BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF PROFESSOR DUMAS. 261 



Geneva, were resumed and pursued with great ardor. He was the 

 rival of Liebig, who so successfully cultivated the same field at the 

 same time. But the two chemists, although often in sharp collision in 

 their views, were ever firm, afEectionate friends. Of their relation, 

 Dumas remarked as follows : 



"To find our way through these unexplored territories, we had 

 neither compass nor guides, neither method nor laws. Each of us had 

 been led to form ideas and to elaborate views peculiar to himself, 

 which he defended with warmth and even wath passion, but without 

 any feeling of envy or jealousy. The discoveries to be made appeared 

 to us without limit, and each was satisfied with his harvest. What 

 we both had at heart was to stake the ground and to open roads, nor 

 have I any doubt that, in reading my papers, Liebig felt the same 

 pleasure which the perusal of his afforded me. If a new step had 

 been taken, it was of little moment whether it had been made by the 

 one or by the other, since it served us both on the road to truth." 

 This generous feeling was heartily reciprocated by Liebig, who dedi- 

 cated the German edition of his " Familiar Letters on Chemistry " to 

 Dumas with the most cordial expressions of high regard. 



It is impossible here even to name his scientific conquests. He 

 early propounded new views of the atomic theory, which time has con- 

 firmed ; and his experimental inquiries into the compound ethers laid 

 the foundation of that branch of organic chemistry. 



Dumas has been both a prolific and an elegant writer. His works 

 present considerable variety, both as to the subjects discussed and to 

 the form of treatment adopted. There are several elaborate treatises 

 and a great many minor pamphlets. His academical notices, his offi- 

 cial documents, his municipal reports, his festal speeches, his opening 

 discourses, his commemoration addresses, his funeral orations, are 

 countless, and they are all marked by an unusual degree of literary 

 merit. 



When the Republic was established in France, the President, Louis 

 Napoleon, appointed Dumas Minister of Agriculture and Commerce ; 

 and when the Empire was established he became a Senator. His tal- 

 ents were now largely devoted to the public service, and he was the 

 active spirit in numerous commissions in which his extensive and ac- 

 curate knowledge was invaluable. With the overthrow of the Em- 

 pire he returned to private life, and again resumed the scientific labors 

 which have ever been his chief delight. 



