, 1874-08-01

!.nho B"u n aoeosh'soo with tho theory Of til
limos, TINT It might Ee evolved from tho purlg
cation of bnaor metals through smelling nm n
isl'xihE. Tint wAs not q yury foolish idea, eer
i1otn tue aegroo Of light tho world then onIoycd
dottl'1g at tho seceet was to
DIHcoVEn THE pff1Losnr1En'e sroSE
II TINT woro discovered, thou would 1nnu lnv,
iao keY to Unlock all tho soorotH Of Nature. Iht
AibhoVnfy OF that stone WAB tho lnno and ma
a2 a.9n Of mankind for MANY censurios. Thoy
asxoa, ahd nahed, and sought for tho stone, til
2. !aas DiYiHo Iroyldonco, through Joscp1
Priestiey, gavo them gus, and from that cat catns
more Than the philoronlior'a Stono. And it f.
wei TINT tho world should now celebrate tho first
century 10 Which it hna liyoti uniler tho roIgn Of
thG gaseous theory OF tho eartts formation,
Dut thoro was ono important ntep from
nlobemy forward that had to bo takorl 1,nforo
Chemistfy could bo demonstrated. Tho phIoao-
pner,s stone bogan to be superseded. Electricity
experience, but a dreadful wondor to whd;uso.. .
ovor tried to fatllom Its origin. The alchoInist
| could not givo tho philosophy Of combustinn'
even even t1nouEn 1ao TINT Ind boon t!a fnaIn,nont for
@ agen 1or ,i tue tilbcovery Of. tlio Philosophers
os9no. Ilis gave stah, German investigator
ano probably alclIemist, what he conceived wna
hhpl'y thought and that wan an element COM
mon TO all tnlRm1nable Substances, Which, In
coo,MDnstion, co,, paused oiY, and was reformed in
others; and he gavo to the element or prlnciplo
1, Ihls "aa really the tirst. step toward oreauizeh
Hhen'!Bssy, beca'1soit Was suggestive In t,o right
aitssoini', although It might not hayo boon tr11o
ot hetlI. u III somewhat difficult now to under-
stand e1actly What was meant by rhlor;ston
nnt II perta1nod morely to Tie theory Of co,nbus
non, and waa supposed 10 perform those parfs
prnc;an, p'c nfn new Understood as chemical ohangcs
now e!,snIy oS n.iaro II s0 yery much lilo That wich we
Tue correct theory by scientists. or those who
%eIo % IN those days called philosophers: and
ar,cstoY nimaelf was strong huleyor In It. and
Gont'auoa M TO be 80 I'LL the day Of isdeatt1, though
entity. s'''0A 4nso aon-
Joseph Priestly was born At Flo1arcad. near
L,cons, in MRrch, 1773. His fatllor vas a
Sofne1 Te1a IT. ,;fa Me was bsonEht np IL tile common
OF the Orthodox school. lie always Hnoke witt,
appreciation Of the INFLUENCE Of tho rorama |
rohsrnInts Of his childhood, though ma
f2ahohit;io1isby the higotry Of his sur1onniuss
views which characterized him to the end Of h:a
d,ays, mud made him nsarkod object Of nttnn1s
through, Ills fo. Ia WAS educated in most
sn9foaSh ! mannor. according to tho requirements
niaed 4, na st !s exrsnss of hi. aunt Having
aeHs'on OF the ministry, tnt with indifferent euc-
coeB, ne having an in,pedtnsnt Ill snosking. or n
" "stanl'ner." lle was nors sl,cccsaful as n teach,
ei, a'st III that occupation commenced Ills ,,rao
ics OF AAo ps"o-
en1Losor1t1cAL E1rEn1,tEyTa.
which lod to thu great rea,ts i,ofora n.stna Tn
wrote anu published in 17G7, under the enoour-
lge;nont Of DR.. Franklin, the history Of Elco-
vity snrIt ~ N 'hIon volmo.; also at other dates
r'sa ~ r'oh In A'r whio! foreataowol the object,
n %n'eh he wnb specially successful. and 4 work
~ Light ana Colors. Thoao wcre tho most I'M
'ofsn't or his PIN lohophical productions, but lie
'Ilnteu q large number Of Pamphlets mud rc-
~ sr.s me results Of his observations on Fcionce
~ wins Fosy Souminons Triter on doctrnal
o1ics OF theology. Ihase wero what enye him |
us great repnsation In hls tlay and atyidel OF
no community generally OIL one side or tho o,h-
= T. as ~, !a friends 9r opponena. 1lo vas lead
'hltarlnu vtcwH OF tile period 1Ia made mauy
rue and inst friends, and toso ,r,o raaJa encri.
ces c ~ to support him, whtlo lie gave 1,is mini to
olIG'ous controversies and experiments in aoi-
aSo, ; 1T tllo anne Limo lio lad many bitter CIT
|soted ministry Of tho stnto Church. liz
as Liberal OIL the must extensive Hcalo, lIo y
lote number Of tEacia on civil liberty. he t
as an int'mato friend OF Dr.. franklin, nsso- q
e Interests Of tho Colonies, aud c1ai.ned fcr
em their rights before tho British Goyern-
ent. Also was the intimate friend of Dr..
chard Price. ono OF tho most prominent Of g
supporters Of tho American cause in En-.
and DR.. Pricstley. it should therefore be ra-
embered. was among tho Mt
BEST OF THE FRIENDS BE HAD ~
england during the time of the struggle for |
: !. ,naependenco. And, ut tthosamu tinno he was D.
{ he tried to show that he was faithful In not OF
pporling his country in tho wrong, but ,youIi 70
Or nave her Just and true to herself and l,er OF
ion'es. Such vac tho moral, religious and
atter the publication Of hH book on Eloctricity vi
1t6I which procured him admission into the re
yal Society. bis reputation having boon greatly Of
endcd, no loft his Academy at Warrington til
~, Mee9ptea OF the situation Of minister to re-
9era! Independent church at Leetls At tl.is III
III hls homo WAS near brewery and the pro- nc
8 Of fermentation, by which TINT universal OK
'efage or the nation WAS mado. led him to nj,
no pfohta6le telaotion upon tho law of Na-
q that produced the result, aud this lie con
'rod in what he styled tho properties of tjxod
lie pursued his invest iSati0ng very ear
ny Tor six years, until his removal to Calne. r.,
1oin Lord M MShelb'.rno, afterwards Marquis Of
losophical Transactions; aud on ono Of tic
ors on tho different kinds Of air Lo ol,- J
od tho valuable prizo OF the gold medal. da,
snhted al Copley's Prize- It was soon after mn
, at Calne, that . a.A
He p1scovEnED OXYGEN, -
I John Prngie thus described DR.. prIostloy's pso
eycmcnsa in tue line OF discovcry two ycsra olal
'ro this most important Of ali, which has gag
u lls name to Immortality: Indeed. AZ an for
'r1mnntnlist, Dr., Priestley stands unrynled. nett
multiplicity Of his experiments, their H. ne. no.
nty, their bearings upon thu point in oucs- NOT
:, their general Importance, and their give
ltY, were noror equaled, upon the whole, on
10 OF sfhce. NOT ia it any do.rention from giyt
: merit with those who are accustomed to a.
rlnlonts,, that they hold cut no protensionn oto
lat suspicious accuracy which llas too ofton ~
ndcd moro upon arithn1ctical calcl1Iatinnn neg
upon actual weight aud measure. lila t1ej
.ta,, n'ua a., " A1as aiecovorod BY DR.. repe
hkillful investigations OF their propertios' 'uo
he Ibid for tho abora Of OILERS aud
simplicity. the novelty, tho ncatneas, nni in fl
lad industry, l1ave dosorvcdIy placed lin ut 1T of Il
'esa Of Pnelunato CAemlstry' ~ @ ~
tho cnplcy, Medal prizs-i,aper, Pricsttey ca"a
unooa the discovery ot what the writor Of t
! that singular fluid, nitrous air." It'd clni,
ecord ut discovery procaeds, that lso sob who,
very good air from Baltpetse til 1771. but =, \,
IL! discovery Of dcphto9isticaed air seems ~ ~.
have hoen made until Juno or July 1774. ta;ia
ne procured it from procipitate por se and snn
rod lrad." - WAN nuh ,:t
This WAS Ills OXYGEN. ity !,
!lloly told thH discovery to Inro!sicr. the term
u chemist ut Paris, tho Uctober following. dcfet
SO, at that tno, manufactured 1t III ptrls, sLat.l
3, says tho reviewer OF liH works. s.hIthar. hofn