398 Festival in honour of Berzelius. 



has travelled through several foreign countries for scientific purposes, 

 viz. to England, 1813 ; to Germany and France, 1819 ; to Bohemia, 

 1822 ; and to Germany, 1830 and 1835. When the Medico-Chirur- 

 gical College was established at Stockholm in 1815, Berzelius was 

 appointed Professor of Chemistry ; and having lately resigned his 

 place, His Majesty graciously allowed him to remain as Professor 

 Honorarius, and to retain his salary. 



The merits of Baron Berzelius, as regards the science of chemistry, 

 are so multifarious, that it is quite impossible to comprehend them 

 within the limits of the present outline. As a proof of the magni- 

 tude of his laborious pursuits, it may be sufficient to mention, that 

 he first developed the electro-chemical system, and that he has also 

 examined and minutely described the atomic theory of the elementary 

 bodies. Of these bodies he has discovered selenium, thorium and 

 cerium, and first classified calcium, barium, strontium, columbium, 

 silicium and zirconium among the metals *. He has discovered and 

 examined several great classes of chemical combinations, as, for in- 

 stance, the different degrees in which sulphur combines with fluoric 

 acid, with platinum, columbium, vanadium, tellurium and phosphorus, 

 the sulphates, &c. Not less has he distinguished himself by his 

 experiments in organic chemistry; and properly speaking, he has 

 laid the foundation of the vegetable and animal chemistry, in par- 

 ticular the latter. As regards the chemical analysis, the highest 

 merits are due to him for having arranged a new and generally 

 adopted chemical nomenclature. The minerals which formerly were 

 arranged according to their exterior qualities, have been classified 

 by him with regard to their chemical combinations. From this it 

 will be seen, that there is hardly any branch of chemistry which he 

 has not examined, and where he has not made the most important 

 discoveries. 



His works, which have been for the most part translated into the 

 English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Polish languages, are 

 so numerous and voluminous, that considering the accuracy with 

 which everything is described, it appears to be almost a wonder 

 how one man, whose time besides is occupied by a great deal of of- 

 ficial duties, has been able to accomplish such a mass of scientific 

 publications. His great work, ' Manual of Chemistry,' has been 

 published in four different editions, of which the latest contains ten 

 volumes, the last of which was published in 1 841 . The fifth edition 

 is now publishing, and two volumes are already in the hands of the 

 booksellers. His lectures on Animal Chemistry are published in 

 two volumes ; his works on Natural Philosophy, Chemistry and 

 Mineralogy, make six volumes ; and his Reports of the yearly pro- 

 gress of the natural and chemical sciences contain not less than 

 twenty-three volumes. 



* There is some ambiguity here: the metallic nature of calcium, barium, 

 and strontium was certainly first determined by Sir H. Davy ; and the share 

 justly claimable by Berzelius in the discovery of the true nature of the other 

 bodies mentioned appears to be somewhat exaggerated. We forbear fur- 

 ther remark on account of the strong national and friendly feeling in favour 

 of the illustrious subject of the notice with which it is written, and of which 

 he is so eminently deserving. — Edit. 



