Consolations in Travel: Or the Last Days of a Philosopher

by Humphry Davy

Excerpt from Consolations in Travel: Or the Last Days of a Philosopher

Activity and originality of mind, with a persistent of inquiry and experiment, brought Davy friends who could appreciate and help him. When Dr. Beddoes, of Bristol, was examining the Cornish coast, in 1798, he came upon young Humphry Davy, was told of researches made by him, and urged to engage him as laboratory assistant in a Pneumatic Institution that he was then establishing in Bristol. Davy went in October, 1798, then in his twentieth year; but his good friend, and grandfather by adoption, had set his heart upon Humphry's becoming an eminent surgeon, and even altered his will when his boy yielded to the temptation of a laboratory for research. Men also know something of the trouble of the hen who has a chance duckling in her brood, and sees that contumacious chicken run into the water deaf to all the warnings of her love.

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Genres: Philosophy

204 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2000

About the author

Sir Humphry Davy (17 December 1778 – 29 May 1829) was an English chemist and inventor. He is best remembered today for his discoveries of several alkali and alkaline earth metals, as well as contributions to the discoveries of the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine. Berzelius called Davy's 1806 Bakerian Lecture On Some Chemical Agencies of Electricity "one of the best memoirs which has ever enriched the theory of chemistry." He was a 1st Baronet, President of the Royal Society (PRS), Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA), and Fellow of the Geological Society (FGS).

A plaque to honour him is on the wall of the Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts in 1854.

A lunar crater (Davy) is named after Sir Humphry Davy. It has a diameter of 34 km and coordinates of 11.8S, 8.1W.

In his hometown of Penzance, Cornwall, a statue of Davy stands in front of the imposing Market House (now owned by Lloyds TSB) at the top of the town's main street Market Jew Street. Nearby is a house on which a commemorative plaque claims the location as the site of his birth.

Penzance also has a secondary school named Humphry Davy School. Similar to James Prescott Joule and Isaac Newton, Davy is also remembered in his hometown by a pub – "The Sir Humphry Davy" at 32 Alverton Street, west of the Market House.

Davy was the subject of the first ever clerihew.

Davy was a founding Fellow of the Zoological Society of London

A satellite of the University of Sheffield at Golden Smithies Lane in Wath upon Dearne (Manvers) was called Humphry Davy House and was home to the School of Nursing and Midwifery, until April 2009.

There is a road, Humphry Davy Way, adjacent to the docks in Bristol named after Sir Humphry Davy.

There is a street named after Sir Humphry Davy (Humphry-Davy-Straße) in the industrial quarter of the town of Cuxhaven, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

The University of Plymouth has named one of its science buildings after the chemist

The Royal Society of London has awarded the Davy Medal annually since 1877 "for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry."

Davy is the subject of a humorous song by Richard Gendall, recorded in 1980 by folk-singer Brenda Wootton, each verse of which recalls one of Davy's major discoveries.

English playwright Nick Darke wrote Laughing Gas (2005) a comedy script about the life of Sir Humphry Davy, unfinished at the time of Nick Darke's death; completed posthumously by actor and playwright Carl Grose and produced by the Truro-based production company O-region.

Reviews

[BeckyT]

Part Socratic sci-fi, part Romantic-era mumblecore, this small book opens a vision of very early nineteenth century science, religion, philosophy, poetry, ambition, and impending "old age" (Sir Humphry Davy finished it in 1829, the year of his death at the ripe old age of 50). Davy, a friend of many Romantic poets, held many interests, and this book captures many of his pursuits, reflections, and anxieties.

It is important to note that in Consolations in Travel, Davy describes a deeply troubling theory of race as part of his reflections on the 'progress' of humankind. Davy puts these theories in the mouth of the character The Genius, who is described as a superior intelligence to man. Thus, the most revered character in Consolations in Travel speaks the most demeaning lies about the "superiority" of the "Caucasian stock." The Genius then spends two sentences describing the "inferiority" of Black people (whom, it must be noted, Davy's wife's family had enslaved on their sugar plantation in Antigua; Davy's retirement in his 30s was funded by his wife's large sugar fortune).

This collection of thoughts from the Philosopher's last days appealed to a wide audience. As James A. Secord notes in Visions of Science, it was originally published as "a small octavo, typical of polite books of reflection and thought for genteel readers," and "appears to have regularly served as a gift between the sexes, and many copies were owned by women." In its first 40 years, it sold 8,000 copies in England alone, so the influence of this work, and the race theory it includes, must have been profound.

[Thomas Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered this English chemist and inventor, best remembered today for his discoveries of several alkali and alkaline earth metals as well as contributions to the discoveries of the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine. accidentally. Reading that he traveled in his final days and wrote his final musings to completion days before his death compelled me to read this interesting little work. I see it in three acts.

Act I: A stunningly imaginative tour of the solar system populated by fantasy beings and led by a supernatural
"Genius"

Act II: Italy travelogue and discussions of natural wonders like land-forming calcium deposits, Roman ruins, volcanoes, and the mysterious olm ( or proteus ) salamander.

Act III: Some fumbling grappling with the question of "what is time?" that descends into a lauding of the powers of chemistry and applied physics for improving and understanding the world.

[Bob Gustafson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very pleasant status report on all realms of natural philosophy, given by one of the greatest natural philosophers, shortly before his passing.

[René Toet · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this early 19th century book, the author uses allegorical constructs to explain his understanding of the sciences during his time. Unfortunately, to me, the fantastical narrative and scientific explanations feel too antiquated and outdated. With regard to science, I would prefer the late 20th and early 21st century works. In addition, it doesn't help that some fragments on history and culture are quite condescending towards non-caucasian races...

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an especially enjoyable read but very interesting. Sir Humphrey Davy was a remarkable individual. This short book was written while on his deathbed. As the discoverer of sodium, potassium and Chlorine as well as the inventor of the miner's headlamp, his opinions on science, religion and philosophy are of interest. It is a means to learn more about what this unusual man was thinking about 170 years ago. Perhaps his early studies on pneumatic gases affected him later in life. (He became addicted to nitrous oxide and almost died when experimenting with carbon monoxide. ). As I read some of his strange imagined adventures, I figured that he must have been in some delusional state. Either that or he was just a wild and crazy guy.