acal fluid, a tenacious oil resembling viscid tar, and a spongy coal or coke.
The first discovery of the use of gas from pit-coal has lately been claimed by Mr. Murdoch. This gentleman tells us, that he made some experiments on the nature of this gas during the year 1792, when he resided at Bedruth, in Cornwall[1]; that he was struck with the prodigious quantity of inflammable gaseous products which a number of vegetable and mineral substances yielded, when heated in closed vessels; and that he instituted a series of experiments, with a view to learn the relative expence at which light might be procured, in order to compare it with an equal quantity of light obtained in the ordinary way from lamps or candles. With these experiments, however, nobody was made acquainted——at least they were not laid before the public until they were noticed by Mr. Henry, of Manchester, in the year 1805, in a paper inserted in the Monthly Magazine. The public, therefore, was in possession of the discovery of an inflammable gas long before they heard of Mr. Murdoch’s claim; and the community are surely most indebted to those who took the pains to disseminate so useful a discovery, and made it generally known. On this ground, Mr. Winsor, of Pall-Mall, has certainly the first claim in this country to public acknowledgment, with regard to the beneficial effects of this gas, as connected with the purposes of illumination. This gentleman demonstrated, in the years 1803 and 1804, to a respectable audience, at the Lyceum, in this city, for several successive months, that the gas from coal might be applied with great advantage on a large scale, as well as for domestic purposes. His display of gas lights took place above two years before Mr. Murdoch’s right of priority was heard of.
In stating these facts, we do not mean to say that Mr. Murdoch derived the hint of applying the coal gas from the previous exhibition of Mr. Winsor’s, because it is quite within the bounds of probability that the ideas of Mr. Murdoch may have arisen totally independent of all acquaintance with Mr. Winsor’s; nor would we willingly wound the feelings of any individual——our object is the mere statement of facts. But we are both prepared and inclined to say, that the honour of proving the absolute certainty, or the real application of this gas from coal to actual use, is due in this country to Mr. Winsor. Mr. Murdoch may perhaps possess more learning, but Mr. Winsor has certainly, in this matter, shewn more genius and judgment.
The claims of invention, or the determination of the right of priority, concerns the public only, so far as the honour and estimation of any useful discovery conferred on the inventor, may induce other individuals to devote their talents to similar pursuits; by means of which, more discoveries may be made, and the subject of human invention become extended, and rendered more useful to the public. For as the mere benefits which mankind may derive from any particular discovery, considered abstractedly, or solely by itself, they are certainly
- ↑ Philosoph. Trans. 1808. P. 1. p. 130.
