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This volume contains notes taken during a series of lectures on chemistry, primarily between January and April 1857. The notes cover a variety of topics, including the properties and uses of elements and brief remarks on organic chemistry and geology.

This volume contains notes taken during a series of lectures on chemistry, primarily between January 8 and April 7, 1857. Most of the lectures cover the properties and uses of elements, including ways in which they could be treated and places where they might be found. Several metals, such as lead and tin, are discussed, along with other elements such as arsenic and antimony. Other topics, such as chemical compounds, are also frequently mentioned, though the focus remains predominantly on particular elements. Though the volume contains primarily prose notes, some equations are included, often related to the formation of complex molecules and chemical reactions. Occasionally, specific applications or additional substances form the basis of a discussion, such as silver and its use in photography (No. 22, March 1857), nicotine (March 23, 1857), and citric acid (March 11, 1857). The final lectures, given throughout early April, cover topics in organic chemistry, including the formation of organic animal matter (April 1, 1857). Two entries relate to geology (April 7, 1857, and March 8, 1857). The volume holds additional inserted notes on similar chemical topics; these include notes dated October 7, 1856, and April 20, 1857.