Robert Hunt

“ In 1851 he was president of the meeting of the British Association at Edinburgh. In his address he pleaded with much earnestness 'for summoning to the service of the state all the theoretical and practical wisdom of the country,' and for the extension of the advantages of education. 'Knowledge is at once the manna and the medicine of our moral being.' The pen of Brewster was singularly prolific. ”

“ When the discovery of a new truth was told to him, a glow of interest came over him. He was never known to express himself warmly on any question of religion or politics; indeed he appeared to reject all human sympathy. ”

“ From 1844 to 1864 Bowerbank was in the habit of receiving at his residence, once a week, professed geologists and young amateurs who showed a real fondness for this science, which was still struggling against the prejudices which dogmatic teaching had fostered. Every young and earnest geologist found in him a sincere friend and always a willing instructor. Bowerbank's classification of the spongidæ, his observations on their spiculate elements, and his papers on the vital powers of the sponges, remain splendid examples of unwearying industry and careful observation. ”

“ On 2 May 1638 Dudley, together with Sir George Horsey, David Ramsay, and Roger Foulke, in the face of much opposition, obtained the grant of a new patent for 21 years ‘for the sole making of iron into any sort of cast-works with sea or pit coals, peat, or turf, and with the same to make the said iron into plateworks or bars and likewise to refine all sorts of metals.’ On the strength of his new patent he entered into partnership with two persons at Bristol, and began to erect a new furnace near that city in 1651. ”

“ In reply to the address of the president, Buckland expressed his conviction of the high destiny of his science, and he spoke of geologists ‘whose names are inscribed on the annals of the physical history of the globe,’ concluding with some remarks on the incompleteness of human knowledge, of the shortness of life when compared with the vastness of the work upon which the mind of man should be employed. ”

“ In 1829, at the request of the president of the Royal College of Physicians, he delivered before that body the 'Lumley Lectures on the recent Improvements in the Art of distinguishing the various Diseases of the Heart.' These lectures were divided into three parts: first, embracing diseases of the external membrane of the heart; secondly, those of the internal membrane; thirdly, those of the substance of the heart and the aorta. They were published in 1830, and about the same time Elliotson issued several expositions on interesting pathological facts. ”

“ Cavendish certainly investigated the evolution of heat which attends the solidification of liquids and the condensation of gases. He also constructed tables of the specific heats of various bodies, being at this time evidently ignorant of the labours of Black in that direction. In 1766 Cavendish made his first public contribution to science by sending to the Royal Society a paper on ‘Factitious Airs.’ Three parts only of this memoir were published. ”

“ The fruits of his first geological excursions were derived from Shotover Hill, and these formed the nucleus of the large collections which forty years later Buckland placed in the Oxford Museum. William Smith, the father of geology, was born in Oxfordshire, and he being a land surveyor was led step by step, while pursuing his vocation, to perceive that each group of strata had its own characteristic fossils. He began to publish geological maps in 1799, and with these Buckland was guided in tracing back the history of the world's mutations. ”

“ The admiralty appears to have adopted Dundonald's process; but the inventor derived no benefit from his patent. His son states that 'the unentailed estates were absorbed by extensive scientific pursuits,' that is, in attempts to apply imperfect scientific knowledge to manufacturing processes.
Dundonald was an active-minded young man, and found himself in the midst of a society full of the recent great discoveries made by Cavendish, Priestley, Black, and others. He is said to have been on intimate terms with those philosophers ”

“ COVENTRY, JOHN (1735–1812) , constructor of philosophical instruments, was born in Southwark in 1735. He made a position through the care with which his instruments were made. He was the inventor of a new hygrometer, more accurate than any which had been previously in use. This instrument was very generally employed by the chemists and other scientific men of his day. His telescopes were found to be more accurately adjusted than those usually employed, and the lenses with which they were fitted were more truly ground. ”

“ Through the solicitation of Sir Charles Lemon the queen was pleased to allow Burnard access to Buckingham Palace to model a bust of the young Duke of Cornwall. During the progress of the modelling her majesty did the artist the honour of inspecting the work and expressing her approval of the likeness. Again, on the completion of the bust in marble, the queen was pleased to direct that it should be exhibited at the society's annual exhibition in Cornwall. ”

“ In the previous year, 1783, Cort patented the so-called ‘grooved rolls,’ now known as ‘puddle rolls,’ as they are used for drawing out the puddled ball into bars, &c. These inventions are intimately associated in the development of the iron trade. The claims of Cort have been disputed. In 1812 Mr. Samuel Homfray stated before a committee of the House of Commons that a process called ‘buzzing’ or ‘bustling’ had been in use before the date of Cort's patent, and that it was an analogous process to puddling, and he also implied that grooved rolls had been previously employed by John Payne in 1728. ”

“ Catcott intended to follow up his ‘Tract’ by a second part devoted especially to the problem of the deluge. He was, however, compelled by the failure of his eyesight to suspend his labours until 1761, when he published his ‘Treatise on the Deluge.’ He calls himself on the title-page ‘lecturer of St. John's Church, Bristol.’ Catcott contends that the Mosaic account is a full and complete explanation of the miracle of the Noachian deluge. He tries to prove, with much show of learning, that the deluge may be explained by the internal waters, which broke out and dissolved the whole earth. ”

“ In January 1783 Cavendish read before the Royal Society ‘An Account of a new Eudiometer.’ During this long interval Bergmann, Scheele, Lavoisier, and Priestley had been actively engaged in endeavouring to determine the composition of the atmosphere. The prevailing hypothesis of chemists at this time was that there existed an hypothetical principle, called ‘phlogiston’ by Stahl, which accounted for the phenomena of combustion. ”

“ After an absence of several years, spent in travelling over a very extensive district, Catesby returned to England in 1719, with a collection of plants, which was reported to have been the most perfect which had ever been brought to this country. This attracted the attention of men of science, especially Sir Hans Sloane and Dr. Sherard. Catesby remained in England for some time arranging and naming his specimens, a considerable number of which passed into the museum of Sir Hans Sloane. With some assistance from Sloane, Catesby again went to America in 1722, and eventually settled in Carolina. ”

“ Clarke was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1876, it being especially stated on his reception that this was in recognition of his discovery of the gold in Australia.
Few men who have been so busily engaged as Clarke was, with his ministerial duties and his official engagements, have found the undisturbed leisure required for the production of so many scientific memoirs and descriptive papers. ”

“ In the 'Transactions of the Institution of Civil Engineers' for 17 March 1840 will be found a valuable paper by him, 'On the Locomotive Engines of the London and Birmingham Railway,' in which he discusses the relative advantages of four and six wheels, and contributes a series of tables which are of the greatest importance in the history of locomotive traction, and of considerable interest in the theory of steam-drawing engines. ”

“ On the return of Faraday from the continent in 1825 he was associated with Brande in the lectures delivered in the theatre of the Royal Institution, and in editing the ‘Quarterly Journal of Science and Art,’ which had been published since 1816. From 1816 to 1826 Brande was one of the secretaries of the Royal Society. In 1836 he was named one of the original fellows of the University of London and a member of the senate of that body. In 1846 he became examiner in chemistry, which office he retained until 1858. ”

“ The investigations prosecuted by the philosophers of this period were vitiated by their acceptance of the ‘Phlogistic Theory’ of Stahl and Beccher, which involved the inquiry into the phenomena of heat in a mist of hypothetical causes. Crawford's ‘Experiments and Observations’ clearly exhibit his sense of the difficulties surrounding the doctrine of phlogiston, which he admits ‘has been called in question.’ Kirwan, to whom Crawford dedicated his book, was the first to suggest that phlogiston was no other substance than hydrogen gas ”

“ Murchison expressed his opinion that gold must exist in New South Wales, and in 1846 he advised Cornish miners to emigrate to that colony [see Murchison, Sir Roderick Impey] . On 18 July 1860 the governors of the Australian colonies signed a certificate stating that the discovery of gold was made by the Rev. W. B. Clarke, of Sydney, in 1841, but no attention was attracted to the subject until 1851, when Mr. E. H. Hargraves announced the existence of an extensive goldfield throughout Australia. ”

“ It has been urged that the celebrated chemist was indebted to the earl for many of the hypotheses which gave character to the 'Elements.' But Davy's appointment in 1802 to the post of chemist to the board of agriculture, and the allotment to him by Sir Thomas Bernard and Davies Gilbert of land on their estates for his experiments in agricultural chemistry, gave him the opportunity of making experiments which Dundonald never thought of. ”

“ Burnard executed many portrait-busts of men of eminence, the best known works being marble busts of General Gough, of Professor John Couch Adams, the discoverer of the planet Neptune, of Professor Edward Forbes—of which copies are to be found in the Isle of Man and in the Museum of Practical Geology—and of William Makepeace Thackeray, which Burnard gave to the Plymouth Library, where it now stands, outside the doors of the Cottonian Museum, among other works of much value. ”

“ He still pursued his botanical studies, contributing frequently to Sir W. Hooker's ‘Journal of Botany’ and to the ‘Proceedings’ of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. He became forest ranger of Scinde, and, on the retirement of Dr. Gibson, conservator of forests, Bombay. In 1849 he communicated to the Bombay Asiatic Society's ‘Journal’ a paper entitled ‘Indications of a New Genus of Plants of the Order Anacardieæ.’ His ‘Contributions to the botany of Western India,’ which were published through Sir William Hooker, were commenced in 1850 ”

“ Edmund Davy, then professor of chemistry in the university of that city. After a few years Boase proceeded to Edinburgh, and studied medicine in that university, being admitted to his M.D. degree in 1821. His first independent start in life was made at Penzance, where he practised with considerable success as a physician for several years. Boase's scientific education rendered him a valuable member of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, of which he was secretary from 1822 to 1829, and he delivered occasional lectures on chemistry to the members. ”

“ The result was favourable to Dudley, and he with his father, Lord Dudley, obtained a special exemption of his patent from the statute of monopolies. He continued to produce annually a large quantity of good merchantable iron, which he sold at 12l. per ton. Dudley's opponents succeeded in wrongfully depriving him of his works and inventions. He afterwards erected a furnace at Himley in Staffordshire, but not having a forge he was obliged to sell his iron to charcoal ironmasters, who injured him by disparaging the metal. ”

“ It is recorded that David was never seen to pore over his books, but he always knew his lessons and often assisted his schoolfellows, keeping always a prominent place in his classes. There were four brothers, James, George, David, and Patrick [q. v.] , who were all remarkable for their intelligence. Among the citizens of Jedburgh when David Brewster was a boy were various men of original character, scientific tendencies, and inventive genius. ”

“ In 1798 he was sent to England on recruiting service, and remained several months in London. During this time Brown was introduced to Sir Joseph Banks, his botanical reputation securing him a hearty reception and the free use of Sir Joseph's collections and library. Early in the following year he returned to his regiment in Ireland, but soon accepted an offer from Sir Joseph Banks of the post of naturalist to an expedition then fitting out for a survey of the coast of New Holland. ”

“ The young scholar prepared for a position in the established church of Scotland, of which his father was a strenuous supporter. In 1802 Brewster, who had been for some time a regular contributor to the 'Edinburgh Magazine,' became its editor. In 1799 he engaged in tuition, becoming a tutor in the family of Captain Horsbrugh of Pirn in Peeblesshire, which situation he held until 1804. He wrote some love poetry to ' Anna,' a daughter of Captain Horsbrugh, who died at an early age, which was published in the 'Edinburgh Magazine,' and also printed in a separate form. ”

“ Cavendish himself commences his paper ‘Experiments on Air’ by stating that his experiments were made ‘with a view to find out the cause of the diminution which common air is well known to suffer, by all the various ways in which it is phlogisticated, and to discover what becomes of the air thus lost or consumed.’ To this he adds subsequently that his experimental results, beyond ‘determining this fact, also throw light on the constitution and means of production of dephlogisticated air.’ This question excited much attention among the chemists of Europe in 1777. ”