4 TAfe ami Writings of Berzelius. 



In 1804, we again find him at Upsal ; and lie there ob- 

 tained the title of Doctoi' in Medicine on the 24th of May 

 in that same year. 



At this period he published his " Physical Researches on 

 the Effects of Galvanism on Organised Bodies." He was 

 already so distinguished by his scientific works, that, on 

 going to settle at Stockholm, a place was made expressly 

 for him ; he was nominated assistant to Sparman, Professor 

 of Medicine, Botany, and Chemical Pharmacy, who had tra- 

 velled with the illustrious Captain Cook. In consequence of 

 the smallness of his income, he was obliged, at times, to prac- 

 tise as a medical man. On the death of Sparman in 1806, Ber- 

 zelius' efforts were rewarded by the gift of the vacant chair. 

 At this period, tliere were only three professors in the school 

 of medicine, so that each of them was overburdened with 

 courses. Afterwards, four others were established, and 

 Berzelius could then confine himself to the teaching of 

 chemical pharmacy. His lectures in medicine met with the 

 greatest success, while those on chemistry were at first very 

 little regarded. He does not appear, at first, to have risen 

 much, in his mode of teaching, above his former masters, 

 Afzelius and Ekeberg. In his method of instruction, he 

 retained their vicious mode of reading his lectures ; with- 

 out any practical demonstrations or experiments. Be- 

 ing conscious of his own ability, and sensible of his pro- 

 found knowledge, he was somewhat surprised to observe 

 that he obtained little more success than the Upsal profes- 

 sor. These first attempts, joined to the advice given him 

 from time to time by a learned foreigner, Dr Marcet, led 

 him to abandon altogether this mode of teaching without 

 experiments, which, although conformable to the precepts of 

 the ancient logic, was directly opposed to the inductive me- 

 thod of the Baconian philosophy. It was necessary to create 

 almost entirely the instruments of this impoi'tant reformation. 

 The laboratory left him by his predecessor presented nu- 

 merous blanks ; there was nothing in it, so to speak, which 

 enabled him to develop the laws of chemistry and the pro- 

 perties of bodies by a well-arranged system of experiments. 

 He zealously applied himself to supply what was wanting, 



