Proceedings of Learned Societies. 223 



This information induced me to make the experiments stated 

 in the note (vol. ii. p. 103). Dr. Prout wrote me after the 

 publication of ray work, that he still found the crystallized 

 oxalic acid as he had stated. On receiving this letter I re- 

 quested my assistant, Mr. Andrew Steel, a chemist of much 

 practical experience, to repeat my experiments and give me 

 the result in writing. His experiments agreed exactly with 

 mine to the hundredth of a grain. I am unable to account 

 for this circumstance, and wish much that some other indivi- 

 dual would repeat this expei'iment, and tell us on which side 

 the error lies. Is it possible that two varieties of crystals of 

 oxalic acid occur in commerce ? Those that I first tried I 

 had prepared myself; but I afterwards bought acid, and found 

 its composition just the same. 



I have been long aware of the malignant feeling which 

 Berzelius harboured with respect to me, and had even got no- 

 tice of some attacks which he had sent to certain foreio-n 

 journals ; but which the editors had refused to insert. Nei- 

 ther am I ignorant of the origin of this malignant feelino-j 

 though I do not pretend to be less of the genus irritahile than 

 other people, I must acknowledge that I have viewed the 

 conduct and the attacks of Berzelius with great indifference. 

 I never had the pleasure of meeting with him, and was tho- 

 roughly satisfied that he had formed a very erroneous idea 

 both of my character and conduct. It was not against me, 

 but against a man of straw of his own ci'eation, that the attacks 

 were made. I formed a very early resolution not to retaliate, 

 and I still intend not to deviate from that resolution. [ shall 

 continue to avail myself of all Berzelius's experiments, and 

 still use the privilege of calling in question his theories and 

 hypotheses when I think them erroneous. But I shall con- 

 tinue to speak of him, as I have always done, with that respect 

 for his talents and industry which I feel ; and allow no im- 

 proper conduct on his part to drag me into any thing which 

 would derogate from the rank which I am conscious of holding 

 as a man of science and of upright conduct. 



I am, Gentlemen, your humble servant, 



Thomas Thomson. 



XXXIV. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



June 19, 1828—" Tj^XPERIMENTS and observations on electric 



(continued). -t-^ conduction," by William Ritche,A.M., F.R.S. 



According to the modern theory of electricity, metallic bodies, far 



from attracting the electric fluid, a.s is commonly believed, are, of all 



bodies 



