The doctor enjoys a game at whist; and although he never hazards a
farthing, is highly diverted with playing good cards, but never
ruffled by bad ones.
In May, 1795, Priestley expressed himself as follows:
As to the experiments, I find I cannot do much till I get my own
house built. At present I have all my books and instruments in one
room, in the house of my son.
This is the first time in all his correspondence that reference is made
to experimental work. It was in 1795. As a matter of course every
American chemist is interested to know when he began experimentation in
this country.
In the absence of proper laboratory space and the requisite apparatus,
it is not surprising that he thought much and wrote extensively on
religious topics, and further he would throw himself into political
problems, for he addressed Mr. Adams on restriction "in the
naturalization of foreigners." He remarked that--
Party strife is pretty high in this country, but the Constitution
is such that it cannot do any harm.
To friends, probably reminding him of being "unactive, which affects me
much," he answered:
As to the chemical lectureship (in Philadelphia) I am convinced I
could not have acquitted myself in it to proper advantage. I had
no difficulty in giving a general course of chemistry at Hackney
(England), lecturing only once a week; but to give a lecture every
day for four months, and to enter so particularly into the subject
as a course of lectures in a medical University (Pennsylvania)
requires, I was not prepared for; and my engagements there would
not, at my time of life, have permitted me to make the necessary
preparations for it; if I could have done it at all. For, though I
have made discoveries in some branches of chemistry, I never gave
much attention to the common routine of it, and know but little
of the common processes.
Is not this a refreshing confession from the celebrated discoverer of
oxygen? The casual reader would not credit such a statement from one who
August 1, 1774, introduced to the civilized world so important an
element as oxygen. Because he did not know the "common processes" of
chemistry and had not concerned himself with the "common routine" of it,
led to his blazing the way among chemical compounds in his own fashion.
Many times since the days of Priestley real researchers after truth have
proceeded without compass and uncovered most astonishing and remarkable
results. They had the genuine research spirit and were driven forward by
it. Priestley knew little of the labyrinth of analysis and cared less;
indeed, he possessed little beyond an insatiable desire to unfold
Nature's secrets.
Admiration for Priestley increases on hearing him descant on the people
about him--on the natives--
Here every house-keeper has a garden, out of which he raises
almost all he wants for his family. They all have cows, and many
have horses, the keeping of which costs them little or nothing in
the summer, for they ramble with bells on their necks in the
woods, and come home at night. Almost all the fresh meat they have
is salted in the autumn, and a fish called _shads_ in the spring.
This salt shad they eat at breakfast, with their tea and coffee,
and also at night. We, however, have not yet laid aside our
English customs, and having made great exertion to get fresh meat,
it will soon come into general use.