Camden gazette. (Camden, S.C.) 1816-1818, June 16, 1817, Image 4
From the England Journal AJcdi
e *e dud Surgnty*
Addrasi delWertd on the Induction of
Geobapi, M- D. as Erring Professor; of
Chemistry m Harvard University, D^c.
1816.
(roilCLUD**.}
Chefnisf* have penetrated into all
the departments of nature, and no
subject has been investigated with
more seal, and I may add, with less
success than the chimistry of or
ganized beings^ The various ac
tions which take place among the el
ements of vegetables and of animals,
the numerous changes which they
undergo, the variety and peculiari
ty of their products, and their nice
adaptation to the purposes for which
they are supplied, could not fail
to attract the attention, and engage
the researches of men, who were
already familiar with the properties
and composition of common mat
ter. The right df explaining the
functions of the Jiving body was
assumed by the chemists ; and the
physiologist ^ras ho sooner relieved
from the absurdities of the mecani
cal doctnnei, than he frag bewilder
ed in the mysteries of chemical affi
hitiet. The component parts of
the human body have been analyz
ed with the most scrupulous exact*
ness. Man has been reduced to a.
few simple principles, or elejnents,
?ndthe changes which take place
&UHngTife, have been^explained wfth
the as those, which disor- 1
gaotse th* body after death. Nay,
the seal of the chimiscs has carried
them so far, that they have attempt
ed to compose some of the proxi
mate principle* of animals by mix
ture, or by the powers of voltaic
electricity. There are some, in
this country, who have thought;
idea, that the chemist may |
toon be able to crystaiize a man,
and animate his crystal by the agen
cy of electric matter. Jt would be
useless to Attempt to Yefute an opin
ion to absurd and so impious. ' The
laws of animated nature do not ap
pear' to be the same with those of
chemistry^ and the impotence of the
chefflistfefa this department, is clear
ly eviheed by the single fact, that,
notwithstanding all the analyzes
..which have beeh madfc, he has not
yet succeeded in producing a single
compound, simitar in ev$ry respect
. to any of those which art elaborated
iln the living system. The powers
Which fegUlate living matter, seem
' to have no Other connexion with
: those bp which inanimate niture is
governed, than in operating on the
> same elements." These material!
*re combined in different ways; ana
by methods which the laws of che
mistry cannot control, and in which
theic part, if any can be allowed
jhem? is feeble and subordinate.?
?' The actions and combinations which
{produce digestion, assimilation, se
cretion and respiration, are vital. ? j
. Thry no triore belong to Chemistry !
thari the properties otcommon mat -
ter niake a part of vitality* and vital |
affinity is probably as distinct from I
themical attraction, as setisibility j
and , irritability are from Intension <
.and gravity. The. departments of
the chimistaitd of the physiologist
c fine \. Livjrig matter is
the property of the latter, Inert in
animate nature of th? former.
Such is the present state of che
mistry, It is distinguished from all
other periods of the science by the
probable unalterablity of it* philo~
tophy. Tkc theories of definite
propositions, of the electrical ener
? gies of the particles of bodies, and
of the operation of the powers, con
cerned in the production of chemi
oai phenomena, constitute what may
strictly be called the science j and,
however Individual facts may be
multiplied, or its processes refined,
its laws, founded on experiment and
supported by the inathemitielir*
! must remain unchangeable. Com
? bustion which, forso long a period, ;
was considered as the science itself,
[ now takes "a subordinate rartk. ?
i Hydrogen has been discovered to
constitute a part of all classes of1
bodies, except the metals, and should
I they be proved to contain it* the
doctrine of phlogiston must be re
newed in a demortstrable and per
I manent form. Oxygen is hot the
principle of acidity, for it forms an
essential clement of bodies, which
Arc alkaline ; nor is it the only sup
porter of combustion, for this pro
perty belongs a! so, to two other bo
dief, chloii ic and iodine.
Were I permitted to exceed the
usual bounds of a discourse on thfcse
occasiorts, I should dilate, with the
greatest satisfaction, on the intimate
relation which exists between -che~
mistry and the arts ; and on th^ im
portant advantages which have re-,
suited from the application of phi
losophical principles to the im
provement of the most useful and
familiar processes. Nor should I
forget to impress oh the minds of
those who are, or may be engaged
in the study of medicine, that. the,
road to fame, in this profession, '
leads through the fields of natural
history, of chemistry, arid of me
chanical philosophy ; and that the.
reputation of Boerhaave and Cullen,
ot Fothirgill andFordyce, of Rush
and, may I addi oF Warren, w*$.
founded on the knowledge of the'
collateral branches oif medicine;W
But I mtist forbear.
Phcqiistry, than, is i Wienec oif
experiment, and its object is to dis
cover the elemenii and the relation*
of bodies. When it is frcolleoted I
how itflny distinguished men ire 1
ik. w engaged jfi these pursuits ; with I
what zeal they advance through I
new and hitherto untrodden paths ; I
with what delicacy and . precision I
they operate, "and with what diseo- I
veries their labours have been al- 1
ready rewarded, it must be ackncrw- I
ledged that, although rapidly pro- I
gressive, no limits can be assigned I
to this science. In proportion as]
the instruments, >|th wbifeh "fheH
operate, are increased in poorer or I
improved in conftructioh ,, and in I
proportion as the habits of accurate-!
observation and pf cautious reason- 1
ing are cultivated, new elements I
Will be discovered^, Or those, which |
Were once Regarded as simple^ will |
be proved tb;tfe compound. The 1
numBer t>f classes of simpler-sub- I
stances Will be redbttfd $ It will be I
found that the great Author of na- I
ture operates with fewef materials j
than his been supposed j and, pos- I
sibly, the sublime' idea of the an- 1
dent philosophers may be verified, ]
that there exists but oa? simplepri- I
mitive form of matter, the element I
of all nature. Chemical invest iga- I
tion has already .approximated to I
the conclusion, that matter may be I
divided into* the two classes of o*y- 1
gen and the metals ; and fchould the 1
opinion, fchich is now' held by ma- I
ny , respecting the constitution of I
some of the elastic fluids, be proved, I
as it probably will, to be correct, 1
all the powers engaged in the. pro
duction of chemical phenomena, and I
all the elements of bodies may be I
reduced to radient matter, to the I
supporters of combustion, t ft the I
actdifiable bases, and to mewallick I
bodie*. An arrangement like this,
of the substances which constitute,
and of the powers which act on the ;
globe, cannot fail to stwke the most
superficial observer with admiration '
ar.d a\vr, and it leads us at once to
the conclusion df' of Sir H. Davy,
that the more the phenomena of :he
univeise are studied, the more dis
tant their connexions appears \ the
more simple their causes, the knore
magnificent their design j the mete
wonderful the wisdom and power'
of their author.
WOMAN.
That man has been the happy ]
and willing slave of the woman ever I
since the commencement of time, j
is a truism that will not admit of de- I
nial ; and equally so, that his truest-]
' felicity and comfort consists in con- I
tinuing in that delectable and en- I
chanting state while the world ex- 1
ists. Its existence must terminate I
with that of woman. There can- I
not be any world without her \ _she 1
| is its pillar and support, its sun and 1
permanent basis. To all-lovely, I
charming woman, under the Su
preme Being, we owe our existence. J
Vc acauire life From her sweet ten^ J
der body j we are the offspring and 1
"fruit ; are brought into the- world, I
and sho^n the light of day by her I
tender fostering care ; we are non- J
rished and nurtured in childhood by
her neverccasing assiduity ; and we J
are reared to manhood By her un- 1
wearied attention^ and anxious sol- 1
ciitude. ' ,
Gran^ me but life, good heavena ! and I
give me means* ? ? ? 1
To make this wondrous goodness some I
amends ; *
And let me then forget her if I can !
, , How unnatural, theref6re, ^ould |
it be in us not to adore and worship I
ruch a cftvine crcatufrc, and devout 1
ourselves implicitly to her com* 1
mands arid pletsure ! I
, None cin, I hope, be silrprized 1
at thfr natural ascendancy which thnrT
angelic object has jnttly acquired I
over j our hearts and inclination* ; I
should that ascendancy ever decline, I
man Becomes an uncivilized savage. J
Tlie Fatf^oiie doth inculcate civi- J
lizatipn and endearing attractions in I
our natures, tKcy harmonize the I
mainly soul. ^ ^ ?
? . ? \ ? *
The .following interesting Anec
dote in extracted from the " travels
? of Rofct. Suffcliffe " In con
versation With a friend, hi informed
me, thar in the early part of his
life he was at Hay anna; Where he
had considerable business to tran
sact, but, being ignorant pf , the
Spanish language, an Iiirit Rdman
Catholic priest kindly lciirt him his
assistance on variouf occasion* i
and so effectually that the priest
War the meant of hie acc^uihng a
large property during af short say
there. At the tithe of parting with
his friendly priest, fce presented
him with A purse of out "thousand
dollars as a small compensation for
the assistance he had received , but .1
the truly catholic priest declared,
that he would not except of any
compensation of this sore ; adding,
All I . * ; of you in return for any
service I have rendered you ia, that
if, -at any future period, you happen
to meet a countryman of mine in
need of assistance, you will 'do to
him as I have done to you. This
affords one amongst many proofs,
that the trul/chnstian spirit is hot
confirtcd to any profession of rcii
* * *"
g">n. .
American.
mib MfeaflM
A lady wal*piesiding one even
ing at a card table, when her mfle*
caught the fire of the candle j Lord
Lyttleton, intending to be' witty on
the accident, said, he did not think
her ladyship'so apt to take firt.
" Nor am 1, my Lord, from such a
tpr.rk as you."
I ?ri 'tut. ? Tk** At "nust be ef ay u?uv?
t n\ qual'ty ihaci* iru*!- to burn m water*
?(V4 ?? hui must im Umper be that cau re
main unsull^d, and retain its biighmes?i
tho' ^pcompassed with corruption'* wavc>.
WhcH tWe handsome courteswn, Theodata,
vaunted io ^ucr* es how much she vr as tow
be r/s.etmt-d before him, because the could
gam many proselytes tcv>m bim, but he
ooOe irom her, lit jt plied, that it wis no
wonder, for she ltd them down the easy ?
ami descending iwd of vice, while he com
pelled ihcro to live thorny and asoencfmjj
p,tU? of yirtOe# . Virtue dwells at the head
of the river, td which we cannot get-but by
rowing against the current j he tfcat walk*
thro' a ^' ge field hiuh only a narrow path
to guide him right m the wav ; but on eik
their side there is wide room towandeiiiw
Every virtue hath two vices that cloae
her Op in curious limits, and if the twene
ever so little^ she steps^into error. Reft
gion hath superstition und prophaneness?
fortitude* leur, and raahnesa? liberality ,
avarice and prodigality? justice, rigor and
partialis y? and so in others ; which haa
occasioned some to defin^ virtue to be a
medium between two extrtltoes. Virtue ia
ir> Truth a war, wherein a man fnusi-be a
perpetual ctntinel~~'tis an obeli s^, which
rcucht* heaven? like the palm tree, tho' it
hath plcanant frOit it it hard to come at k,
for the stem is not easy to climbs s
Though surrounded with difficulties, the *
virtuous man hath a atar Within, thai
guides, and shoots its rays of contort : he
hath found the true philosopher's *to*is,
that can unalchymy the alloy 6flrfb??.and
by a certain celestial proceed cafT Uhrn all ,
the btass of this world into gtddi
Qtjrd'An Ancf In antiquity a knot made
in the leathers or harness of the chariot ah
Gordint, kinrj of Phryria, so very intricate,
ihat there was no finding where it began
or ended, 1 he . in hat tun t A had ^ tradi
tion that the oracle Had -declared, *nat he
who untied this knot should be .matter of
Alexander haVihg undertaken "RT7
wat unable to accomplith it : when list bis
. npt untying it ahoold be deamed an ill au
gury, and prove a check in the way of hU
? conquests, he cut it asunder with his sword* ,
and thus either accomplished or elided lha
otade. v
_J ?- * . ?
I ? - V " ' - -1 ? ? i
Ejtyraordinary Orcum?^ff,?-.About
30 years since,a farmer at fiataUtftborought
Somersetshire, having become viol ejstUy a
TagefrwtTtryfrraf htsdaugTUeraTat wmca
time his wife was far advanced in pregnan
cy) in the paroxysm of his anger* ?"ore.
thatjf hit wife brought hiiti another girlM
wcC/d nt^vcr *tieak to it*? The wifa waade* "
livered, of a *oy,Vwho was christened felH,
and it now living ; but, wonderful to relate,
from his birth to ihi present period, he bt*
never been enabled to utter a Word to life
father, or any one, except hit mbther.and
sisters, with ?hom be tqlka with fluency
and este ! ? Every ineiftnfc of severity and
indulgence ha?^e been deed Ih Vain ; and'he
labours under th^ strongest faolln^l of
dittrets when solicited to sfeieaKu ?> ^
Oil the I Ith' of April an exhibition of
the *ale of a wife toofc^lace *t
EttgJlbruti ol? feHow
to tht public quay m aal e. lie had been
married about a twelvemonth* it not jret 20>
and could scarcely be alittifHted from faiit
ing ai her unworthy husband dragged her
alonq. She \vas purchased tor two guinea*
by her firat sweet heart, .
j, ? -1
*
mmk
Maker of Wen
Q f ? - *
na, has invented a machine ^
the air. It la formed of two ttlodi of may
cohutcs of taffeta, vjrhicb may be folded up
or e$tend*4 at pfctature, < and th^ person
Wfro fnovf* them is placed ill the centre.
M Degen haa made aeyeral public e*ne*
rimenta, and froee to. a height of 54 feet)
flying ?n various direction* with the celer
ity ot % bird. In one of hit ?rial rUbtir
lions he was attacked by a flock of c erfs*
and with come difficulty deagonded with*
out injury.? Intel.
Fxtraordinaty*? A Cf? of Mr.' XX Seffl,
He (who lives within a few mile# of this
llotough) had a Calf, a few days since,
with two heads, four three aerj, sty
legs, four beforehand two behind, and two
tails- It it now living. ...
-1 ? ? ; iHB
The Human The . heert, In %
healthy man, in one hour, beats 360O ,
fifties . discharges 7200 ounces of hJooU 5/
and conveys through it the whole o^
blood in ?ht body, not lest t^ail 2s time#.
1ft the space of h^uts, thf Whole Mm>d
in the body circulars 6oo time*.
A young port offered hit play to. one of
tl\e i heat i us lor nothing. The mfftfag?r
**td the author knew the. exact -vatye of it.
' f
A getltlemah of the name of Mnrble
wan married to rati* ? AJo?* in dtfianca of
the proverb." A r jlkn^ tone will nrppr [4*
fker most,"