John Howard Appleton's chemistry text provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental principles and physical laws governing material substances. The book begins by examining the scope of chemistry, emphasizing that all solid, liquid, and gaseous matter in the universe is subject to chemical laws. It details the enormous variety of substances on Earth, explaining how they are constructed from a limited number of chemical elements acting as foundation stones.
The text systematically explores the elementary substances, detailing their names, symbols, atomic weights, and classification into metals and non-metals. Appleton explains the nature of chemical compounds, distinguishing between binary and ternary combinations, and introduces the fundamental terminology of mass, molecules, and atoms. The modern atomic theory, originally proposed by John Dalton, is thoroughly examined to explain how atoms combine in definite proportions by weight.
Several chapters are devoted to specific chemical elements and their compounds. Hydrogen is explored through its history, preparation, physical lightness, diffusive power, and role in ballooning and combustion. Chlorine, bromine, iodine, and fluorine are examined as a related chemical family found in sea-water, detailing their extraction, properties, and industrial applications such as bleaching and photography.
The nature of oxygen is detailed through its abundance, chemical activity, role in respiration and combustion, and methods of preparation. Water is examined as the most prominent oxygen compound, emphasizing its distribution, circulation, and vital importance to living organisms. Sulphur, boron, and nitrogen are thoroughly analyzed, highlighting their natural sources, compounds, and industrial uses, including the large-scale production of sulphuric acid and ammonia.
The atmosphere is studied as a gaseous ocean, detailing the specific functions of its constituent gases, its weight, and its role in weather and climate. The text explores explosives such as gunpowder, fulminates, gun-cotton, and nitroglycerine, balancing their destructive military applications with their vital uses in peaceful engineering works like tunnels and mining. Phosphorus is examined through its discovery, allotropism, and application in the friction match industry.
Finally, the book explores carbon in its various natural forms, including charcoal, graphite, and the diamond, emphasizing its infusibility and the vast number of organic compounds it forms. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are analyzed alongside the manufacture of illuminating gas from bituminous coal. The work concludes with an examination of silicon as the characteristic element of mineral matter and the primary component of sand and quartz.
