LITTERARIA:

OR, AN
EXACT AND EARLY ACCOUNT

OF THE MOST
VALUABLE BOOKS
Published in the several Parts of

EUROPE.

Floriferis ut apes in Salibus omnia libank,
Omnia nos itidem.

Lucret.

NUMBER XIX.
Being the First of Vol. IV.

LONDON:
Printed for N. Prevost, over-against Southampton

street, in the Strand,

M.DCC.XXXII.
(Price One Shilling.)

1007

53

:! $ For No. XIX. 1732.
Art. I. T HÉ Elements of Chemistry, as

I taught, both in publick and private
it Lectures, by Herman Boerhaave. I
Art. II. Theological Dissertations upon divers Sub-

jelts, by the Reverend Mr. Holtius. Art. ni. Nem sermons on the Hißory of the Paz

fion of our Lord Jesus Christ, and other Ji Subjects relating thereto. By the late

Reverend M. James Saurin, Minister

at the Hague.
Art. IV. A critical History of such superstitious

n Practices, as bave seduc'd the Vulgar,
.H and puzzled the Learned, &c. By Fa-

ther le Brun, Priest of the Orat orý. 68
Art. y. The present State of LEARING 84
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LITTERARIA.

ARTICLE I.. Elementa Chemiæ, quæ anniversario La

bore docuit, in publicis, privatisque,
Scholis, Hermannus Boerhaave. Tomus
Secundus, qui continet Operationes Che-
micas. :

That is,
The Elements of Chemistry, as taughty

both: in publick and private Lectures,
by Herman Boerhaave': The fecond
Volume, containing the Operations of
Chemistry, in 538° Pages.

The Third and lafi Extract:

Vi of our journal contains an Aca count of the first Part of this Work,

viz. The History of Chemistry; and N° XVI. an Account of the second, or the Theory of the Art: We now proceed to the last or proper chemical Part thereof; viz. the Praetice, Processes, or Operations.

This Part is delivered under five general Heads, or Sections; viz. (1) Prolegomena, or Introduction ; (2) Processes upon Vegetables ; (3): Processes upon Animals ; (4) Processes upon Minerals ; and (5) what the Author calls a Recapitulation. No. XIX. 1732.

THE VOL. IV.

A

The Introduction contains 13 Pages ; the Processes upon Vegetables 280 ; those upon Animals 87 ; those upon Minerals 148 ; and the Recapitulation 10. The Number of Processes upon Vegetables is 88 ; upon Animals 39; upon Miner als 100 : in all 227.

The Introduction complains of the confused Manner wherein the Processes of Chemistry have been generally treated ; and lays down Rules for introducing a Geometrical Method in delivering them ; so that one Operation may continually lead to another, in the Order of Mathematicians; or, as the Author is pleased to express it, in the Hippocratical Manners; and nothing ever be repeated in vain. These Rules the Author professes he will carefully observe : but how far he has done it, or how far the Nature of the Thing will allow thereof, is a Point that deserves to be considered. The Affectation of a mathematical Procedure in physical Subjects, is apt to misead; unless great Caution and Circumspection be used. And in this View, it might be ask'd whether the fixth, the eighth, the tenth, the twelfth, the fixteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twenty second, twenty-fourth, twenty-fixth, twenty-leventh, twenty-eighth, thirtieth, thirty-first, fortyfirst, forty-fourth, forty-sixth, fifty - fourth, fiftyreventh, fifty-eighth, fifty-ninth, Sixtielb, fixtyfirit, fixty-third, sixty-ninth, seventieth, seventyfirst, seventy-second, eightieth, eighty-third, eightyfourth and eighty - fixth Processes of the first eighty-eight upon Vegetables, to mention no more, ought not by the Author's own Rules and Laws of Method, to have been omitted, as superfluous, unnecessary and cumbersome,

Lege Hippocraticâ, p, 2.

; and

jistry

od in may

r of

ased

OW

upon

in delivering the Elements of Chemistry, in a

Geometrical, or if you please, Hippocratical Pro

Mannera. This however is a laudable Attempt limals

to throw off the dark Disguise and Embaras

ment of the Chemical Writers, and introduce fused

an intelligible Manner in its stead ; wherein

we cou'd wish the Author's Success had been lown

equal to his View. .

He proceeds to thew the Reasons why he begins his Chain of Processes with Vegetables; viz.because molt Animals are composed chereof; and because they more easily undergo a chemical Analysis, on account of their greater Simplicity of Parts.

He allows indeed that Minerals are still more illy

simple ; but then their Treatment requires

more secret Arts, less known Instruments, and of,

lefs obvious Operations ; whence his Law of
Method directs him to begin with Vegetables,
proceed with Animals, and conclude with Mi.
nerals

A Chemical Operation he now again defines Achemical to be the Change of a Body, by means of the Cbe- Oper

defined. mical Instruments, to an End prescribed by the Laws of the Art it...

He goes on to settle the Conditions, or Re- The Condiquisites, of the first Operation, in an elementary tions ofthe Course of Chemistry, and lays down, that it hier shou'd be easy, simple, not attended with any great Change of the Subject ; and be rather a Sém . paration than an Alteration: so as to leave the Subje&t capable of being restored to itself, by a Reunion of its separated Parts.

A 2.

IN & Oportebit enim primò follicitè cavere, ne frustra quid fieret in hisce: quid enim fupervacaneum magis, quam repetere decies, per exempla novi Operis, quæ una Operatione fatis demonstrantur? p. 2.

• Pag. 3. See No. XVI. of our Journal, p. 349, and 356. Pag. 3, 4. See the first Process hercafter.

he