Rural chemistry: an elementary introduction to the study of the science in its relation to agriculture / [Edward Solly].

  • Solly, Edward, 1819-1886
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rural chemistry: an elementary introduction to the study of the science in its relation to agriculture / [Edward Solly]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/400
    and the effects of various substances on plants ; his che¬ mical speculations, however, are for the most part of little value, though he was often apparently on the point of making important discoveries. The discovery of carbonic acid gas or fixed air, by Dr. Black, and the beautiful experiments of Priestley, opened a new field of inquiry and research : he observed that plants possessed the property of purifying the air ; in fact, that they were able to decompose the carbonic acid gas which it always contains in small quantity ; appropriating the carbon, and restoring back to the atmosphere the oxygen, or vital air, so necessary to the processes of respiration and combustion. The knowledge of this great fact, neces¬ sarily led to many minor discoveries respecting the growth of plants, and the sources of their food. After this period, Organic Chemistry began to attract a large share of the attention of chemists, the composition of vegetable substances was carefully investigated, new modes of analysis were discovered, and an immense mass of curious and useful facts was collected. A great number of chemists occupied themselves with researches in Vegetable Chemistry, but for the most part they were employed in examining the innumerable substances which plants produce ; whilst the great questions as to the food of plants, their growth, and nourishment, were