Thomas Phillipps to Faraday   28 May 1855

To Dr Faraday, Royal Institution DCL Athenaeum | 28 May 55

My dr Dr Faraday

I have followed yr advice & read the Reports in the Comptes Rendus upon Aluminium¹ but, alas! I must go to School again. The Nomenclature of Chymistry is so changed since I studied since I studied under my old friend Dr Kidd² of Oxford that I am at a loss to understand some of the new terms, & I suppose I must continue so, unless you will be my Professor & kindly teach me. Two terms in particular I cannot translate “Chlorure & Chlorhydrique“. Are they connected with Oxymuriatic Acid? Is Chalumcan a Blowpipe, or a Common Smoking Pipe? I have sought in vain in this Library for a French Technological Dictionary.

Pardon my giving you so much trouble, but I will promise to make you amends as soon as I have turned all my Clay Mountains into Clay Silver or Aluminium.

Believe me | Very Truly Your’s | T. Phillipps