450 Profv Schoenbein's Remarks on Mr. Williamson's 



In conclusion, we have only further to observe, that Sir 

 David Brewster has found ground of oflf'ence in several phrases, 

 which we beg to assure him were used most innocently, and 

 coniain no such covert insinuations as he seems to think are 

 lurking within them. The passage which has given him so 

 much offence was intended to express the following and no 

 other truths : — " Sir David Brewster afterwards published on 

 the subject, and tried to mediate between the contending par- 

 ties, but ineffectually; for he discussed it as a question of na-,, 

 tional honour affecting the claims of Cavendish the Englisht 

 man and Watt the Scotchman, and in the adjudication of 

 merit he placed his countryman highest." 



We have not sought to reply to the charge of discourtesy 

 preferred against us by Sir David Brewster, for naming him 

 as the author of an unacknowledged Review article. We did 

 it inconsiderately ; hut if we have satisfied Sir David, that it 

 was with no unkindly intention we referred to him as the writer 

 of a paper so notoriously and so evidently his, we trust he will 

 forgive this transgression of 



A British Quartekly ReVieweICL^' 

 'November 1, 1845. 



LXXIII. Riemarh on Mr. WdWamioti's^^xpefiments 7')^rd^ 

 f(^ ing Ozone. By Prof. G. F. Schoenbein of Basle*. 



I T is rather amusing to see the variety of opinions which 

 -*- have been given out respecting the nature of the odori- 

 ferous matter disengaged by phosphorus in moist atmospheric 

 air. To some, that principle is either nitrous or nitric acid 

 according to others, it must be considered as phosphorous of ^ 

 hypophosphorous acid. M. De la Rive and Marignac think 

 it oxygen modified by the electricity which they suppose to 

 be disengaged during the chemical action of phosphorus upon 

 atmospheric air : oxide of arsenic, or arsenious acid resulting 

 from an arseniferous phosphorus, was once mentioned as likely 

 to be ozone, and some went so far as to declare that substance 

 to be nothing but organic matter changed by phosphorus 

 into ozone. I myself was inclined for a time to consider 

 ozone as a constituent part of nitrogen. Mr. Williamson f 

 has lately augmented this list of opinions by one which 

 has certainly the merit of being the most original of all^ 



* Comrtiilnicated by the Author. 



t Mr. Williamson's paper will be found at p. 372 of the present volume. 

 —Ed. 



