154 On Cerium. 



air, these were set into better motion, and the stagnated 

 fluids absorbed, and more vis vifce thrown on the surface, 

 sufficient to remove cutaneous obstructions; and, aided by 

 tonic medicines, the disease vanished. 



3. Query — Would the vital ctir alone have effected so ex- 

 traordinary a cure r oxmediciue^ r* — It is from combined powers 

 that I believe the benefit arose, as I have before endea\oured 

 to explain in some other cases. 



I have the honour to remain. 

 Dear sir, 

 Your faithful, obliged friend, 



Robert John Thornton. 



XXVI. On Cerium, a neiu Metal found in a Mineral Sub- 

 stance of Bastnas in Sweden, culled Tungsten, described 

 by W. D'HisiNGER and J. B. Berzelius*. 



I. Description of the Tungsten of Bastnas. 





J. HOUGH this substance was formerly tried by Scheelc and 

 D'Ellhuyar, under the name of wolfram, yet its consi- 

 derable specific gravity determined us to subject it to 

 further researches. Our object in particular was to find 

 vttria, which, beingunknown at the timewhcn these chemists 

 carried on their labours, might have escaped their attention. 

 Our suspicions were ill-founded; since, instead of an earth, 

 we found in it, according to every appearance, a substance 

 hitherto unknown, as will be seen by what follows: 



The tungsten of Bastnas, which we call cerite, for rea- 

 sons which will be hereafter mentioned, was found in the 

 vear 1 730, in a copper mine called Bastnas, or Saint Gorans 

 koppargrufva, at Riddare-Hyttan, in Westmannia, of which 

 it formed with asbestos the matrix ; but after that time it 

 was inclosed in quartz and mica, at the depth of seventeen 

 toises. 



Tungsten is almost alwavs mechanically mixed with black 

 amphibolite (hornblcnd), striated actinole, of a bright green 

 colour (schorl), with mica, sulphurated copper, bismuth, 

 and sulphurated molybdena, as one may be more readily 

 convinced -ijy exposing it to the fire. 



Cerite, properly so called, is transparent, of a flesh colour, 

 sometimes dirk, sometimes bright, and rarely yellow. The 

 stone in a mass, and in small specimens, is of an irregular 



* From A'liiaU-s de ChimiCf No, i jq. 



form : 



