On some of the constituents of the atmosphere / by J. Ferguson.

  • Ferguson, John, 1838-1916.
Date:
[1877]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On some of the constituents of the atmosphere / by J. Ferguson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    3/16
    [K<!pnn<e<fAo?»-The Sanitary Journal for Scotland, l§t January, 1877.] ON SOME or THE CONSTITUENTS OP THE ATMOSPHEEE.* By J. FERGUSON, Esq., A.M,, Professor of Chemistry, Umiversity of Glasgow. [Aftkr a general introduction, in Avliicli was con- sidered the nature of a chemical change, of a chemical element, and of a chemical test, the main subject of the lecture was proceeded with.] 1. In this world of matter, man's body, as a piece of matter, depends, for the proper discharge of its functions, on four things—food, water, air, and clothing. Be it much or little, without these, in their widest sense, human life cannot be maintained. Viewed materially, the body is a most complicated self-acting apparatus for performing certain opera- tions, and in this apparatus chemical actions are going on constantly. Some of these are compara- tively apparent and simple, others are very complex, and there are, doubtless, many of which we have at present no knowledge at all; so that, altogether, physiological or animal chemistry is the most difficult and complicated of all the divisions of the science. 2. Now, obviously, it is of the greatest, or as the newspapers would say, of vital importance—it is a matter of life or death—that every one who is to live and be of use to himself and the community should be supplied with the best of these four conditions of living above mentioned; meaning by best not the most costly, or the most ornamental, or the rarest, but those which best do the work for which they are intended,—namely, pure water, pure air, nutritious food, suitable clothing. Most persons have to be supplied with these, partly by their own labour, partly by that of others, to whom the constitution of society entrusts their production. •Part of n Popular Lffcliirc, in tlio City Hall, to tlic Young Men's Christian Association, Glasgow, Monday, 9th October, 1870. Some Blight altcriitions havij been necessary, to make this lecture, which was never intcmli^d for print, rather more readable; but those have been as few as yossiblc.