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portion of the volume before us, which treats of the literature, habits, manners, and character of the United States. Almost the whole of what Mr. Bristed says on these topics, is in a tone of disparagement. In fact, we suspect that a little ill-temper, or some wounded feeling, has influenced his representations. Finding his literary character and liberal acquirements rather lightly appreciated in the store-keeping Republic, he is impelled perhaps, by way of self-defence, to indulge in a little sarcasm. That America does not abound with writers and philosophers of the first class, is a fact which hardly needs be formally affirmed. But this acknowledged deficiency, inevitably resulting from the present condition of the country, by no means justifies the inference, hastily drawn from it, that the mass of the people are in a proportionate degree inferior to the correspondent ranks in England, or France, in point of general information or taste for intellectual pleasures. Our Author seems sometimes to affirm, and sometimes to deny such an inference; he, however, strenuously opposes the supposition of any national intellectual inferiority, and occupies himself in tracing the causes of the acknowledged low condition of learning and science. Among these causes is, he says, 'to be particularly noticed, the unfortunate practice of entering upon active life at too early an age.

There is a salutary adage in the old law books, which runs thus, "In juvene theologo conscientiæ detrimentum ; in juvene 'legislatâ bursæ detrimentum; in juvene medico cæmeterii 'incrementum :" the consciences of his parishioners suffer by a young clergyman; the purse of his clients diminishes in the 'hands of a young lawyer; and the churchyard increases by the labours of a young physician. This adage, however, has not yet 'found its way into the United States, where the young people of 'all classes are precipitated into business during childhood.' pp. 313, 314.

The consequences of this precocious publicity are, a superficial 'elementary education, a perpetual pruriency of prattle upon all 'subjects, without a due fathoming of the depths of any one of them, ' and an entailed disability of fully developing the understanding, 'which is narrowed in early life, by being prematurely absorbed in the minute but necessary details incident to every practical 'calling. Whence, with their due proportion of genius, in com'mon with all other nations, and with the advantage of a more ge'neral diffusion of popular intelligence than is to be found in any 'other community, too many of our citizens, in all the learned 'professions, begin, continue, and end their career, on much nar'rower ground than their native capacity, properly unfolded by 'previous general information, would enable them to cover.' p.

315.

'Another obstacle to the growth of literature in the United

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'States, arises from the great propensity to consume the talent of 'the country in the effusion of newspaper essays and political pamphlets, instead of concentrating it in the production of some regu'lar, consecutive work. In consequence of these desultory intel'lectual habits, periodical journals, as Reviews and Magazines, 'seldom last long. The author can obtain little or no assistance 'from others in his literary efforts; the persons competent to aid 'him in such an undertaking being comparatively few throughout 'the Union, and those, for the most part, actively employed in some laborious calling; and it is not in the power of any one 'man, however gifted with talent, adorned with knowledge, and 'armed with industry, to execute, alone, a literary journal as it 'ought to be executed. Add to this, the universal vice of the United States, a perpetual craving after novelty. The charge 'which Demosthenes brought against his own countrymen, that they were continually running about, and asking, "Is there any thing new ?" is equally applicable to the Americans. This eter'nal restlessness and desire of change, pervade the whole structure ' of our society, &c. The people are incessantly shifting their ha'bitations, employments, views, and schemes.'

The subject of domestic slavery, we must for the present pass over. With respect also to the state of religion in America, we can only make one or two quotations. Mr. Bristed, we confess, does not inspire us with that degree of confidence in his judgment, and candour, and discrimination, which would tempt our taking the occasion to hazard any observations on so weighty a matter.

[After a quotation on the subject of religion, the Reviewer expresses his disgust at the flippancy of the terms with which Mr. B. speaks of Dr. Priestly.' And well may even the most loyal Englishman feel such disgust at the following passage.]

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'He sate, like a demi-god, snuffing up the incense of adulation 'from the Socinian democrats of Great Britain. But how reversed the picture, when he exchanged an English for an American home! A meagre deputation of obscure clergymen in our city ' of New-York, welcomed him to the United States with an absurd speech, full of jacobin bombast and fustian. He afterwards repaired to Philadelphia, where he preached a few frigorific sermons to thin and drowsy audiences; he then retired to Northumber'land, in Pennsylvania, where he passed the remainder of his life ' in making small experiments amidst his alembics, crucibles, and ' retorts, for the result of which no one expressed the least interest; and he also occasionally ushered from the press religious and po'litical pamphlets, which no one ever read. His death excited little, if any more sensation among the Pennsylvanian patriots, than they are wont to exhibit at the dissolution of a Germau 'farmer, or a German farmer's horse.' p. 407.

ART. XI.-MEMOIR OF FREDERICK ACCUM, Esą.

OPERATIVE CHEMIST; LECTURER ON PRACTICAL CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY, AND ON CHEMISTRY APPLIED TO THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY; FELLOW OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, AND OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS OF BERLIN, &c. &c.

WITH AN ACCOUNT OF HIS WORKS.

[From the European Magazine-Lond. June, 1820.]

"Every man who receives a liberal education, at present considers Chemistry as one of the most indispensable objects of his study."-Fourcroy's Chemistry, Vol. I. p. 21.

Where we have received much pleasure or instruction from the writings of any individual, or from the lectures of any public teacher, we naturally feel some attachment to the man to whom we have been thus obliged, and become, in some degree, interested in tracing his literary career.-Chemistry, within our own times, has become a central science, from which all things emanate, and to which all things return. It may be pronounced a Pharos, which the genius of man has erected in the sanctuary of the operations of art and nature, to throw a light over all its details. It is not confined to the elucidations of what is already known, or to the improvement of what is already practised, Chemistry daily creates new arts. Within these few years, we have seen it create a new method of procuring light; an art on which the admirers of science, and the inhabitants of this country in particular, have greater reason to congratulate themselves, than any other invention or discovery of the present age. It is so wonderful and important, it speaks so forcibly by the effects it has already produced, and the rapid strides it has already made, that it cannot fail to increase the wealth of our nation, by adding to the number of its internal resources, as long as pit-coal continues to be dug in this country from the bowels of the earth.

Among the most active labourers in the field of chemical science of this country, is Frederick Accum. He is a native of Germany. We are unable, however, to give any information respecting his early days in his own country; but, from the register at the Alien Office, it appears that he came into England in the year 1793— that he was then twenty-three years of age-that he was born at Buckeburg, in Westphalia-and that he was by profession a chemist. It is there likewise recorded, that he was engaged as an assistant in the chemical laboratory of Mr. Brande, in Arlingtonstreet, apothecary to the King; though how long he served at that

establisment we are unable to record. We remember him attending, in 1796, the anatomical theatre in Windmill-street, and St. George's Hospital.

About the year 1798, he became a frequent contributor to Nicholson's Philosophical Journal. His first paper was on the Separation of Alumine and Magnesia. In the same year, he furnished a Memoir on the genuineness and adulterations of the chemical preparations employed in medicine. In 1800, he published an Essay on the antiquity of the art of etching on glass-and, soon afterwards, he resumed the continuation of the former Memoir on the genuineness and adulterations of the chemical articles employed in medicine. Besides these Memoirs, which must be pronounced as the first literary productions of this chemical philosopher, numerous other papers from his pen are to be found in the subsequent volumes of Nicholson's Journals, as well as in Tilloch's Philosophical Magazine, and in various other periodical works.

About the year 1800, he settled as an Operative Chemist at his present place of residence, in Compton-street, Soho, where he built a laboratory, and commenced preparing for sale chiefly those of the nicer chemical preparations which are seldom to be met with in commerce, but are essential for the pursuits of philosophical chemistry.

Being now fully established, he gave private instructions in operative and experimental chemistry, and too'. resident pupils in his house, who worked in his laboratory under his immediate superintendance. And it is a pleasing reflection to be able to state, that men of exalted rank and dignified stations have acquired the acquisition of chemical science among his furnaces; for, from the Dedication of the Elements of Crystallography, published by him, it is evident, that the present Duke of Northumberland, Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, Count Munster, and Sir John Sebright, Bart. were then among his laboratory pupils and we have good authority to state, that the late Duke of Bedford, Lord Palmerston, the unfortunate Lord Camelford, and several other noblemen, were at the same time his pupils, and worked in his laboratory.

In the year 1801, he was appointed Chemical Operator at the Royal Institution; but this situation he resigned, we believe, a few years after.

In the year 1802, he came forward as a public Lecturer on Chemistry and Mineralogy. His first courses and demonstrations were delivered at his own laboratory, in Compton-street, Soho: but this place being afterwards found not sufficiently capacious for his auditors, the number of which rapidly increased, he delivered his demonstrations and lectures at Dr. Hooper's Medical Theatre, in Cork-street.

From that time, Mr. Accum's reputation as a public and private Lecturer on Chemical Science became more extensively conspicuous, and early in the year 1809, he was appointed Professor of Chemistry in the Surry Institution, where he has ever since continued to deliver public courses of lectures, on operative and philosophical Chemistry-on Mineralogy-and on Chemistry applied to the Arts and Manufactures, to the greatest satisfaction of his audience; while his lectures have acquired him a high degree of celebrity as a public teacher.

It must be obvious that the talents of a philosophical operative chemist must be of particular interest to those whose operations depend on the principles of chemical science. In consequence of this truth, he has become among manufacturers the most popular consulting chemist, wherever chemical aid is desired :-and it is, perhaps, unnecessary to state, that he is well known in our public courts of justice, and in the Committees of Parliament, where he often appears to explain chemical processes, or to report and give evidence on subjects connected with chemical science.

In attempting to trace to a more recent date the career by which Mr. Accum has secured to himself the high reputation and patronage of an operative and philosophical chemist, and which has rendered his name so eminent among the chemical philosophers in this country, we shall give a list of his literary productions, of which the following have been published:

1. A System of Theoretical and Practical Chemistry, in 2 vols. 8vo. 1803. This work, which formed the text book of his lectures, delivered at his own laboratory, exhibits a clear and comprehensive view of the science of chemistry, and the accuracy and precision with which it is drawn up, has rendered it highly acceptable to the public, who have called for repeated editions of it. It has been republished on the American continent, and is translated into several foreign languages.

2. A Practical Essay on the Analysis of Minerals, 1804. Of this book also several editions have appeared; it is excellently contrived to assist the less experienced analyst, and even the more experienced chemist will find in it hints of no little importance, which he can scarcely discover in systematic authors.

3. A manual of Analytical Mineralogy, intended to facilitate the practical analysis of Minerals, in 2 vols. 12mo. 1806. This work, which has passed through several editions, is admirably adapted for those who intend to become practically skilled in the summary analysis of minerals. It exhibits in a concise manner the general practical proceedings necessary for the chemical examination of ores, earth, stones, and other minerals.

4. A Practical Treatise on Gas Light, exhibiting a Summary Description of the Apparatus and Machinery best calculated for

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