[30] "I believe it had never been breathed before by any individual in a state so little diluted."
[31] It would thus appear that carbonic acid, in its most concentrated form, may kill by exciting a spasmodic action, in which the epiglottis is closed, and the entrance of air into the lungs altogether prevented. In a diluted form, it may destroy by its specific influence upon the blood, which would seem to be of a highly sedative character. Death produced by such an agent is probably attended with little or no suffering. The younger Berthollet destroyed his life by inclosing himself in an atmosphere of this description; and on commencing his fatal experiment, he registered all the successive feelings he experienced, which were such as would have been occasioned by a narcotic:—a pause, and then an almost illegible word occurred: it is presumed that the pen dropped from his hand,—and he was no more.
[32] On conversing with Mr. Gilbert on the above passage, I understand that it is an allusion to his opinion, that the discovery of Galvanic power would ultimately lead to a knowledge of the nature of light and heat.
[33] Mr. Gilbert no sooner discovered the tendency of Davy's opinions respecting the immateriality of Caloric, than he urged him to communicate them to Count Rumford, but he considered himself pledged to Dr. Beddoes, and his Essays were accordingly printed in the West Country Contributions. Count Rumford, it may be observed, maintained that Caloric, like Phlogiston, was merely a creature of the chemist's imagination, and had no real existence. He considered heat as nothing more than the motions of the constituent particles of bodies amongst themselves,—an hypothesis which has no claims to novelty, being perhaps one of the most ancient on record.—See his paper on Heat, Phil. Trans. for 1804.
[34] Amongst other celebrated chemists who had become acquainted with Davy at Bristol, and subsequently spoken of his extraordinary genius, was Dr. Hope. He informs me that Count Rumford had applied to him to find some chemist who would undertake the office of lecturer at the Institution; but that he failed in discovering such a person as he could, with propriety, introduce; some time afterwards, however, he became acquainted with Davy, and having soon perceived his talents, recommended him without any hesitation to the patronage of the Count. This circumstance, combined with several others, no doubt might have had its influence in deciding the fate of Davy.
[35] In England, politics so constantly mix themselves up with all our institutions, while science unfortunately finds so few disciples and patrons in the ranks of aristocracy, that every new society is viewed with jealousy and party spirit. Johnson says, in his Life of Addison—"It has been suggested that the Royal Society was instituted soon after the Restoration, to divert the attention of the people from public discontent."—P.
[36] He alludes to some calculations connected with light, and the imponderable fluids.
[37] He delivered his farewell Lecture on the 9th of the same month.
[38] From the following minute it would appear, that Dr. Young's connection with the Royal Institution was but of short duration. It will be remembered that his appointment took place on July 6, 1801.
"Resolved—That Dr. Young be paid the balance of two years' complete salary, and that his engagement with the Institution terminate from this time—July 4, 1803."