Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-11-25
sN5Scc9i6sneOagS.
TIE SCIENCE OF CHEMISTRY.


Each science has natural course from
which il never devintes; il begins by col
lecting and establishing facts. and when
these iacls become undoubted, il compares
them one with another and deduces from
them principles of application. The sci
ence of Chemistry has perhaps been the
means Of establishing more useful facts in
tbs arts than any other. There are indeed
few great aud cardinal truths in reference
10 The operations of nature. or the rnechan-
ic arts, that Chemistry has not consiJera-
bly, contributed IN bringing 10 view. The
ultimate success Of improved husbandry
and manufactures, depends very much
upon knowledge Of The chemical laws
which govern matter in It's various relations.
This obviously suggests The importance
Of every farmer d mechanic understanding
what chcmistryis, aud souie Of The uses of
the science to every individual. The Term
Chemistry is from The Arabic word kimia,
which signifies 'IIie occult SCIENCE or The
science whose operations may be demon
slraicJ TO The eyes. It's ariOms are as
abundant as in mathematics, aud whoever
pursues the science aitcntively, will he
likely TO accumulate n greater fund Of
knowledge than from any other. Philosophy
only teaches us in relation TO masses Of
matter and motion; but Chemistry brings
10 light The elements Of substances. Time
was, when il was vaguely supposed that
the material universe was made up Of four
bodies, fire, air. earth, and water; but mo-
dcrn chemical science has discovered be-
tween fifty and sixty elementary substan-
ces, over forty Of which are metals, and
most Oft the res, important 10 life and 10 the
arts by which subsistence is gained. To
convince every one Of The uiomenlous i'm
por,ancc Of The science, il may be vel! TO
notice little ofits history and few Of the
numerous benefits II has conferred upon
society. An,erio. TO the seyenleeth cenlu-
ry, The science had made but llile pro-
gress, but in the days Roger Bacon, Par
acelsus, Agricola, &c. facts were brought
into order, and some system was given 10
mankind. Glaubcr added some more facts
in reference TO instruments, aud discover
ed The salt which is named Glauber's salt.
Black. Priestly, and Ca, endish, with their
mighty in,clleels did much TO advance Inc
science. Bn, Sir Humphrey Dayy, who
llssess hang siItIe went -ilss.Say- of-ailsthc
earth. did more for the science Of Chen'is.
Try Than any other individual Of any age.
His Agricultural Chemistry should be in
hands ofevery inrmer.) There are many
gentlemen in both The old aud new world
al this Time, who are devo'ing their lives
10 chemical investigations, and will doubt
less discover many new and important
truths. Ii may be The science is yer i'll its
infancy, ndjudsing from the slow pro-
grcss Of The past ages. it assurrdly is. We
may expect that from Chemistry, greater
light will yet be thrown on all the dark
paths OF human existence.
Those who first saw real use in the
science, aud were in fact The first chem
ISIS Of The world, were such rs discovered
the means Of melting, combining. aud
moulding ;he metals. Mex, TO these were
such physicians rs first made extracts from
vegetables, amd asccrlained their proper
ties. Centuries have passed away since
these facts were first discovered, and yet
new ones are made known every year, aud
the half may never be discovered. Alchy-
mists were so cnaniorcd with its wonders,
that they dreamed of the philosopher
stone, which i, was supposed would turn
every thing il touched into pure gold. Not
Nlh>tandin. their visionary notions, they
bc0ucaihed to lhc world rich legacy OF
facts.
Blu, we must notice more closely some
of The particular instances in which chem
istry as science. has been and will al.
ways he very useful. We hpvc men.
toned that mel,crs, combiners, and mou!-
dcrs OF metals, derived their ART from
chemists. Ii may be said, that many
of our ore meters and iron workers
never saw book on chcmislry;-,hism may
be. hut books are not The only meaus Of
learning scicncc. Some individual has
asccrtnined from experiment, secrets in the
modus vprr0ndi of metal working, md
Communicated these scientific truths 10 the
laborcr. 50 that all thai is done is by science.
From The melting Of the ore, 10 the con.
version into the most finely polished in-
s,rumcnrs, every operation is dependent
upon chemical alIini,ics. MOI only so, but
good or had orcsare known by chemical
experiments. The mixing the metals ond
manufacturing utensils are done by the
chemists light. The physician who nI-
tempts TO practice medicine without exrcn-
s,ve chemical knowledge. either with min
erals or vegetables, is liable to fall into
many fatal errors, aud deprive, through
ignorance, many human being Of exis.
tence. lie must be acquainted with the
nature Of mans constituents, what poison
il is, or obstruction, ha, dernnges The ma
chinerv, and what will nenlralize or re-
move The cause of disease. Hundreds of
persons are destroyed every year, in con.
scoucuce oc taking something they should
moi. A substance n, Que time may be
valuable .medicine. but ut another mo-
menl it NAV carse instantaneous DEATH
Two innocent substances may be put into
the stomach one after tho other, but from
their affin,ies. third substance may be
formed of n most deererious character
A knowledge Of chemistry alone can quail