Chemistry / by George Wilson.

  • George Wilson
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Chemistry / by George Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    they unite and reproduce water. The chemist’s labours, which are thus partly analytic, partly synthetic, may be con- sidered as beginning- with analysis. He prosecutes it till he has resolved the globe, and everything on it, into sixty pri- mary constituents or elements. He then betakes himself to Synthesis—turning round, as it were, and retracing his steps, so as to pass now from simplicity to complexity; and by mingling the sixty elements in innumerable ways, creates an endless number of novel substances. These in their turn he subjects to analysis, in order that he may discover their exact nature and composition; and thus Analysis and Synthesis constantly alternate, and frequently proceed together. 18. The prosecution of analysis and synthesis is in great part, however, only a mean to an end. The new elements which the one, and the new compounds which the other brings to light, are each of them carefully studied as to all its properties. Thus the chemist examines, in regard to every substance, simple or compound, its shape, if it be a solid; its specific gravity, whether it be solid, liquid, or gas; its colour, odour, taste; its melting, freezing, or boiling point; its power to refract, reflect, and otherwise modify light; its solubility in water and other liquids; its action on living bodies; the mode in which it affects other chemical substances; the con- ditions essential to its entering into combination with these, and to its separation from them; the proportion, by weight and volume, in which it combines with unlike bodies; besides many other particulars. It is further to be observed that analysis and synthesis are not the only means by which the chemist extends his science. There are many other important methods of investigation, springing out of the relations of bodies to heat, light, electricity, magnetism, the forces which effect crystallisation, &c. which are constantly had recourse to for the extension of chemistry; but it would be premature to enter at present on the discussion of these. 19. It will quite suffice for the beginner to regard Chemistry as the science which takes cognisance of the fact, that our globe, including its contents and inhabitants, does not consist of one, but of many species or kinds of matter; and which investigates the differences that are presented by those kinds of matter, and the properties of the bodies formed by their union with each other. To return to our original illustra- tion : if our globe consisted of but one chemical element—for example, were it a ball of lead, the astronomer could still dis- cuss the problems of his science in relation to it; the geolo- gist, and perhaps the mineralogist, would have something to describe concerning- it; the natural philosopher would have'
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