The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-16
LECTURES LAST NIGHT.
scientific TRlUMpHs.".

Lecture last Evening by Professor D0romus,
mt Association Hall-A Brilliant and In
lerestcd Audience.
Last evening Professor Doremus delivered the third
Of his OF lectures, on scientific Triamphs,"
before the Young Mems Christian Association, at
their hail. at the Of Fourth avenue ana Twen-
ty-fourth street, These lectures are already proved
to be an immense success, and no doubt popular
scientific discourses will become fashionable an
entertainment In New York as the lucid eloquence
and striking experiments OF Faraday made them In
London. Last night the audience was even
larger than at the previous lectures; indeed,
scarcely standing room was left. All through the
evening" thanks to the fascinating manner in which
the Professor explained ana Illustrated his theme,
the interest OF his hearers never tagged, while at
times there was an outburst OF genuine and hearty
enthusiasm. Nor was the lecture unmarked with
several amusing episodes. In several Of the ex-
periments chlorine was employed, and as its fumes
swept through the hail, there an epidemic out.
break OF subdued coughing, which provoked c0nsld-
cradle merriment.
After recapituating the various principles in re-
gard to the combination Of the elements explained
In his last lecture the Professor said the metals
rarely found In native state; they had cloves"
aflinities with many other substances. AS an
illustration, he would cite gold, silver and iron,
which were scarcely ever found pure. When iron
In furnace, and q blast OF pure air
applied below. the IRON associated with a
somewhat a SOW, and consequently known as pig
iron. No one subject now commanded more atten-
ton from chemists than the production and manu-
facture OF iron. An analysis Of the crust Of the
earth showed how largely oxygen had entered into
its combination Chemists announced that the basis
OF clay was q beautiful white metal called alum
num- The Professor then showed how Slight
difference in the proportions In which other ele-
ments were mingled with alumlna resulted in the
numerous forms Of clay some Of which were suited
Tor rhe manufacture OF the most beautiful kinds OF
porcelain while others We're used for making coarse
ftlnla nattn Af q
stated that men were made OF clay; but 1t might
be said in passing that the metal which formed the
basis that substance was almost the only one not
found by chemists In the human frame. Doubtless
the Biblical reading ought to be earth.
covariaa hromvht tn ignt nv snectr,Im ANALYSIS nv
this means several new metals had already been
discovered. Then, as another proof OF ITS value, 1t
might be stated that metallic pOlsOns could now be
detected with sufficient precision for the purposes OIL
court OF justice. Only few years ago he had OBJ
tanned proof OF the presence OF arsenic in body
after 1t had been inferred twelve months These
modern reinementS were due mainly To the spec
troscope. sulphur In pure and crystallized state
was found ut the mouth OF volcanoes, and also In
combination with many metals II was very useful,
especially as from II was manufactured snlphuric
acid, or the king OF acids The mode OF manu-
featuring this acid was then Illustrated. OIL
Of vitriol applied to common salt resulted in
~ acla Nun n reslaas OF soaa
obtained it from volcanoes endeavored 10 get
higher price for their wares no less tan fifteen new
patents for Its manufacture were taken out. From
hydrochloric acid we get chlorine, which II mingled
power of removing the color. This discovery was
one Of the most important ever discovered.
Chlorine was also the most powerful dlsnfect-
ant known. few years ago cabin In one
Or the Cunard steamers which ,sa, had ao been
cleanscd by this wonderful gas. 1t was
rather shameful fact that nearly all the caustic
soda now used in this country. was imported,
things. Of providing higher means OF scientific edu
cation among us. sulphur also combined with
india rubber and formed singularly beautiful
suha N known
trotting wagon was made He believed this sub.
stance would at no distant date be employed more
generally than at present The Professor then
alluded to Mons. Yesslers' method OF obtaining
oxygen gas-a method involving scarcely any ex-
pense. This was oil the last Importance as oxygen
was the essential element OF heat and llfe He then
referred TO the production OF PHOSPHORUS, which
PHOSPHORUS were especially important to the
human SYSTEM as they seemed essential to lnteiiec-
tual effort Butter among other articles, contained
o palpable quantity OF this important substance
Probably the sun produced Its heat by chemical
combustion. Some physicists maintained that
slight condensation OF Its surface would enable 1t to
maintain this heat-giving power for thousands and
millions or years, and others believed nat the loss
1t thus sustained was made up by the occasional at
traction OF foreign bodies. Attempts have been
made TO find out the quantity OF heat thrown out by
the SUM- and it had been calculated that our Earth
absorbed only three hundred thousand milIonth
part Of the total amount. AS our Earth IS but a
ruSed mass OF molten metal, so, perhaps Is the sun
undergoing the same process from which the Earth
had emerged. But the Sun was not the only source
or the heat absorbed by our Earth. Twelve millions
OF suns were constantly dfusing light upon It's sur
face. Then we had internal sources OF heat such
volcanoes and artificial heat, such as that caused
by all movement or by chemical actiOn-tne latter
source being, perhaps, the more important OF the
two.
Professor Doremus closed by some interesting ex-
perments In regard to light.