcely one of any consequence that does not depend upon chemistry, for its establishment, its improvement, or for its success- ful and beneficial practice. In order to see the connexion which subsists between chemistry and the arts, it will be necessary to take a short view of the principal trades which are carried on in these kingdoms. One of the staple manufactures of the country is that of iron: and it will be found that, from the smelting of the ore to the conversion of it into steel, every operation is the effect of chemical affi- nities. In the first place, it requires no small share of chemical knowledge, to be able to appreciate the value of the different ores, and to erect such furnaces for their reduction as may be contrived in the best possible manner for facilitating their fusion, and for producing good pigs. The sub- tain. Metals are devoid of activity in a metallic state j but when converted into oxides they become poisonous and corrosive, ac- cording to the portion of oxygen combined with them. Thus the gray and the white oxides of mercury are only purgaii\ e or alterative; while the red oxide is a corrosive poi-,on,, Decoc- 'tions of bark, having a great affinity for oxygen, h^we been given to counteract an over dose of antimonial powder, and have produced the desired etiijct.
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