called the Gaaolin'ite. 367 



Till chemical means are brought to that degree of perfec- 

 tion, we muft make known thofe bodies which, on account 

 of their peculiar properties, we cannot refer to any of thofe 

 already known, and which, till a new order be eftabiiihed, 

 we are obliged to confider as new fubftances. An attentive 

 examination of their properties is of great importance ; for, 

 even though they may be only modifications of bodies al- 

 ready known, it may happen, of which we have many in- 

 ftances, that their qualities may become ufeful to the arts 

 and to manufactures, and, in any event, it is better to err 

 through excefs than deficiency. 



With this view I mail here defcribe, with fome details, 

 the properties of a new earth difcovered by M. Gadolin, and 

 which has been examined by M. Ekeberg under new points 

 of view. 



I (hall firft give a fhort description of the ftone, and then 

 explain the different proceffes which I employed to analyfe 

 it; and (hall conclude with indicating the principal proper- 

 ties that chara&erife the new earth it contains. The oreater 



o 



part of the observations 1 fhall make on this Subject, may 

 have been already published by the chemifts above men- 

 mentioned ; but their works being not much known, I have 

 thought it my duty to act in this manner, that the prefent 

 difcovery may be better propagated. 



I fhall, however, repeat what has been communicated to 

 me by M. Manthey, profeffor of chemiftry at Copenhagen, 

 to whom both Haiiy and I are indebted for a large quantity 

 of matter containing this new earth *. 



In 1794, M. Gadolin difcovered this earth ; and his la- 

 bour on the Subject was printed in the Memoirs of the Aca- 

 demy of Sweden, and in Crell's Chemical Annals for the 

 year 1796. M. Ekeberg, about two years ago, began an 

 analyfis of the fame ltone, and confirmed the refults of 

 M. Gadolin. To the new earth he gave the name of 

 Yttria, from Ytterley, a place in Sweden, where it is found. 

 A fhort mention of it wus made alio in the Annahs de 



* Profeffor A bilclgaard, ;ilfo, has bad ihc goodnefs to fend me a pretty 

 large quantity of this ftone, which enabled me to vary my experiments, 

 and to difcovcr the characterifing properties of the new earth it contains. 

 3 B % Chimit, 



