L ^93 J 



XXrX. Account of Experiments made on a Mineral called 

 Cerite, and on the particular Substance which it contains, 

 and which has been considered as a new Metal. Bu 



M. VAUaUELIN *. 



iVl, Klaphoth wrote to me, about eight months ag;o, 

 that he had discovered, in a mineral of Batsnaes, in Swc- 

 den^ a new earth to which he had given the name of ockroit, 

 on account of the red colour v/hich it assun]es by calcina- 

 tion. He even sent me in a letter a small specimen of this 

 substance; and having discovered in it, by several trials, 

 the presence of a considerable quantity of oxide of iron, I 

 started some doubts, in a note which I read in the Insti- 

 tute, in regard to the colour of that earth. I observed also 

 in the same note, that this substance had as many metallic 

 properties as earthy characters; but that the small quantity 

 of it which I had in m,y possession did not allow me to give 

 any decisive opinion on this subject f. 



Some tim.e after, Messrs. Berzelius and Bisensrer, having 

 been informed, by their correspondents at Paris, oi' M. Kbp- 

 roth's labour, wrote to me to claim a priority, stating that 

 they had sent to M. Klaproth the specimens of that mineral 

 which he had employed for his experiments, and that at 

 the same lime they had announced to him that they had 

 found a new metal in it. I can give no opinion on this 

 difference. I shall only observe, that the well known de- 

 licacy of M. Klaproth, and the high reputation he has justly 

 acquired by his numerous and important discoveries, render 

 It very improbable that he would appropriate to himself the 

 discovery of another. M. Klaproth must, no doubt, have 

 received from another quarter the mineral in question ; and 

 his labour was perhaps terminated before he acquired any 

 information respecting that of the Swedish chemists. What 

 seems to justify this opinion is, that they obtained results 

 entirely different. 



Every thing, therefore, seems to show that M. Klaproth 

 ofBerhn, and Messrs. Berzelius and Hisenger of Stock- 

 holn), made experiments at the same time on the same 

 mineral without having any communication with each 

 other ; and that each may have had the honour of the dis- 

 covery. 



The Swedish chemists transmitted to Paris a memoir on 



• From /liinnk^ du Museum Natiuwd d'Htitoirc SaUiTfHc, No. 33. 

 t See AnnaU, dt CUimie, No. 149, Floreal 30,, an li. 



A'ul. 22. No. 87. August 1S03. N this 



