DR. REID'S LECTURES ON THE CHEMISTRY OF DAILY LIFE.
The science of chemistry is now popularized for the enlightenment of the many, at Exeter HalL Dr. Rem, whose name has acquired extensive celebrity by his successful improvements in ventilating the Houses of Parliament and other public buildings, has been engaged by the Com- mittee of Council to give a course of Lectures on the Chemistry of Daily Life. The introductory lecture was delivered on Wednesday, to an au- dience which nearly filled the great hall ; and who were delighted with the brilliant experiments with which the ingenious Professor illustrated his discourse. The object of this course of lectures is to show the influ- ence of chemical action on the air we breathe, the earth we move upon, the food we eat, and the objects by which we are surrounded; with a view to enable the many to promote health, comfort, and economy, by the application of this knowledge.
Dr. REID began by explaining the importance of chemistry as that science which enables us to trace the operation of natural causes in the world we live in ; and he proceeded to exemplify the extraordinary changes produced by chemical agency on matter, by causing new com- binations of -Its particles. For instance, he melted a red-hot iron bar by the application of sulphur ; changed water to an inky fluid by a few drops of a preparation of lead; evolved from a small compound a pro-
digious quantity Of a gaseous fluid that floated in volumes like a thick vapour, and yet was poured from one vessel to another like water ; pro- duced intense light by the combustion of various substances ; and per- formed other surprising and pleasing experiments to illustrate the effects of heat in changing the nature of matter.
The application of chemical knowledge to useful purposes will form the subject of the future lectures ; to give due effect to which, the Pro- fessor employs a very extensive apparatuz.
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