THE CHEMICAL NEWS
AND JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE.

THE present Number commences what may almost be termed a new era in the existence of the CHEMICAL NEWS, and we owe it to our readers to explain the reasons why we have considered it necessary to increase its price, and to make a more than corresponding increase in its dimensions.

Most, if not all, of our learned and scientific Societies have a special organ of their own, published sometimes monthly, but generally less frequently. These publications, as a rule, give only the proceedings of the Society to which they respectively belong, and the papers that are read at its meetings. The papers are given in full, as they ought to be under such circumstances; and it is with no desire to detract from their value that we say that, for the general reader, they, as a consequence of this, remain unread. The working-men,-that is to say, the chemist, whose days are spent in the laboratory; the engineer, whose hours are employed in carrying out plans already complete, and in elaborating others; the electrician, who labours to simplify the transmission of intelligence, or to find a method of perfecting the means already in existence; and the host of scientific men, and those who take an interest in scientific subjects, who have daily avocations which exhaust their energies, have not the courage to sit down and tax their intellect still further, by the study of an article which commonly requires a closer examination in proportion as its merits are greater. They would, however, be glad enough to read an abstract of such a paper, which embodied its chief points, the result of which would be that they themselves would receive new information and ideas, and the writers their reward, in the shape of a far more extended fame and reputation, which is what they principally seek.

Then, again, these Journals are usually confined to some particular branch of science; and to obtain a complete knowledge of what is going on in the scientific world, it is necessary to see them all. Now, the outlay of a few pounds annually for such a purpose is a matter hardly worth consideration to the few, but to the many it is a serious obstacle. We do not, however, lay so much stress on this point as on the time which would be required to read them.

Having shown how the official organs fail to supply a want, and we must again repeat that we have not done so in the way of reproach, because any alteration in them would only lessen their value, we need say nothing more to prove the necessity which existed for the establishment of THE CHEMICAL NEWS AND JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE, which is henceforward to be the title under which we shall appear. As hitherto, Chemistry will be the leading feature; but the greater amount of space at our disposal will enable us to introduce important matter relating to other departments of Physics. Since a very early period in the existence of

the CHEMICAL NEWS, it has been a source of constant anxiety to us to find space for valuable articles which we felt our readers ought to have an opportunity of perusing, but which the steady influx of matter of more general interest compelled us to defer from time to time, until the period had gone by when we could publish them. In many instances, these have been communications from men who have made a reputation, and one principal inducement to enlarge our space has been the facility it would give us for publishing more of such communications in future; for there can be no more doubt of our willingness to do so than of the advantage, so far as reputation is concerned, that would accrue to the writers from the publication of their papers in a journal of the circulation to which this has attained. While Chemistry, in all its various branches, Scientific and Analytical, Technical, or in its relation to Agriculture, will still form the principal subject treated of, the Medical Profession will not fail to find recorded in its pages every new discovery relating to Toxicology, Materia Medica, and Pharmacy. We have arranged for the transmission to us of every scientific journal published on the Continent, and from these we shall translate, in full or in abstract, everything of importance. Of course, while paying such close attention to what is passing abroad, we shall not omit to give due prominence to the proceedings of Societies at home, more especially to those of the Royal Institution and the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Societies.

All books forwarded to us will receive impartial criticism, with as little delay as is consistent with a proper examination of their contents; and we propose each week to publish a notice of recent Chemical Patents, describing, not merely the purpose which the invention is intended to effect, but the probability of its effecting what it professes, and the degree in which it resembles any patent taken out previously, having reference to a similar object, the abuse of the patent-law being one of the crying evils of the day.

As heretofore, our columns will be open for the record of any new facts which may be observed in the conduct of operations in the laboratory; and we invite those who may observe such facts to forward them to us, in their own interest as well as in that of others engaged in the same professional pursuit.

In conclusion, we will state, as briefly as may be, what we aim at effecting by the alteration, and then leave it to our readers to decide in the future how far we accomplish what we propose.

Up to the present, there has not existed any Journal in Great Britain which professed to give a notice of all events of interest which occur in the scientific world. One Journal occasionally devotes a portion of one of its columns to the record of the most striking facts: but such desultory information does not meet the eye of the persons who are chiefly interested in such matters. We have, therefore, determined on making THE CHEMICAL NEWS AND JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE the per