Conversations On Chemistry

Jane Marcet nee Haldimand (1769-1858) was a writer of introductory science books. In 1799 she married Alexander Marcet, a Swiss exile and physician, she settled in London where, through her husband, she had contact with many leading scientists. After helping to proof-read one of her husband's books, she decided to write her own, and produced expository books on chemistry, botany, religion and economics under the general title Conversations. The first of these was eventually published as Conversations on Natural Philosophy in 1819. Her Conversations on Chemistry was published anonymously in 1805, and became her most popular and famous work. Summarising and popularising the work of Humphrey Davy, whose lectures she attended, it was one of the first elementary science textbooks, going through sixteen editions in England and was an early inspiration to a young Michael Faraday. She also popularised the classical economics of Adam Smith and, particularly, David Ricardo. Her other works include: Conversations on Political Economy (1816), Conversations on Vegetable Physiology (1829), Essays (1831), Conversations on Government (1836), Conversations on the History of England (1842) and Conversations on Language (1844).

Conversations on Chemistry, V. 1-2 In Which the Elements of that Science Are Familiarly Explained and Illustrated by Experiments by Mrs. (Jane Haldimand) Marcet In venturing to offer to the public, and more particularly to the female sex, an Introduction to Chemistry, the author, herself a woman, conceives that some explanation may be required; and she feels it the more necessary to apologise for the present undertaking, as her knowledge of the subject is but recent, and as she can have no real claims to the title of chemist. On attending for the first time experimental lectures, the author found it almost impossible to derive any clear or satisfactory information from the rapid demonstrations which are usually, and perhaps necessarily, crowded into popular courses of this kind. But frequent opportunities having afterwards occurred of conversing with a friend on the subject of chemistry, and of repeating a variety of experiments, she became better acquainted with the principles of that science, and began to feel highly interested in its pursuit. It was then that she perceived, in attending the excellent lectures delivered at the Royal Institution, by the present Professor of Chemistry, the great advantage which her previous knowledge of the subject, slight as it was, gave her over others who had not enjoyed the same means of private instruction. Every fact or experiment attracted her attention, and served to explain some theory to which she was not a total stranger; and she had the gratification to find that the numerous and elegant illustrations, for which that school is so much distinguished, seldom failed to produce on her mind the effect for which they were intended. Hence it was natural to infer, that familiar conversation was, in studies of this kind, a most useful auxiliary source of information; and more especially to the female sex, whose education is seldom calculated to prepare their minds for abstract ideas, or scientific language. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.