666 BERZELIUS ON THE COMPOSITION OP 
view adopted by Liebig, that the organic bodies containing oxy- 
gen were oxides of compound radicals. Their common opinion 
upon this subject was presented to the French Academy, Oct. 
23, 1837, in a note by Dumas, in the names of both, ‘ Upon the 
actual state of Organic Chemistry.’ 
In that note Dumas proposes the question, How can we, from 
the known laws of inorganic chemistry, infer those applicable to 
organic bodies, which, though differently constituted, nearly all 
consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with the addition some- 
times of nitrogen. 
To preserve the vividness of his description, I will give a literal 
translation of his answer. 
“This presents a great and beautiful problem to natural phi- 
losophy, a problem, the solution of which may well give rise to 
the highest degree of emulation amongst chemists, for, when 
once solved, the grandest triumphs are secured to science. The 
mysteries both of vegetable and animal life would be unveiled 
before our eyes, the key would be given to all the wonderfully 
rapid, often momentary modifications which take place in animals * 
and plants; and still further, we might possibly discover the 
way to imitate these in our laboratories. ' 
“ And now, we fear not to announce it, nor is it on our part 
a hasty conclusion, this great and beautiful problem is already 
solved. We have now only to make from it all the deductions 
of which it is capable. 
“‘ With three or four elements Nature produces, in a manner 
as simple as it is productive, quite as various and perhaps more 
numerous compounds than occur in the whole of inorganic che- 
mistry: from simple elements she produces compounds having 
all the properties of elements. It is our firm conviction, that in 
this the whole mystery of organic nature consists. 
“Organic chemistry therefore embraces a number of peculiar 
elements, some of which play the part of oxygen or chlorine, 
others on the contrary correspond to the metals. Cyanogen, 
amidogen, benzoyle, the radicals of ammonia, of the fatty acids, 
of alcohol and similar bodies, are the elements with which or- 
ganic chemistry works, and not with the simple elements car- 
bon, hydrogen, aitrogen and oxygen, which only show them- 
selves as such, when every trace of their organic origin has dis- 
appeared. 
* In our opinion organic chemistry includes all bodies which 
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