OR, MAGAZINE of CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY, MECHANICS, NATURAL HISTORY, AGRICULTURE, AND THE ARTS. BY THOMAS THOMSON, M.D. F.R.S. L. & E. F.L.S. &c. MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL ACADEMY OF PETERSBURGI VOL. I. JANUARY TO JUNE, 1813. THE SECOND EDITION. London: Printed by C. Baldwin, New Bridge-street; FOR ROBERT BALDWIN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. SOLD ALSO BY W. BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH; AND J. CUMMING, DUBLIN, THE First Volume of the Annals of Philosophy being now before the Public, a better opinion of its plan and execution may be formed than we were capable of communicating by any previous prospectus, or introductory plan. Every Number will be found to include four distinct heads: 1. Memoirs on particular branches of science, either original or foreign, and which are presumed to be unknown to most of the readers of the Journal. 2. An accurate and full analysis of some book of science, chiefly the Transactions published by different Philosophical Societies. 3. Scientific Intelligence. Under this head are included a great variety of important topics, which are, each, too short to constitute a separate essay, but which, notwithstanding, do not constitute the least valuable part of the book. 4. An account of the proceedings of Philosophical Societies. This we conceive to be one of the most valuable departments of our journal. As the accounts are drawn up by the Editor merely from hearing the papers read at the different societies, mistakes and inaccuracies now and then unavoidably occur; but upon the whole he flatters himself that they are tolerably correct, and they must be of value to those numerous readers who have not access to these societies. Care has been taken to confine these reports to societies of first-rate im-` portance. Hitherto the Royal Society, the Linnæan Society, the Wernerian Society, and the French Institute, have alone been noticed; but for the future we intend also to give regularly the reports of the Geological Society, an institution becoming every day of more importance and value, and which will probably contribute most essentially to an accurate knowledge of the structure of Great Britain. We need not notice the List of Patents and the Meteorological Table, both of which are regularly given, and both of which, we flatter ourselves, will be considered as important departments in the Journal. All these different departments will naturally improve în value as we go on. This, we flatter ourselves, will already appear to any person who will compare the six numbers of the Annals of Philosophy already published with each other. Some complaints have been made that the number of papers in each part is too small; but we flatter ourselves that a little consideration will satisfy the intelligent Gentlemen to whom we allude, that they are as numerous as is consistent with the size of the part. The average number of papers in each, we find, exceeds 20; so that in the first volume are contained more than 120 different papers, of which a very considerable proportion are original. It has also been complained that too great a proportion of the Annals has been devoted to Chemistry. We admit that, like all other journals of the present day, our Annals must contain a greater proportion of Chemistry, which is making a rapid progress, than of those sciences which are in a great measure stationary. But any person who will run over the contents of our volume, will find essays belonging to the following branches of knowledge, namely, Agriculture, Anatomy, Astronomy, Biography, Botany, Geognosy, Hydraulics, Magnetism, Medicine, Meteorology, Mineralogy, Optics, Physiology, Statistics. This comprehends as many different sciences as could well have been expected to make their appearance in one volume, and more indeed than we anticipated in the outset. We expect every day to receive complete sets of the French and German periodical works for the last three years; which will in all probability furnish us with interesting matter to fill that department of our Annals which would otherwise lie vacant during the summer recess of the Philosophical Societies of London. One other topic it may, perhaps, be proper just to notice. Several letters have been received mentioning the small number of contributions that have been furnished to the Annals by the different philosophers of Great Britain, and regretting the great weight that has fallen, in consequence, on the Editor; but the Editor himself is of a different opinion, and acknowledges with pleasure that the number of contributions has greatly exceeded his expectation. He had laid his account with conducting the Annals of Philosophy for at least a year without any assistance of much consequence; but he has been agreeably disappointed. He can already reckon among his contributors the names of some of the first scientific men in Britain; and he lies under obligations of an equally important nature to other eminent men, who have not permitted him to make their names public. PREFACE... NUMBER I.-JANUARY. Biographical Account of the Hon. Henry Cavendish Experiments on the Urine discharged in Diabetes Mellitus, with Analysis of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society On a Compound of Chlorine and Azote. Test of the Presence of Alumina in mineral Substances On Pyrophorus. By Dr. John Redman Coxe... An Improvement of Woulfe's Apparatus. By the same..... Proceedings of the Royal Society at their several Meetings from Meteorological Table, Oct. 27 to Nov. 24, kept by Luke Explanation of Mr. Howard's Meteorological Nomenclature.. Biographical Account of Dr. Joseph Priestley On a Collection of Minerals from Greenland. By Mr. Allan.. On Lythrodes, a new Mineral from the North. By Karsten.. Difference of Temperature at Stockholm for 50 Years.... Experiments on Nicolanum. By MM. Hisinger and Murray Conclusion of the Account of the Settlement at New South On the Changes of Colour produced by Heat on the Surface of Observations on Klaproth's Analysis of the Waters of the Dead |