THE 

 EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, 



Art. I.— ^ Visit to Berzelim. By James F. W. Johnston, 

 A. M. Communicated by the Author. 



Among the elder chemists of this age, who, taking up the 

 science of chemistry in its youth, have presided over and 

 guided its advance to manhood, Davy, WoUaston, and Thom- 

 son in our own country, Gay-Lussac in France, and Berzehus 

 in Sweden, have deservedly attained the first rank. Many 

 others have trodden hard upon their steps, even in experi- 

 mental research ; — while Dal ton, standing almost aloof from 

 experiment, has at once, by the mere force of thought, con- 

 ceived and digested a theory of chemical combination, which 

 manipulation, by its patient investigations, is every day con- 

 firming, — securing to liimself, thus, in the history of the 

 science, a place, perhaps higher, certainly apart from that of 

 his more laborious contemporaries ; — yet still in our time most 

 chemists look up to one or other of those men as the most ar- 

 dent and successful promoters of their favourite pursuit. 



Davy's career was a bright and dazzling one ; pity his sun 

 should have set in comparative obscurity ! Wollaston died 

 as he lived, bearing to his grave the honours and rewards of 

 indefatigable devotion to science. Of those who yet remain to 

 us, Gay-Lussac has run undoubtedly a brilliant course ; but 

 his star has been periodical, and has burned occasionally with 

 a flickering and unsteady light. He is a learned and skilful 



NEW SERIES, VOL, II. NO. II. APRIL 1830. N 



