New-York tribune., 1874-08-03
CHEMISTRY'S CENTENNIAL.
LAST DAY OF TIE CONVENTION.

..,novresop sr1IINAS-CLosISG PROCEEDINGS OF
THE coSyFNTIoN-EXTRACTs FROM PRiEsTLEfs
LETTERS.
NORTHUMBERLAND Penn, Aug. 2.-The Cen
,enuia of Chemistry exercises were resumed al ''SV
: ~ Yesterday Prof Smith Of Kentucky addressed
,be congress on the subject of the Heblg Memora anu
tho nroposed contribution He said that two memorials
ere proposed one IN Munich, and one In Giessen ana
he hoped the contributions would be liberal; 1na'
Americans would take prominence In the WORK LUZ
subscrptions received amounted to 6ooO the suOscro
ers indicating the Gessen memorial as their choice'
A long essay on American Contributions to ChemsHy
was read by Prof Benz sillman Of New-Hayen Conn.,
substantially as follows
BY a remarkable coincidence the history OF modern
chemistry which dates S% 1s aT as It was then
termed by immortal Prestey on August A. i1, , -
ence and the emancipation Of people from tyran-
iea Government marks almost the exact epocn OF tne
emancipation OF chemical thought rom the lase p, u,
enhraling phogstc theory Prior TO the discovery Oh
oxygen and with 1t the Ieasonnes ana 81 cSem
which followed there was properly no science OF che ~,
isry The phlogisc theory creature OF lne pIan @ os
German seo pnyfa and 6sd in @ was the first attempt at
systematic aud philosophical aTrangement OF idee 1,
ntnry Ike ali theoretical systems which have had
more than ephemeral existence, there was IN IL q
nrmly held. states phogistOn was only anotner NAME
for (phlogis0s, burnt, and the fact that @en
ms an the case OF metals being turned INTO eaoes,
aud consequently as was supposed, losing gtSt tGSt
xn,ineS Inv tho absurd hypothesis assigning 10
the principle phogtGn the rn ss qSB p Black and
PriescS should have been able to content themselves
with resort completely unphiosophical! ~ was DS
the use of this weapon that Lavosier attacked ana
destroyed the pnogstc theory lntroaucng& & cT ode I
mitted vigorous exactness ana demonstrains 'nav
case when In the act OF @ raele VAS
gain OF weight in the body burned the ineIeasJ M
exactly equal loss sustained IN the given rOlue
Of air IN the burning body was connned tne us
covery OF oxygen then ranks among the greatest ds
coyeries Of modern times What Newton utior
was in in t9e TO the mysterious facts and
dons which the material elements pTeienIea ant
able ficultes TO theories Inherited from alchemy
ms discovery was the key. We may consider very
bnAr fhe scientific societies public seminares OF learn
ing aud channels Of communication wnch were opteu t
10 the students of science during the aeT part o u1o
last and early part OF the present century IA OruS W
consider undersandngy the extent OF the worK u9ne S
at %sf7 & few Pf pTor 10 to Re close the last century
England the American Academy OF ATts ana seiecSs @
WAS Instituted Boston in 1850. AT NewHaven in liSS
was founded a kindred institution The earliest assoe,
alton of this nature was the American PhiiosopAea
Society established by Franklin at Phiadelpha in I5iS
and recognized by provincial charter IN l!oy 1iS
ous 20 the close OF the eighteenth century which nave
publshed anything vouminous relating TO Chemistry.
lished one volume, containing single paper upon
chemistry. The principal public sennarles Oh earhnG
IN existence before the close or the last century Weh
fostered chemical science were Princeton college Whch
Tn,ea States in 7e5 William and Mary where IVA
lectures on chemistry we're gwen ID connection Win
JamSs Madison. This course was adopted at the Uni
yerstty of PENNSYLVANIA 1879, at Yale in loo3,
Soutn Carolina at Dickinson College, and at
Brown University IN 1871 and at Dartmouth
in 1920 Chemical professorshps in concert with
matea medica established in Kings College l7G7'
in Harvard IN 1872 at Dartmouth G lg ana IN H1 i4S
these appear prominently the names OF Dr. John wiz
thIop Of Harvard Aaron Dexter OF Harvard, John cor
u har Of Harvard, DIR. Benjamin Rush OF Philadelphia
Dr James HutchIsOn OF Philadelphia, Dr. Samuel Baird,
Dr. samuel Latham Mitchlll. and Parker Cleveland of
Bowdon George OF the University of Tennessee,
DIR Emmett whose labos in connection with the Organi
mention; Dr. Robert T. Rodgers. Prof j. Lawrence
Smith, and Dr. Maupln, and Or John ". Mallet VINO
Gals science in the latter part Of the last and
nn es 81 t be Societies S' Ig ad named T%e Medical Rcs
oy of New York The Medical and Physiological Journal
OF Philadelphia, NE Journal Of the AcldemgQ Natural
Scicnces. The American journal Of Sciences and
Arts, established by Benjamin silima1 n ISIS
aud me Journal Of he Franklin Institute in
1874 OF the labors OF the American Academy
OF Arts and Sciences at Boston the observations
the art OF making steel by the Rev pr Daniel Little
and the experiments on the waters OF Boston, which
were the first chemical researches undertaken in Amer
lea C1SS, made by surgeon atde1ed " the frehcI
feet are deserving Of particular notice Dr. Samuel
an account of a number mineral springs at saratoga
III New-York which the first account of Saratoga
chemistry within the last 100 the discovery of
the oxyhydrOgen blowppe by Dr. Robert Hare OF Phla
great genius to say Dr. Hares discovery entities
hIm TO prominent place among great and original sci
erer aud his relation to the higher themes of acute SCI
yauc@ of his time. Tie first American discovery Sc
eeed for RumiOrd medal, the endowment for which
had oeen accommodating for many years previous.
that the oXybydrOgen blowppe. The genius of DR..
Hare fully IN his course Of reasoning which led
10 this de SAID, and had tine sagacity 10 re-
pognze that IL order obtain the maximum effect of
heat IL was necessary that the upper the
body to be heated should be clothed with an atmos-
pnere of burning gases, of which the heat might
equal 10 that OF the incandescent carbon supporting
the BODY 10 be heated ~ soon OeGutled 10 nun That
this desdcrdum might be obtained by flame of hydro
gen burning iu connection with oxygen, but 1t was
necessary devise by WINCH tnese gases could
he burned without explosion These are memorable
words The discovery Ireeedes the invention, and the
discoverer the master OF the inventor Rarely do
fnd these powers well combined as IN the OF Dr.
Iare. II is rema kabe that the Identical reasoning Of
II Hare led setnens Of our time TO the lnyenuOn of
lls regeperatlve gas furnace.
r oHsRentnc in when chemi.try had ia fnI Share
Naoy circumstances cOnspred 10 bring about in
cTtesed activity. Tue rsi series OF The AmtrieaH Jour
,6 Science CLOSED ia 1885, 1876 the second
rIes commenced. with more frequent issues offering
90 ientlhc authors more intimate contact with their
fee workers. In the Autumn OF lo45 LOUIS Agaseiz
caine this country aud began his wonderful course Of
sce2. &c abOrs, wIch has Infused IN the public MUD
yeal {r sueh studies btiOie uukAOWn coming only as
guest aud fOi special MISSION lie found here hOme
winch vas Opened Win 10y 10 receive uin ana adopt
HIN a. u AmeElcih aod ne mas nade MS aiae house
hold every namiet IN tins country. The Smith
loving year its abors under the guidance Of Prof
Henry e.enng wider The various fields of scientific
search ard Offering brilliant opportunities for tine
woIlers of the country. spreading far and wide
lnfeps for good winch Is steadily increasing The
romprehsnsiye direction OF Prof Alexander Dallas
ing sysieIp .tizing ana dreculg only its spe
ilu method extending II hospitality and
aseanent ak to chemists, phy siciss. analysts
The report the Finance Committee received and
accepted II vas decided that the surplus should be
det oted to procure Photographic album also the
a graphs delegates 10 be presented u the descend
ante Of Dr. John Prestey memorial of this centen
uial The committee appointed TO confer with the Ma
tlOua Centennial Commission did not desire to report
but asied leave 10 their number The request
was gTSnted. RESOLUTIONS OF thanks to the citizens Of
NorthuE berland for their reception Of and boun