Edward Daniel Clarke, 1769-1822, and his rÔle in the history of the blow-pipe

Annals of Science

Volumn 29, Issue 3, 1972, Pages 213-235

  Oldroyd, D R ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES   (Australia)

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EID: 84950831978     PISSN: 00033790     EISSN: 1464505X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00033797200200461     Document Type: Article

References (79)

1. Of these, the most important early expositions of the art were: an Appendix by Gustav yon Engestr6m to his English translation of Cronstedt’s Försök till Mineralogie (see note 30 below);
2. T. O. Bergman, Commentatio de Tube Ferruminatorio, eiusdemque usu, in cxplorandis eorporibuspraesertim mineralibus, Vienna, 1779.
3. J. J. Berzelius, Afhandling om Blasr6rets anvgndande i kemien och mineralogien, Stockholm, 1820. I have used the English translation of this work.
4. J. J. Berzclius, The Use of the Blowpipe in Chemical Analysis, and in the Examination of Minerals, translated from the French of M. Fresnel by J. G. Children… with a sketch of Berzetius’ system of mineralogy…. London, 1822. Another useful early, work in English, with a brief historical account of the development of the blow-pipe is.
5. J. Griffin, A Practical Treatise on the Use of the Blowpipe, Glasgow, 1827.
6. See note 3. For a summary account of Clarke’s life and work see: Annual Register, London, 1822, pp. 322-324.
7. W. Otter, The Life and Remains of Edward Daniel Clarke Professor of Mineralogy in, the University of Cambridge, 2 vols., 2nd edition, London, 1825.
8. William Wotton (1666-1727), celebrated scholar and divine, a remarkable child prodigy and noted for his prowess of memory.
9. E. Clarke, Defence of the Conduct of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Island of Minorca, London, 1767; E. Clarke, Letters, concerning the Spanish Nation; written at Madrid, during the years 1760 and 1761, London, 1763.
10. E. D. Clarke, Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. (Part the First, Russia, Tartary and Turkey; Part the Second, Greece, Egypt and the Holy Land; Part the Third, Scandinavia), 6 volumes, London, 1810-1823. Several subsequent editions were published, the last appearing in 1848.
11. Sir William Hamilton, Observations on Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna, and Other Volcanos: in A Series of Letters, Addressed to the Royal Society,…, New Edition, London, 1774. Hamilton wrote (p. 92): ‘ Nature, though varied, is certainly uniform in her operations, and I cannot conceive that two such considerable Volcanos as Etna and Vesuvius should have been formed otherwise than every considerable Volcano of the known world.’ It is interesting to note that he envisaged volcanic activity as a means of maintaining the fertility of the globe by a constant, slow, ‘ ploughing ‘ of the earth. The treatment adopted (p. 160, ‘ Such wonderful operations of Nature are certainly intended by all-wise Providence for some great purpose.’) is reminiscent of Hutton’s similar use of the ‘ argument from design’.
12. E. D. Clarke, Defenee of the Conduct of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Island of Minorea. London, 1767, vol. 1, p. 667.
13. W. Otter, Defenee of the Conduct of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Island of Minorea. London, 1767, vol. 1, p. 279.
14. J. Macculloch, A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, including the Isle of Man, 2 volumes, London, 1819.
15. I have illustrated this point by means of a simple example in a recent paper: ‘ The Vuleanist Neptunist Dispute Reconsidered’, J. Qeol. Educ, 1971, 19, 124-129.
16. See, for example: M. J. S. Rudwick, ‘ Hutton and Werner Compared: George Greenhough’s Geological Tour of Scotland in 1805’, Brit. J. Hist. Sci., 1962, 1, 117-135.
17. W. Otter, ‘ Hutton and Werner Compared: George Greenhough’s Geological Tour of Scotland in 1805’, Brit. J. Hist. Sci., 1962, vol. 1, p. 436.
18. E. D. Clarke, Syllabus of Lectures in Mineralogy, Cambridge, 1807.
19. I am much indebted to Associate Professor T. G. Vallance, of the University of Sydney, for drawing my attention to this copy of Clarke’s Syllabus, and also for allowing me to peruse a transcription which he has prepared of certain portions of Macleay’s annotations. Macleay (1792-1865) attended Clarke’s lectures in 1816. After going down from Cam- bridge he served as a diplomat in Paris, where he became acquainted with Cuvier. Subsequently he worked in Havana, and moved to Sydney in 1839, where he soon became recognized as one of the leading naturalists of New South Wales. His principal interests were biological rather than mineralogioal.
20. It is not possible to enter here into a detailed discussion of Clarke’s lectures, though they are of considerable interest, and offer a valuable insight into the Professor’s scien- tific views. Clarke did not lay much emphasis on theory, and many of the items in the printed Syllabus which promise some theoretical discussion are not represented in Macleay’s notes. Why such theoretical aspects wero omitted we cannot now determine, but it seems not unreasonable to suggest that the omission reflects Clarke’s interest in the col- lection and classification of minerals rather than a theoretical treatment of their prop- perties, and this seems to be in keeping with his somewhat ‘ Baconian ‘ approach to science—a point which will be touched on again below. This is not to say, however, that he ignored the chemical basis of minerology. His chemical system of classification may be gauged from his Methodical Distribution of the Mineral Kingdom into Glasses, Orders, Genera, Species, and Varieties (Lewes, 1806), a pamphlet of six pages, dedicated to the ‘ Students of the University of Cambridge’.
21. W. Otter, Methodical Distribution of the Mineral Kingdom into Glasses, Orders, Genera, Species, and Varieties, vol. 2, p. 344.
22. The work by Ehrmann referred to is: Essai d’un Art de Fusion a I’aide de Vair du feu, ou air vital par Mr. Ehrmann…. Traduit de I’Allemand par M. de Fontallard & revu par Vauteur. Suivi des memoires de Mr. Lavoisier… sur le m, eme Sujet, Strasbourg, 1787.
23. Some account of the history of the blow-pipe is given in: F. Szabadvary, History of Analytical Chemistry, Oxford, 1966, pp. 50-55. A very detailed history, indicative of the importance which was attached to the blow-pipe by the chemists and mineralogists of the period, was written at the end of the eighteenth century.
24. Weigel, C. E., ‘Versuch einer Geschichte des Blaserohrs und seine Andwendungen; vom Hrn ProfeB. Weigel in Gtreiss- walde’, Beytrage zu den chemischen Annalen (Crell’s Beytrage), 1790, 4, 262-283, 393-419; 1794, 6, 6-24, 198-216.
25. P. E. Newberry, Beni Hasan (Published under the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Fund), Part I, London, 1893, Plate XI; and Part II, London, 1894, Plates IV and VII.
26. Weigel Beni Hasan (Published under the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Fund), Part I, London, 1893, Plate XI; and Part II, London, 1894, Plates IV and VII, pp. 264-281 gave a very detailed account of the early application of the blow-pipe in the glass industry, particularly with reference to the construction of thermometers, but was unable to determine the origin of the application with complete precision. As he pointed out, when an instrument of this kind is developed by artisans, it may be in use for a number of years before this fact becomes recorded in the literature.
27. Saggi di Naturali Esperienze Fatte nell Accademia del Gimento sotto la Protezione del Serenissimo Principe Leopoldo di Toscana e Descritte dal Segretario di essa Accademia, 2nd edition, Florence, 1691, pp. 2-4. (The first edition, which I have not seen, was published in 1660) The Italians termed the blow-pipe a gonfia.
28. J. Kunckel, Ars Vitraria Experimentalis oder, vollkommene Glasmacher Kunst…’ Frankfurt and Leipzig, 1679, pp. 399-400.
29. Cited in: F. Szabadvary, Ars Vitraria Experimentalis oder, vollkommene Glasmacher Kunst…’ Frankfurt and Leipzig, 1679, p. 81.
30. R. Boyle, The Philosophical Works of the Honourable Robert Boyle Esq; Abridged, methodised, and disposed…. By Peter Swan, M.D., London, 1725, vol. 1, p. 477.
31. G. E. Stahl, Philosophical Principles of Universal Chemistry:…. Drawn from the Collegium Jenense of Dr. George Ernest Stahl. By Peter Shaw, M.D., London, 1730, p. 32.
32. J. A. Cramer, Elements of the Art of Assaying Metals…, Translated from the Latin…., London, 1741, p. 99. The Latin edition (which I have not seen) was published in 1739. Cramer’s illustration of the blow-pipe is of particular interest since it shows a small bulb in the tube, to collect moisture. This refinement probably indicates that the instrument had been in use for some time, although having received little attention in the literature.
33. For a discussion of early assay methods see: F. Greenaway, ‘The early development of analytical chemistry’, Endeavour, 1962, 21, 91-97.
34. Here, I am relying on Partington’s authority (History of Chemistry, London, 1962, vol. 3., p. 174).
35. The issue was confused by Bergman (History of Chemistry, London, 1962, p. 3), who stated that Andreas Swab was the first to adopt the blow-pipe in Sweden for mineralogical analyses.
36. Weigel (History of Chemistry, London, 1962., p. 283) maintained, on the authority of Von Engestrom, that Cronstedt should have priority.
37. For a discussion of the contributions of Cronstedt, see V. Bartow, ‘ Axel Fredrik Cronstedt’, Jour. Chem. Educ, 1953, 30, pp. 247-252. A most attractive portrayal of Cronstedt at work with his blow-pipe is to be found in.
38. F. Greenaway, Chemical Labora- tories and Apparatus to 1850, Science Museum, London, 1966, item 8.
39. See M. E. Weeks, Discovery of the Elements, 5th edition, Easton, Pa., 1945, pp. 70-73.
40. A. F. Cronstedt, An Essay Towards a System of Mineralogy, translated from the original Swedish with notes, by Qustav von Engestrom. To which is added, a treatise on the Pocket-Laboratory, containing an easy method, used by the author, for trying mineral bodies, written by the translator. The whole revised and corrected, with some additional notes, by Emanuel Mendes da Costa. 2nd. edition; with an appendix, containing additions and notes by Professor M. T. Brunnick, London, 1772.
41. For a description of these early portable mineralogical ‘ laboratories see W. A. Smeaton, ‘The portable chemical laboratories of Guyton de Morveau, Cronstedt and Gottling. Ambix, 1966, 13, 84-91.
42. Of these, the most important early expositions of the art were: an Appendix by Gustav yon Engestr6m to his English translation of Cronstedt’s Försök till Mineralogie (see note 30 below)
43. J. J. Berzelius, Of these, the most important early expositions of the art were: an Appendix by Gustav yon Engestr6m to his English translation of Cronstedt’s Försök till Mineralogie (see note 30 below), p. 20 wrote: ‘ It is a difficulty like that which a man experi- ences when he endeavours at the same time to turn his right arm and his right leg in opposite directions ‘. The trick required was to expel air from the mouth by means of the cheeks, while, at the same time, breathing into the lungs through the nose.
44. J. Priestley, Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air, and other branches of Natural Philosophy, connected with the subject, 3 vols., London, 1790, vol. 2, p. 168.
45. F. C. Achard, ‘ Sur un nouveau moyen de produire, avec une tres-petite quantite de eharbons ou d’autres substances inflammables, une chaleur egale a celle qu’on peut produire par des verres & des miroirs ardens d’une grandeur considerable; avec la description d’un fourneau, qui, en servant a chausser un appartement, purine l’air qu’il renferme, en le privant de son phlogistique’. Observations sur la Physique, sur I’Histoire Naturelle et les Arts, 1782, 20, 371-376.
46. A. L. Lavoisier, ‘Mèmoire sur un moyen d’augmenter considèrablement Taction de feu et de la chaleur dans les opèrations chimiques’, Mem. Acad. Roy. des Sci., 1782 (1785), 457-465; reprinted in Oeuvres de Lavoisier, Paris, 1862, vol. ii, pp. 423-431.
47. A. L. Lavoisier, ‘Mèmoire sur un moyen d’augmenter considèrablement Taction de feu et de la chaleur dans les opèrations chimiques’, Mem. Acad. Roy. des Sci., 1782 (1785), 457-465; reprinted in Oeuvres de Lavoisier, Paris, 1862, vol. ii, pp. 423-431, (‘Oeuvres’), plates IV and V, accompanying the text.
48. J. H. Pott, Ckemische Untersuchungen welche fiirnehmlich von der Lithogeognosie oder Erkennung und Bearbeitung der gemeinen einfacheren Steine und Erden, ingleichen von Feuer und Luft handeln, Potsdam, 1746. I have used the French edition.
49. J. H. Pott, Litho- gèognosie, ou Examen Ghymique des Pierres et des Terres en Gènèral, et du Talc, de la Topaze, & la Stèatite en particular, avec une Dissertation sur le Feudb sur la Lumiere, Paris, 1753.
50. This work is cited by Ehrmann (see note 17, above, p. 219) as: Description de quelques machines etablies pour I’usage de Fair dephlogistique avec le chalumeau & le feu de fonte, & d’une methode de se. procurer beaucoup de cet air, Tubingen, 1785. I have not seen it.
51. R. Hare, ‘Memoir on the Supply and Application of the Blow-pipe’, Philosophical Magazine, 1802, 14, 238-245 and 298-306. This was also published in France under the title 1 Memoire sur l’usage du chalumeau ‘ (Annates de Ghimie, an XI, 45, 113—138).
52. Numerous forms of his instrument are described by Hare in his: A Compendium of the Course of Chemical Instruction in the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania…. For the Use of His Pupils, Philadelphia, 1827.
53. Benjamin Silliman, ‘Experiments on the Fusion of Various Refractory Bodies by the Compound Blow-Pipe of Mr. Hare’, Phil. Mag., 1817, 50, 106-114.
54. This is according to the statement of Clarke in his principal exposition of the blow-pipe techniques: E. D. Clarke, The Gas Blow-Pipe, or Art of Fusion by Burning the Gaseous Constituents of Water: Giving the History of the Philosophical Apparatus so denominated; the Proofs of Analogy in its Operations to the Nature of Volcanoes; Together with an Appendix containing an account of Experiments with this Blow-Pipe, London, 1819, p. 6.
55. E. D. Clarke, The Gas Blow-Pipe, or Art of Fusion by Burning the Gaseous Constituents of Water: Giving the History of the Philosophical Apparatus so denominated; the Proofs of Analogy in its Operations to the Nature of Volcanoes; Together with an Appendix containing an account of Experiments with this Blow-Pipe, London, 1819, p. 3.
56. H. I. Brooke. ‘Description of a new Blow-Pipe’Annals of Philosophy, 1816, 7, 367.
57. See also, H. I. Brooke. ‘Description of a new Blow-Pipe’Annals of Philosophy, 1817, 9, 7-8.
58. J. Newman, ‘Account of a new Blow-pipe in a letter from Mr. John Newman to the Editor’, Quarterly Journal of Literature, Science and the Arts. Edited at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, 1817, 1, 65-66.
59. E. D. Clarke, ‘Account of some Experiments made with Newman’s Blow-pipe, by inflaming a highly condensed Mixture of the Gaseous Constituents of Water; in a Letter to the Editor, from Edward Daniel Clarke, LL.D. Professor of Mineralogy in the University of Cambridge’, Quarterly Journal of Literature, Science and the Arts, 1817…, 2, 104-123.
60. Davy was allowing Clarke very little safety margin, for, subsequently, he wrote: ‘ The cireumstanoe of the combustion of gaseous mixtures at elevated temperatures is shown in a very elegant manner, in burning concentrated mixtures of oxygen and hydrogen at the end of a long-tube of one-sixtieth or one-seventieth of an inch in diameter, when the experiment begins (the tube being cool) there is no danger; gradually, however, as it become heated, the combustion steals as it were down the tube, and at last reaches the reservoir of the gases.’ H. Davy, The Collected Works of Sir Humphrey Davy, Bart. LL.D., F.B.S…, vol. 6, London, 1840, p. 17.
61. W. Otter, Davy was allowing Clarke very little safety margin, for, subsequently, he wrote: ‘ The cireumstanoe (of the combustion of gaseous mixtures at elevated temperatures) is shown in a very elegant manner, in burning concentrated mixtures of oxygen and hydrogen at the end of a long-tube of one-sixtieth or one-seventieth of an inch in diameter, when the experiment begins (the tube being cool) there is no danger; gradually, however, as it become heated, the combustion steals as it were down the tube, and at last reaches the reservoir of the gases.’ H. Davy, The Collected Works of Sir Humphrey Davy, Bart. LL.D., F.B.S. , vol. 2, pp. 346-347.
62. R. W. Barehard, Ann. Phil., 1817, 10, 66-67.
63. E. D. Clarke, Ann. Phil., 1817, 9, 326-327.
64. J. T. Beale, Ann. Phil., 1817, 9, 481-482.
65. T. S. Booth, Ann. Phil., 1817, 10, 67-68.
66. Gurney’s apparatus is illustrated in the frontispiece of Griffin’s Practical Treatise on the Use of the Blowpipe. (See note 1.) It is also depicted in
67. F. Greenaway, Gurney’s apparatus is illustrated in the frontispiece of Griffin’s Practical Treatise on the Use of the Blowpipe. (See note 1.) It is also depicted in, (note 28), item 12.
68. J. F. Daniell, ‘On a New Oxy-Hydrogen Jet’, Phil. Mag., 1833, 2, 57-60.
69. E. D. Clarke, ‘On a New Oxy-Hydrogen Jet’, Phil. Mag., 1833, 2, (note 47), p. 119.
70. Here I have reported Clarke’s version of the affair, from: ‘ Account of some Experi- ments made with the Gas Blow-pipe; being a Continuation of former Observations upon the same Subject’, Arm. Phil., 1817, 10, 133-138.
71. J. Mantell, Arm. Phil., 1818, 11, 310-311.
72. Thomson was one of the founder members of Jameson’s Wernerian Club in Edinburgh. See the list of members given in: J. M. Sweet, ‘The Wernerian Natural History Society in Edinburgh’, in Abraham Gottlob Werner, Gedenkschrift aus AnlaB der Wiederkehr seines Todestages nach 150 Jahren am 30. Juni 1967, Freiberger Forschungshefte C223 Minera- logie—Lagerstattenlehre, Leipzig, 1967, pp. 205-218.
73. E. D. Clarke, Ann. Phil., 1819, 14, 142-143.
74. E. D. Clarke, Ann. Phil., 1818, 11, 194-198
75. E. D. Clarke, Ann. Phil., 1818, 11, pp. 365-368.
76. R. Hare, Ann. Phil., 1818, 11. pp. 365-368. (note 40).
77. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 3rd edition (1797), vol. 14, p. 582.
78. The exact status of Baconianism in the early nineteenth century certainly warrants further research. While it is generally held that Bacon’s maxims were widely accepted at that time—which is the viewpoint which I have myself adopted above—it is possible to find contrary opinions strongly expressed. Brewster, for example, wrote in 1824: ‘ The opinion so prevalent during the last thirty years, that Lord Bacon introduced the art of experimental enquiry on physical subjects,…, appears to me to be without foundation, and perfectly inconsistent with the history of science…. The method given by Bacon is,… quite useless, and in point of fact has never been used in any successful inquiry. A collection of facts, however, skilfully they may be conjured with, can never yield general laws…. ‘(M. M. Gordon, The Home Life of Sir David Brewster, 2nd edition, Edinburgh, 1870, pp. 128-130). I am grateful to my colleague, Mr. J. R. Panter, for drawing my attention to this passage.
79. E. D. Clarke, letter to Thomson, dated October 5, 1816, published in Ann. Phil., 1816, 8, 357-364. Clarke was citing Bishop Watson in the quotations within this passage.