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Comparison Between The Ancients And Moderns In Science And Literature.
ceived the faintest notion . But such is the laudable disposition of the Moderns to philosophical inquiry , that the numerous phenomena in this part of science , which have recently been brought to light , exceed every idea that could be entertained on the subjeft . It is now discovered , that besides the atmospheric , or common air , there are a variety of aerial fluids , which are known under the appellation of and which possess a capacity of existingeither in a solid or a
gasses , , vaporific state , according to the circumstances of the situation in which they are placed . To enter into a detail of these , and minutely to delineate the sources , the properties , and the utilities of fixed , inflammable , dephlogisticated , and nitrous airs , and all the other species of those elastic vapours , which have of late attracted so much attention , however leasing the taskand however interesting the subjectis
p , , certainly , in this place , foreign to our' purpose , and more properly belongs to the province of the scientific chemist . This , however , we must not omit to remark , that it is to the indefatigable labours of Dr . Priestley we are indebted for the developement of this branch of
chemistry ; who ,- by a course of the most curious and accurate experiments , has displayed to the \ yorld the various qualities , the several modes of o-enerating , and the multifarious uses of all the different kinds of chemical gassesyind has thus laid open a new field of knowledge ^ in which thejrfost extensive scope is afforded for the exercitations . or ' fhe " philosophic mind . How far it may hereafter carry us , into what new-scenes it introduce usand what new objects of
may , inquiry it may present to our view , are circumstances which lie concealed in theshades of nig ht . lis present state can only be compared to the beautiful dawn of a summer ' s day , which gradually expands , till it arrives at its meridian splendour . The great assistance also afforded by chemistry to metallurgy , and other artswhich the new accommodations we every day experience
, from the manufacture of metallic and mineral substances sufficiently evince , is a further evidence of its progressive improvement . But the utility derived from the cultivation of this engaging art , is most apparent in the numerous medical purposes to which it is made applicable : and indeed the efficacy and multip licity of the remedies
which the science of medicine has borrowed from this source , render it far m jre-important to mankind , as ah object of study , than almost any other branch of p hysical knowledge whatever . To enter , however , at large into a specific particularizstion of all the new improvements , and all the recent discoveries , which every part of Natural Philosophy- at this period of time offers to our regard , would indeed constitute ari . elaborate panegyric on modern ability and
ingenuity ; but as 1 apprehend sufficient has been said to convince even an understanding of the most obdurate texture , that the superiority of the Moderns to the Ancients is a fact too well established to admit of the smallest controversy , I consider it as a task , though highly pleasing to those who possess a capacity adequate to its exe- ! fution , yet in this place unquestionably superfluous . If , from the external objects of nature , we direct our attention to
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Comparison Between The Ancients And Moderns In Science And Literature.
ceived the faintest notion . But such is the laudable disposition of the Moderns to philosophical inquiry , that the numerous phenomena in this part of science , which have recently been brought to light , exceed every idea that could be entertained on the subjeft . It is now discovered , that besides the atmospheric , or common air , there are a variety of aerial fluids , which are known under the appellation of and which possess a capacity of existingeither in a solid or a
gasses , , vaporific state , according to the circumstances of the situation in which they are placed . To enter into a detail of these , and minutely to delineate the sources , the properties , and the utilities of fixed , inflammable , dephlogisticated , and nitrous airs , and all the other species of those elastic vapours , which have of late attracted so much attention , however leasing the taskand however interesting the subjectis
p , , certainly , in this place , foreign to our' purpose , and more properly belongs to the province of the scientific chemist . This , however , we must not omit to remark , that it is to the indefatigable labours of Dr . Priestley we are indebted for the developement of this branch of
chemistry ; who ,- by a course of the most curious and accurate experiments , has displayed to the \ yorld the various qualities , the several modes of o-enerating , and the multifarious uses of all the different kinds of chemical gassesyind has thus laid open a new field of knowledge ^ in which thejrfost extensive scope is afforded for the exercitations . or ' fhe " philosophic mind . How far it may hereafter carry us , into what new-scenes it introduce usand what new objects of
may , inquiry it may present to our view , are circumstances which lie concealed in theshades of nig ht . lis present state can only be compared to the beautiful dawn of a summer ' s day , which gradually expands , till it arrives at its meridian splendour . The great assistance also afforded by chemistry to metallurgy , and other artswhich the new accommodations we every day experience
, from the manufacture of metallic and mineral substances sufficiently evince , is a further evidence of its progressive improvement . But the utility derived from the cultivation of this engaging art , is most apparent in the numerous medical purposes to which it is made applicable : and indeed the efficacy and multip licity of the remedies
which the science of medicine has borrowed from this source , render it far m jre-important to mankind , as ah object of study , than almost any other branch of p hysical knowledge whatever . To enter , however , at large into a specific particularizstion of all the new improvements , and all the recent discoveries , which every part of Natural Philosophy- at this period of time offers to our regard , would indeed constitute ari . elaborate panegyric on modern ability and
ingenuity ; but as 1 apprehend sufficient has been said to convince even an understanding of the most obdurate texture , that the superiority of the Moderns to the Ancients is a fact too well established to admit of the smallest controversy , I consider it as a task , though highly pleasing to those who possess a capacity adequate to its exe- ! fution , yet in this place unquestionably superfluous . If , from the external objects of nature , we direct our attention to