The Sun. — 1842-03-25 (London, England)

REID'S LECTURES ON CHEMISTRY.  Dr. Reid, aware of the technicalities which, in chemistry more than any other science, perplex in limine, announced at his third lecture at Exeter Hall, that he should fix a time and place in the following week, where and when those students who were willing, might hear explained from him in private the initiatory cabbala of the science, so as to comprehend without lack of lucidity, the superstructural portion of his lectures. Some general observations relative to various good study-books and manuals proper for the young chemist, preceded the learned lecturer's continuation of his remarks upon gases. His former exemplification of their pressure upon substances, and the delicate adjustment of their particles, was followed up by remarks upon the mo • tions of those invisible atoms, and an experiment, in which a tier of candles, placed within a glass receiver, had their lights consecutively extinguished, demonstrated the circular motion going on among the, particles of gas, when put into movement by a disturbing cause ; a similar effect to which, he observed, was proceeding in the atmosphere around us, in which ten thousand different currents of air were perpetually in rotation. Another quality of gaseous substances was their power of diffusion, or of penetrating each other, and so amalgamating ; but in the same manner that gases possessed this diffusive property, solids and fluids, on the other hand, condensed gases, which was exemplified by the illustration of a ball of platinum, capable of condensing two hundred times its own power of oxygen. From this cause arose cases of spor aneous combustion, in which porous bodies, condensing in themselves vast quantities of I gas, were afterwards acted on by the air, whereby sudden ignition ensued. Dr. Reid next proceeded to the subject of atmospheric air; he explained, for the sake of simplicity and clearness its component parts, and then presented to view four simple and compounded gases, two of which were. the primitive oxygen and hydrogen, and the third the " intoxicating gas," discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy, containing one part of oxygen and one of nitrogen. This gas, on being placed in a glass receiver, and brought into contact with atmospheric air, assumed the appearance of a ruddy compound, completely colouring the sides of the glass. Dr. Reid explained the nature of its action upon the human frame to be that of producing excessive muscular strength in some, while on others it acted with a stunning shock, causing them apparently to drop dead. A fourth gas was exhibited, which had for its component parts one of oxygen and two of nitrogen. To show the various operations of the air upon inflammable substance, the duration of different flames in the same atmosphere furnished a curious test. In a box containing twenty cubic feet of air, a common candle, after burning two minutes, was completely quenched ; oil in three minutes ; gas, from five to nine; while the lecturer himself was forced to quit it after an expiration of seventeen minutes. This circumstance, as connected with the theory of respiration. Dr. Reid promised to enter into at his succeeding lecture.  A correspondent writes from Sartene, in Corsica, on the 6th inst. :—" Our list of crimes for the last month is more frightful than ever. It contains three murders, two attempts at assassination, and a night robbery by three armed men in a mill, which they plundered completely, destroying what they did not take away. The bandits Giacomo and Santa Lucia continue their barbarous exploits. They lately posted a placard on the door of the church at Carbina threatening death to a keeper of the forest of Levie, and under the same penalty commanded E. Peratti, the curate of Altagene, to withdraw from the parish, which he did immediately, and nearly a month has passed without any performance of divine service. These bandits are also believed to have been the murderers of a man named Peroni, who was one of the witnessess against them at the Court of Assizes. They are said to carry about them a memorandum-book in which is inscribed the 'names of all those witnesses, and happy will they be who escape the vengeance denounced against them. Should any one of their creditors be importunate ho is immediately killed, and the leaf of the book in which their account is entered is torn out and destroyed*'