Historical profile The woman that inspired Faraday An amateur and an enthusiast, Jane Marcet wrote what was to become one of history’s most important chemistry books. Hazel Rossotti dips into her pioneering ‘Conversations on Chemistry’ It may seem a far cry from the to provide this background by her father once or twice a week that modern image of the subject but two writing her book, Conversations on In short involved dinner for about 40 guests, centuries ago, chemistry lectures chemistry, in which the elements of ● The first edition with more invited afterwards for were fashionable entertainment that science are familiarly explained of Jane Marcet’s dessert and discussion. The guest for the London glitterati. They and illustrated by experiments. ‘Conversations on lists for these gatherings included weren’t solely the pursuit of Published anonymously in London Chemistry’ was published notable politicians, literary figures male intellectuals – women also in 1806, it became the flagship for in 1805 and scientists, and gave Jane the subscribed to London’s Royal popular chemical education during ● Marcet was inspired by opportunity for conversation with Institution. Contemporary prints the next half-century. Humphry Davy’s lectures some of the best minds of her time. show a number of them attending at the Royal Institution in One of the guests was her future lectures by its Director, Humphry From tutor to author London husband, the Swiss-born medical Davy. Some may have attended Marcet (born Jane Haldimand ● She wrote her book student Alexander Marcet, who was for social reasons, or even been in 1769) was the eldest child of a as a lively conversation later co-founder of what is now the attracted by the charisma of the London-based Swiss financier between three Royal Society of Medicine. Their handsome lecturer, but one woman and an English mother, and was characters: a tutor and marriage in 1799 was unusual for the in particular was inspired by the educated mainly at home by private two students period, as she was 30 and slightly experimental demonstrations. Mrs tutors. Her father held progressive ● It became one of the older than him. Alexander moved Jane Marcet was a keen proponent views about the education of both most important and into the Haldimand household, of these events. She wanted to girls and boys, and her lessons, influential books of and the famous soirées were now be able to discuss the chemistry which she clearly enjoyed, included popular chemistry attended by his own scientific with her husband and friends and such untraditional subjects as friends, including Edward Jenner felt that she, and perhaps other natural philosophy, as physics was and Humphry Davy. women, would find the lectures then called. When Jane was 15, Jane had attended some earlier easier to assimilate if they were her mother died and Jane became chemistry lectures out of general accompanied by some background responsible for running their interest, but found the rapid information. Humbly conceding large household at Clapham and demonstrations confusing. However, to being a woman and a ‘recent supervising the education of her Jane Marcet met and the little she had learned helped her learner’ with ‘no real claims to the five younger siblings. She also acted mixed with some of the to appreciate the ‘excellent lectures title of chemist’, Marcet sought as hostess at soirées organised by finest minds of her time delivered at the Royal Institution’, 58 | Chemistry World | June 2007 www.chemistryworld.org www.chemistryworld.org Chemistry World | June 2007 | 59 Historical profile Marcet was innovative in other ways, which are implied by the two parts of her subtitle. She achieved informality of explanation by lively dialogue between plausible characters. Mrs B is a rigorous but humane tutor who is not ashamed to admit ignorance. Her two pupils are intelligent and enthusiastic, but while Emily is over-earnest and ebullient, Caroline is slap- happy, both intellectually and manually. Their conversation SCIENCE AND SOCIETY PICTURE LIBRARY, SCIENCE MUSEUM SCIENCE LIBRARY, PICTURE SOCIETY AND SCIENCE sounds convincing for the period, with Mrs B taking examples from everyday experience and Caroline sometimes mocking her tutor and using less-than-ladylike language. Although Mrs B keeps a tight rein on systematic learning, she makes and allows numerous brief digressions, all relevant to chemistry, and some also related to her pupils’ own interests. These introduce the reader to applied chemistry, and to the rapid socio-economic changes probably Davy’s series on General system. Thus Marcet’s volume I The book sought to associated with the burgeoning chemistry which started in 1802. deals with the known ‘elementary provide some background chemical industry. She ‘became better acquainted bodies’ which still included, albeit to the chemistry lectures Mrs B presents chemistry as a with the principles of that science’ tentatively, the alkalis and alkaline that inspired Marcet subject which is advancing rapidly by frequent conversations with earths, together with heat (‘caloric’) through exacting experimental her ‘friend’ (in fact, her husband and light. Acids are discussed, work, with exciting discoveries Alexander, as is clear from his together with vegetable and animal just around the corner. She makes diaries) and by repeating Davy’s physiology, under compound bodies, efficient use of lesson-time and experiments with him in a in volume II. expounds sensible views on laboratory he had built at home for Although the Greeks had disciplined study methods as well his own chemical research. She was written intellectual discourse in as the seemly behaviour of female soon hooked and decided to write a conversational style more than two chemists. Her championing of book for those women who lacked millennia before Marcet, the use of Lavoisier’s new system of chemical her advantage of an in-house tutor. dialogues for the scientific education nomenclature, while remaining Alexander encouraged her pursuit, of women and children is far more sensitive to traditionalists’ views, as did his friend, the medic John recent. Following Bernard de could be a model for present-day Yelloy, who advised her that ‘it is Fontenelle (1686), those introducing approach to this contentious topic. better to elevate the minds of young women to astronomy had featured ladies too high, than to depress them female pupils who were portrayed Try this at home too low’. as bright and interested, but The subtitle also stresses the The process of writing was satisfactorily ignorant of science author’s conviction that hands- punctuated by the births of two and prone to admire the wonders on experience should form part healthy sons in 1803 and 1805; and of nature, intellectual thought, and of chemical education or, if this is the book went to press in the early their erudite tutors. Marcet herself impracticable, that pupils should be autumn of 1805, to be published had already written, but not yet Marcet illustrated her shown experiments using apparatus in two pocket-sized duodecimo published, Conversations on natural book with experimental that is fully explained. The plates are volumes by Longman (London) philosophy for her younger siblings. apparatus engraved from elegant drawings by at the end of the year, without any financial input from the author. Alexander wrote: ‘when it was all done, we had a most large party’. Amateurish and inspirational So why should a book, so apparently amateurish, be remembered and admired two centuries later? Marcet’s modesty was justified– she had made no original discovery or interpretation. She wrote simply to share her excitement of learning chemistry. The content followed Davy’s lectures, which were themselves based on Lavoisier’s (LIC) CENTRE INFORMATION AND LIBRARY CHEMISTRY OF SOCIETY ROYAL 60 | Chemistry World | June 2007 www.chemistryworld.org Marcet, who had learned painting from Joshua Reynolds and Thomas ‘Mrs B, the Lawrence; some show instruments tutor, presents being used by delicate female hands. The girls are taught to blow chemistry as a glass bulb (Caroline ‘blowed too a subject that hard’), to ignite soap bubbles which they had filled (after sufficient is advancing practice) with hydrogen, and to rapidly, with handle concentrated sulfuric acid without (in Emily’s case) getting it on exciting clothing or hands. Their comments discoveries on the production of any light, colour, sound, smell or scientific surprise just around the seem so appropriate that the reader corner’ almost feels a member of the group. It is perhaps wiser to read about the experiments than to do them because, although Mrs B sometimes exhorts the young not to repeat the more hazardous demonstrations by themselves, a current safety officer might find her unjustifiably relaxed. But Faraday, who successfully repeated ‘such little experiments as [he] could find the means to perform’ Michael Faraday referred seems to have come to no harm. to Marcet as his ‘first One early reviewer, almost instructress’ (LIC) CENTRE INFORMATION AND LIBRARY CHEMISTRY OF SOCIETY ROYAL unfazed by the oddity of a chemistry book written by a woman, noted have the useful mixed with a little with chemical advances. She asked that the content was not noticeably of the sweet’ with complimentary Faraday and others about their latest slanted towards female readers. comments about the realistic discoveries, and revised the book After a number of technical characters and the lively dialogue. frequently. When the 16th London criticisms (some, but not all, of And to today’s reader, much of the edition appeared in 1854, Marcet which we would now agree with) book still seems fun. was 84, and the book had sold he recommends it to all those Marcet tried, not always 20 000 copies in Britain. It was also starting chemistry who ‘wish to successfully, to keep up-to-date widely popular in North America but with no international copyright, One of Mrs.