Cus) that it became the first one-way street in the metropolis. Davy’s pellucid presentations on science were the talk of the town. In one of his lecture-demonstrations, on an introduction to `electro chemical science’, given on 12 March 1808, he began with the following sentences: It affords me the most sincere pleasure to be able to appear again before you. There is no desire more alive and ardent in my mind than that of having it in my power to combine experiments made for the advancement of science, with the details of public lectures. . . Not only were his lectures and demonstrations vividly presented, his range of scientific accomplishments was extraordinary. By the time a London barrister, Mr J. J. Wilkinson, representing individuals such as Reverend Dr John Hodgson, vicar in the district where, in 1812, 92 men and boys were killed in a colliery explosion, and the Bishop of Durham, appealed for his assistance in 1815, Davy had already made the following discoveries and scientific advances: (i) Opened up the field of electrochemistry. He had read Volta’s famous memoir On the generation of Miransertib cost continuous electricity by the mere contact of two dissimilar metals (addressed to Sir Joseph Banks, PRS, in 1800) and concluded that it was not physical contact between dissimilar metals that was the source of electricity; rather, he believed it was chemical action. In 1800, Davy published five papers in which he demonstrated conclusively that chemical action is indeed the root cause of the generated electricity. These experiments won him great acclaim from the eminent Swedish chemist Berzelius. And when Davy `inverted’ the argument, i.e. argued that electricity could cause chemical reactions, it led him to the discovery and isolation of alkali and alkaline earth metals. In due course, he: (ii) discovered sodium, potassium, calcium, barium, strontium, magnesium and boron; (iii) demonstrated that chlorine was an element; (iv) discovered the anaesthetic properties of nitrous oxide (laughing gas); (v) determined the capacity of the human lung; he was also the first to record the medical condition now known as laryngospasm, which he discovered in endeavouring to breathe pure carbon dioxide;(vi) invented the carbon arc, used for street lighting; (vii) demolished Lavoisier’s contention that all acids contain oxygen; the so-called oxymuriatic acid turned out to be HCl, hydrogen chloride. And he had also: (viii) laid the foundation of agricultural chemistry; he had worked out the productivity and nutritional value of various grasses and also the nutrients required to be added to soil to facilitate growth; his book Elements of Agricultural Chemistry, published in 1813, contained 97 appendices detailing the yields and other qualities of various grasses; (ix) written, in 1803, an illuminating account of the Olmutinib biological activity constituent parts of certain astringent vegetables, and their operation in the tanning of animal skins; this account, as well as a few others, earned him the Society’s premier award, the Copley Medal, in 1805.rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 373:…………………………………………………2. Davy’s approach to the invention of the miner’s safety lampDavy was indulging in his sporting activities in the Highlands of Scotland (throughout his life, from his early teens, he frequently took time off to go fishing and hunting) when the plea for help came from Mr Wilkinson and Dr Gray (rector of Bishopwearmouth–later Bishop of.Cus) that it became the first one-way street in the metropolis. Davy’s pellucid presentations on science were the talk of the town. In one of his lecture-demonstrations, on an introduction to `electro chemical science’, given on 12 March 1808, he began with the following sentences: It affords me the most sincere pleasure to be able to appear again before you. There is no desire more alive and ardent in my mind than that of having it in my power to combine experiments made for the advancement of science, with the details of public lectures. . . Not only were his lectures and demonstrations vividly presented, his range of scientific accomplishments was extraordinary. By the time a London barrister, Mr J. J. Wilkinson, representing individuals such as Reverend Dr John Hodgson, vicar in the district where, in 1812, 92 men and boys were killed in a colliery explosion, and the Bishop of Durham, appealed for his assistance in 1815, Davy had already made the following discoveries and scientific advances: (i) Opened up the field of electrochemistry. He had read Volta’s famous memoir On the generation of continuous electricity by the mere contact of two dissimilar metals (addressed to Sir Joseph Banks, PRS, in 1800) and concluded that it was not physical contact between dissimilar metals that was the source of electricity; rather, he believed it was chemical action. In 1800, Davy published five papers in which he demonstrated conclusively that chemical action is indeed the root cause of the generated electricity. These experiments won him great acclaim from the eminent Swedish chemist Berzelius. And when Davy `inverted’ the argument, i.e. argued that electricity could cause chemical reactions, it led him to the discovery and isolation of alkali and alkaline earth metals. In due course, he: (ii) discovered sodium, potassium, calcium, barium, strontium, magnesium and boron; (iii) demonstrated that chlorine was an element; (iv) discovered the anaesthetic properties of nitrous oxide (laughing gas); (v) determined the capacity of the human lung; he was also the first to record the medical condition now known as laryngospasm, which he discovered in endeavouring to breathe pure carbon dioxide;(vi) invented the carbon arc, used for street lighting; (vii) demolished Lavoisier’s contention that all acids contain oxygen; the so-called oxymuriatic acid turned out to be HCl, hydrogen chloride. And he had also: (viii) laid the foundation of agricultural chemistry; he had worked out the productivity and nutritional value of various grasses and also the nutrients required to be added to soil to facilitate growth; his book Elements of Agricultural Chemistry, published in 1813, contained 97 appendices detailing the yields and other qualities of various grasses; (ix) written, in 1803, an illuminating account of the constituent parts of certain astringent vegetables, and their operation in the tanning of animal skins; this account, as well as a few others, earned him the Society’s premier award, the Copley Medal, in 1805.rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 373:…………………………………………………2. Davy’s approach to the invention of the miner’s safety lampDavy was indulging in his sporting activities in the Highlands of Scotland (throughout his life, from his early teens, he frequently took time off to go fishing and hunting) when the plea for help came from Mr Wilkinson and Dr Gray (rector of Bishopwearmouth–later Bishop of.
