Prefent State of Chemiflry in Germany. 329 
hope, will, not be difpleafed with the following thort:account 
of the prefent ftate of chemifiry in Germany, being an ex 
tract; of a letter from Dr. Girtanner to Van> Mons, dated 
Gottingen, Sept, 5,.1796, publifhed this year, in one) of the 
German Journals, with fome obfervations by Van Mons. 
» ©The fyftem of chemiftry in Germany has undergone a 
revolution. The exiftence of phlogifton is no longer de- 
fended, but by Gren (a man of diftinguithed talents, though 
obftinate), Weftrumb, Gmelin and Crell. The three Jaft 
have: declared eternal war again{t the anti-phlogiftic doc- ° 
trine. Their enthufiafm even proceeds fo far’ that, if we 
full lived in the age of martyrdom, they would not hefitate 
to fuffer themfelyes to be burnt, in order to prove the exift- 
ence of phlogifton in their bodies. Trommfdorf, who. has 
embraced the new dottrine, ftill adheres, however, in fome 
fmall points to the old. Gottling defends his new hype= 
‘thefis. Among our young chemitts, Scherer of Jena promifes 
great things. He is a zealous follower of the French che- 
miftry, a good experimenter, and poffeffed of great know- 
ledge: there is nothing but the res angufla domi which 
prevents him from labouring and) making new difcoveries. 
Profeffor Mayer at, Erlangen is a man of great talents, who 
to natural philofophy and chemiftry unites a profound know- 
ledge of the mathematics like Monge at Paris... Hermbftidt 
does every thing he can for the advancement of the new 
dogtrine. . The above isa faint {ketch of the prefent ftate af 
chemiftry in Germany. 
- | * As my, occupations have not permitted me to continue 
my experiments on phofphorus and alkalies, Jam unwilling 
to communicate to you thofe [ have made, until I repeat 
them: I will, however, venture to affure you, that phof- 
phorus is a compound of azot and hydrogen. All phof- 
phorus contains more or lefs carbon ; but, in my opinion, 
that principle does not enter into its coinpotttion . 
“© T have proved that phofphorus may fhine in azotic gas 
“and carbonic acid gas by means of the water which thefe 
‘gates 
