{"title":"A Consideration of John Davy's \"Analysis of the Snake-Stone\".","authors":"Rachael Pymm","doi":"10.1080/00026980.2025.2480469","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper considers the circumstances of an article written by John Davy, brother of Sir Humphry Davy, in which he presented the first chemical analysis of snakestones. Davy encountered snakestones in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where he was posted as a medical officer of the British army in the early nineteenth century. The equipment that Davy took to Ceylon demonstrated his intent to find and analyse unfamiliar local materials, thus carrying out a dual role as a \"surgeon-naturalist.\" By comparing Davy's original notes on snakestones with his final published work, aspects of Davy's personality, and parallels between Davy's notetaking style and that of his brother, come to light. Davy's chemical analysis of snakestones was ground-breaking in the history of this purported alexipharmic. However, the significance of his publication was largely undercut by dismissive remarks contained in a note, \"Additional Observations, by the Secretary,\" appended to its publication.</p>","PeriodicalId":50963,"journal":{"name":"Ambix","volume":" ","pages":"1-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ambix","FirstCategoryId":"98","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00026980.2025.2480469","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract
This paper considers the circumstances of an article written by John Davy, brother of Sir Humphry Davy, in which he presented the first chemical analysis of snakestones. Davy encountered snakestones in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where he was posted as a medical officer of the British army in the early nineteenth century. The equipment that Davy took to Ceylon demonstrated his intent to find and analyse unfamiliar local materials, thus carrying out a dual role as a "surgeon-naturalist." By comparing Davy's original notes on snakestones with his final published work, aspects of Davy's personality, and parallels between Davy's notetaking style and that of his brother, come to light. Davy's chemical analysis of snakestones was ground-breaking in the history of this purported alexipharmic. However, the significance of his publication was largely undercut by dismissive remarks contained in a note, "Additional Observations, by the Secretary," appended to its publication.
期刊介绍：
Ambix is an internationally recognised, peer-reviewed quarterly journal devoted to publishing high-quality, original research and book reviews in the intellectual, social and cultural history of alchemy and chemistry. It publishes studies, discussions, and primary sources relevant to the historical experience of all areas related to alchemy and chemistry covering all periods (ancient to modern) and geographical regions. Ambix publishes individual papers, focused thematic sections and larger special issues (either single or double and usually guest-edited). Topics covered by Ambix include, but are not limited to, interactions between alchemy and chemistry and other disciplines; chemical medicine and pharmacy; molecular sciences; practices allied to material, instrumental, institutional and visual cultures; environmental chemistry; the chemical industry; the appearance of alchemy and chemistry within popular culture; biographical and historiographical studies; and the study of issues related to gender, race, and colonial experience within the context of chemistry.
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