The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-08-19
CONVERSATION L.
ON TIE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CHy.
A1ISTRY, '

Mrs. 3. Having now acquired fu,,e eIcr,.,,,r,,
notions OF Natural Pbi9Sf6y. going TO propoie
~ you another branch OF icience, to which am,
tcnlarly anxious that yoe fhould devote fhare q,
your attention. This is Cby-fry, which i, 70 clofe
'y connected with Natural Philclophy that the hudy
o.the one muit be incomplete without lome knowle3r.
OF the other Tor it is obvou. that we can derive bn,
avery imperfect idea of bedies from the sjv af The
general laws BY which they are governed, if se re-
main totally ignorant of their intimate nature
Caroline To oonfefs the truth, Mrs. q I am not
dipoled TO form very favourable idea Of Chyninrv
nor do expect to derive much entertainments from
preier thofe licences that exhibit nature on grand
fcaie; TO thoie which are conaed the minuti of
petty details. Can the hudies which we have lately
Purued, the general properties of matter or the re-
voutons OF the heavenly bodies, be compared to th
mixing up of a few infgni6can drugsi
Mrs b. rather imagine thar yaur want of tahe
for ehyniitry proceeds from s'very limited idea
you entertain Of its Object. You con7pe the ehvoG' :
laboratory to the narrow precincts che apothec,v
hop, whil is ubfervient 20 a.. imnenfe variety of
othtr ufeful purPnfes. Beides, my dear, chymi1rv
is by no means confined to works of art Nature ale,
has her laboratory, which is the unverfe and there
ihe is inoehanty employed in chyn,ical operations
You are iurPrifed, Caroline; but allure You ,hs. the
@ = :;;a ;Sss==s i,al.,,. ma
oi nature are a,ot all of them produced by chymi-
cal powers Without entering therefore into RI.
minute details of practical chyniifry, woman nav
obtain fueh knowledge of the fcienee. az will NO,
emily throw an interef on the common occurrence
Of life, but will enlarge the fphere of her idea, and
render the contemplation of Nature fourc. Of de-.
Eghtfu inltruetieh.
Caroline. If this is the cafe, have Certainly been
much nliffaken in the notion had formed oi civ
inGry Town that thought it was chiefly confined
TO the knowledge and preparation of medicines.
Mrs B. That is only branch Of ehvn,;Grv
winch IS called Pharmacy and though the nudy OF
1t is certainly OF great rnportance to tn. world a,
large, it properly belongs to proeGiona men. and i
therefore the lat that fhoald adve you to fiudv.
Emily. But did not the ohynli(ls formerly eanlov
temfeIvcs in eareh of The Philofophes Stone or the
fecret Of making gold
Mrs Iheie were particular fe. of mifguided
philolophers, who dignifed themfelves with the
name of Alehynias, to dliHgu, their purlui,s from
tAofe Of the common cbymins, Whole hudies were
conined to the knowledge of medicines
Bat, iEee that period, ciynitry has undergone 70
complete revolution, that, from an obfeure and mvl
teroIs art it is beeon,ea regular and beapt;h,l
fcience. 70 which art is entirely fubleryiect IL
true, however, that we Indebted 20 the aIcby
mias FOR mary ufeful difcovcres, which fpr,ng
from their frtrtles attempts 70 make gold and which
undoubtedly have proved of infinitely greater adj
vantage TO mankind than all their chi-nerical purfu,
The modern chyuiGs far from dire cling Their
ambition 70 the imitation Of Of the Leaf uiefuI pro-
duttions Of Insnmaie nature, aim at copyjno aln,oa
all her operations, aud fonietines even form eon,b;
nations, the tnoie f which is not to be Eouud IN her
own productions. They have little rearsn 70 regret
their inability 10 make gold (which is often bpt lCe
representation Of riehe5), wbilA by their nnunerablo
inventions and dicoveriss, they have 70 greatly u,u
lated indulfy aud facilitated abour as prodiriounv
10 increafe the Injuries well as the nceefares OF
life.
Emily. Butt d. not undsraand By what mean,
tbymi1ry facilitate isbour ig not that rather the
province Of the ,chaue
Mrs. g. There ore many ways by which Isbour
may be rendered NOR; esfy, Independently Ut mocha
mics; but even the maehne the NOT wonderful IN i,s
eaectS, the aeam engine, cannot be undernood with
out the ahitanee Of ehymAry. in agriculture, chv-
Eca knowledge Of the nature of fois, and of veos
tston, Is highly ufsfu and in thore arts which re-.
late 70 the comforts and conveniencies Of life !,
would be endlefs to the advantages which
selrt from the nudy Of this feence.
Caroline. But, pray, tell II, more preeifslv IN
what mannerthe diieoverieS Of ehyuils have proved
60 beneficial TO foeiety!
Mrs. B. That would be an unfair authorization
Tor You would not comprehend the nature of fch df
eoverss and uFefai applications 70 we'll a, yoA viii do
hereafter. Without due regard to method, we can
not exPe6 to make any progrefs in ehymiary. +
with 10 dirsd your oblervston chiefly 70 the ehyni-
caloperations of Nature but thofc Of Art are GER
tsinly oftoo high importance to pafs unnotieed. We
Gsli therefore allow them slo fome lbsI. OF our at
s.utios.