LECTURE ON CHEMISTRY.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 489, 3 January 1880, Page 2

LECTURE ON CHEMISTRY.

A vkkv good audience assembled on Wodncsdav evenin'? in the Kakaramea J.own Hail, "to hear the lecture on chemistry hy .Mr. ' Ah-x W. Williamson, lhA. The lecture was in every way admirable, both with regard to the literary conipo-ution and with regard to the numerous experiments, not one of whicn Jailed, .-litci nescithing at length the constitution of matter, comparing difir. r ent classes or elementary Irodiol and remarking upon the atomic theory, the lecturer proceeded to 'explain the dine!care het.v'.c-n a;, atom tin a

nmieeuh*. and to idnstrate »hj“ effects of chemical action in change of .smeii, temperat’ire, and color. Strong sa'-aumionial was made liy mixing two odourless ingredients, a drop of acid made salt and sugar in l rn furiously, mid by mixing ; wo colorless liquids a heauiifn! Prussian b u; was produced. In treating of some of the elements in detail Lie lecturer confined 1 dm.self to oxvg-m. lirdeH >n, amt nitrogen. i! * s•■r.ed tii i! water consisted almost • lidr-dv of in • a\M former, and the ear of Om 11 vs’, aim the hist. in illustrating rim ]>-o]W. Ms of oxygen sum-; beautiful cx.i'vim nits w *rc sim.vd, d imso most admired and applaud -d '.v -ai th« burning of an iron wire and soin - phosphorus in a i.tr of th' 1 gis in q : mai-in. In mica caso the Mghf was wrv (mil i.aat am! beautiful. j In calm ,-ctim with !■;, drogen some curious I ami interesting exp! >si ms and otiicr ex- | perim■ -ii!s were saown, tlm extreme like- | ness of ihe gas, nm pa.-.-n *ss, and great j head of its fi mm being emphasised. The ! negative qiitlili -s of nitrogen wen; the subject of the next set of experiments. Mr Williamson time, treated cl cm bonie acid gas. lie showed that it is given off fronß the lunge in tlm process ol respiration, and clear!v proved it by blowing the breath through some, clear n'nm water wnmb at once became milky, lie limn showed trial (he process going on in the (tings was identical with what we call conihu-don or burning, and that both in I he Rings and in tin; lire carbonic arid is produced. A taper was burned in a jar until it expired for lack of oxygen; liie jar was then washed out wit hj water, which was 1 fin in! to lie mt iky like that through which the breath had been blown ; ibis proved that, the gas had been produced by tin* (lam-*, 'ihe poisonous qualities of the gas were described.'' This gas is the choke-damp that iod-nvs explosions in mines, that accumulates, owing to its weight, in wells, and t lie giving off of which renders so deadly the Upas Vah-y in -Java, and the Grotto del Cane in Italy’. A charcoal lire gives oil: this gas without smoke, and is, therefore, used in France in close rooms as it painless means of commit ting suicide.' This was illustrated by iinmcising a very lively mouse in the gas. Tim liitio creature soon went to sleep and shall lie wakened never more. Coloured llaiucs were then exhibited, as were also a number of precipitates, by which beautiful colors were obtained by mixing colorless liquids; At tiio close of tlm lecture, whie'u was heartily applauded 1 hronglmut, a cordial vote of thanks was accorded io the lecturer, and another to Miss Kate Williams, who kindly presided at the piano. When 11m audience had left the 11 n 11, Mr Williamson burned, in the road, the Bengal Lights, which gave everybody and everything a ghastly and deathlike appearance very suitable to I he last hum's of the dying year.