aw
frequently, he enjoyed much "Christian and edifying conversation." John
Andrews was another favorite. He was a violent Federalist and informed
Priestley that the latter

had done them (the Federalists) more mischief than any other man,

yet these two noble spirits lived in amity, and Priestley several times
announced that Dr. Andrews was a Unitarian, which is not the thought
today in regard to the latter.

It was an eventful year--this year of 1801. Much that was unexpected
happened. It brought joy and it brought sorrow.

Perhaps it would be just as well to note the scientific progress of the
Doctor during this year, for he gave forth the statement that he had
succeeded in producing air by freezing water. This production of air was
one of his earlier ideas (p. 62), and now he wrote--

The harder the frost was the more air I procured.

Further, he announced that on heating manganese (dioxide) in inflammable
air

no water is formed,

and what is rather astounding, he was certain that _azote_ consisted of
hydrogen and oxygen.

To the _Medical Repository_, which he regarded highly, there was sent a
rather thoughtful disquisition on dreams. In it the idea was expressed

that dreams have their seat in some region of the brain more
deeply seated than that which is occupied by our waking thoughts.

A "Pile of Volta" had been sent out from England. It amused him and he
studied it carefully when he was led to remark upon the theory of this
curious process as follows:

The operation wholly depends on the calcination of the zinc, which
suffers a great diminution in weight, while the silver is little
affected, and all metals lose their phlogiston in calcination,
therefore what remains of the zinc in metallic form in the pile
and everything connected with that end of it, is supersaturated
with phlogiston.

More need not be quoted. It was phlogiston and that only which
occasioned the electric current. It may properly be added that in this
connection he wrote:

It is said the inventor of the galvanic pile discovered the
conducting power of charcoal, whereas it was one of my first
observations in electricity, made in 1766.

Some additional attention to air was also given by him, and in so doing
he reached the conclusion that

The diamond and charcoal of copper are, as nearly as possible,
pure phlogiston.

One wonders how he