Transactions of the Society for the Promotion of Useful Arts, in the State of New York (V. 1)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1801 edition. Excerpt: ... important, though much neglected, science of chemistry, which in my earlier days I had studied with some care, enabled me to labor on through discouraging and seemingly insuperaBle difficulties. The composition and qualities of foils and manures being only to be understood and explained upon chemical principles, there was a necessity of reviewing what had been done already, in order to comprehend what remained to be done. The vague and incorrect language of this science had been new modelled in 1787, by the French academicians, and had been adopted by the greater part of learned Europe. On examining their table of nomenclature to find how words had been adapted to express ideas, it was very soon apparent that the right understanding of the subject of manures required not only a knowledge of chemistry as then understood, but actually the fabrication of a language upon exact and logical principles, to be the vehicle of true and correct ideas. In constructing such a language, and gaining for an establishment and currency prejudice and pride 208 Address to the Society. made formidable opposition. But though words were coined, yet being stamped in the mint oi truth, scarcely any body hesitates to receive them at the full value for which they were emitted. With a language thus exactly adapted to convey an idea of the thing intended by it, there might be naturally expected some progress in agricultural research beyond the labors both of Ruckert and Dundonald. By the assistance of such an apt form of words, animal and vegetable organization have become more intelligible. The theory of putrefaction is better comprehended. The analysis of corrupting bodies has been mope carefully attended to; and of course, a more correct idea of the nature and qualities...