New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-12
OBITUIRT.
SIR DAVID BREWSTER.


The Cable announces the death Of Sir David
Brewster. No ancient modern discoverer has done
more TO mako tho study Of natural science attractive
than Brewster. Turning his attention TO department
OF physca science that before almost wholly uneI-
plored observations and experiments led Ia results
as beautiful as they unexpected. Sir David Brews
ter was born at Icdburgh, Scotland on the nth Of De
cember, 1871, and was, therefore, at tho tune OF
his death, in his s7th year. Educated for the
Church of Scotland. he studied theology Mt
the University OF Edinburgh. became n hcentiaie
Of the Presbyterian Church. and received the honorary
degree of b. in the year 1900 Hs tastes however lea
refused living which was offered HIN by The DuSe Oh
EsH Sns sey%s Of II s of tEs M Profound
scholars OF their tmeRObisOn who then occupied the
chair OF Natural Philosophy; Payfar the mathematician
and Dusnld Stewart, the metapl ysclan. During the
year no married 10 ono OF the daughters OF MI
"Poetry OF osan" Mrs Brewster died in 1850 and he
was married the second time, in ls57 to Miss Pnrnc
IL. i: from the Ug1iyer'y, q aberdeen Iec,,;
Cambridge and Of d. e. L. from Oxford and Durham.
In 1905 fe was elected Fellow OF the Royal Society Of
Edinburgh. IN which he subsequently hled the Offices Of
Secretary and President IN 1885, nc took charge on
the Edinburgh Encyclopedia. which he edited nj Its
completion in 1890 and In which I'M ne FRS, m te a
devoted himself almost exclusively to the stucy OF ocs
Treatise on New Philosophical Instruments" g. 1918.
While preparing an article Tor the Encyclopcdih on
Burning Instruments" In 1911, he was led by susges-
structed Ienscs which resulted IN the invention Of
q cus composed OF zones Of glass, each Of which was
built IN Of several circular segDeDts, and s Application
to an Instrument composed 81 lenses ana mirrors, ny
which all the heat OF the might be concentrated into
one burning focus the light converted into straight
beam. This invention Is now In use In many " the sht
houses recently constructed Ia various parts O The world
In 1915 Dr. Brewster invented tie Kaleidoscope, an m
strument OF particular value to SCIENCE, but when
became n yeryEp0puar toy The patent night for this
was however, cvaded and, although at one time hund
reds Of thousands Of them were sod Ia month, ,ne
inventor received thing Tor except the anc
His researches touching the mean heat OF the earth ana
important additions to this department OF kn9wdgs'
Another instrument Of his Invention, ana whIeh.
TO sit by the nresde on winters night ana ENJOY ue
finest scenery and most finished works OF ART has becone
Exhibited at the Crystal Palace tine first seeo
scope. constructed under his direction by the nge us
i'm Europe conferred IFS oors him In addition 10 tue
degrees already mentioned, Sir David Brewster rtcehs
corery Of the law OF polarization OF Hight In 1916. the
Institute OF France awarded half OF the 5000 franc prize
made Europe during the preceding years In 1919
ne received from the Royal Society INC nniniC si
Yer medals, for his optical discoveries ANA INC
isaS the Institute Of France elected him
dS a sweden sss Dsnmas &c In 1881 m
Brewster received the decoration OF the uan0yeran
w In 1888 he was nominated by the to be Princi
pal Of United ST. Salvador ST ana
psl Of tne University Of Edinburgh DR. Brewster edited
and wrote OF scientific works beside contributing
largely to all leading English and Scotch peroaicas us
best known works are Treatise the Kaleidoscope
Treatise on the stereoscope Treatise on Optics
Letters Natural Mage" Tho Martyrs OF Science
and More Worlds than One" 1t was principally owing
TO Sir David Brewsters eIertlons that the British Assoc
alton the Advancement Of Science owes Its existence
be having proposed the scientific meeting ut York In
which originated In January. lSig he became Que OK
the eight foreign associate members Of the Imperial lnst
tue Of France filing the vacancy caused by tue oeat
Of the celebrated chemist Herzelus lie also
the Prusnan Order Of Merit founded by Frederick tue
Great and the Emperor Of the French conferred
upon him the decoration OF an ohcer OF the Legion Vi