Dr. R. Angus Smith thus describes Dalton's mode of life while living with the family of the Rev. W. Johns, of George Street, Manchester, with whom Dalton continued to reside for twenty-six years: "He rose at about eight o'clock in the morning; if in winter, went with his lantern in his hand to his laboratory, lighted the fire, and came over to breakfast when the family had nearly done. Went to the laboratory and staid till dinner-time, coming in a hurry when it was nearly over, eating moderately, and drinking water only. Went out again and returned about five o'clock to tea, still in a hurry, when the rest were finishing. Again to his laboratory till nine o'clock, when he returned to supper, after which he and Mr. Johns smoked a pipe, and the whole family seems much to have enjoyed this time of conversation and recreation after the busy day".—Life of J. Dalton, by William Charles Henry, M.D., F.R.S., &c. London, 1854.—Life of J. Dalton, by Robert Angus Smith, Ph.D., F.R.S., &c. London, 1856.
SIR HUMPHRY DAVY, BART., LL.D., P.R.S., &c.,
MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, ETC.
Born December 17, 1778. Died May 30, 1829.
This eminent philosopher was born at Penzance, in Cornwall. As a child he was remarkably healthy and strong, displaying at the same time great mental capacity. The first school he ever attended was that of Mr. Bushell, at which reading and writing only were taught. In these rudimentary branches of education he soon made such progress, that he was removed, by the master's advice, to the grammar school kept by the Rev. Mr. Coryton. He was then only six years old. Here Davy received the elements of his education until 1793, when he went to the grammar school of Truro, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Cardew, at which place he continued for about a year.
Both Davy and his family received much assistance from the disinterested friendship of Mr. Tonkin, a respectable medical practitioner at Penzance, who had adopted the mother of Davy and her sisters, under circumstances of deep distress, extending his kindness to all her family, particularly to Humphry.
Soon after leaving Dr. Cardew's school, Davy's father died in 1794; and in the following year Humphry was apprenticed to Mr. Bingham Borlace, a gentleman at that time practising as surgeon-apothecary in Penzance. While yet very young, Davy had exhibited traces of an ardent and inquisitive mind, displaying also a great predilection for poetry; but from this period he directed his attention more particularly to the study of chemistry and natural philosophy. His efforts at attaining an experimental knowledge of the above sciences were, however, greatly retarded by the defects of his apparatus, which was necessarily very limited, and consisted chiefly of phials, wine-glasses, tobacco-pipes, and earthen crucibles. But about this time he had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of Mr. Davies Giddy Gilbert and Mr. Gregory Watt,[17] by whose instrumentality the subject of our memoir was introduced to Dr. Beddoes, who engaged him to superintend a pneumatic medical institution, which that able but eccentric man had just then established at Clifton, for the purpose of trying the effects of gases upon various diseases. This event took place in 1798, Mr. Borlace readily giving up Davy's indenture, which had not as yet expired. During his residence at Clifton, Davy was placed in a sphere where his genius could expand; he was associated with men engaged in similar pursuits, was provided with suitable apparatus, and enabled to speedily enter upon that brilliant career of discovery which has rendered his name illustrious among philosophers.
Soon after he had removed to the neighbourhood of Bristol, Davy's first published paper, on 'Heat, Light, and Respiration,' appeared in 'Beddoes' West Country Contributions.' His earliest scientific discovery was the detection of siliceous earth in the epidermis of canes, reeds, and grasses.
About the same period, he began to investigate the properties of gases, and discovered the respirability of nitrous oxide, giving in a letter to his friend Mr. Davies Gilbert (dated April 16, 1799), the first intimation of the intoxicating qualities of that gas. Shortly afterwards he examined its properties more accurately, administering it to various individuals, and published an account of his discoveries in a volume entitled 'Researches Chemical and Philosophical chiefly concerning Nitrous Oxide and its Respiration.' While the favourable impression from this publication was still fresh on the public mind, the establishment of the Royal Institution, under the auspices of Count Rumford, had taken place, and a lecturer of talent was wanting, to fill the chemical chair. Through the recommendation of Dr. Hope of Edinburgh, with whom he had become acquainted Davy received the appointment, and became lecturer to the institution and director of the laboratory.