3)24 Biographical Account of [Nov. 



Sweden, was at that time Crown Prince and Chancellor of the 

 University of Upsala. The character and abilities of this 

 extraordinary man are well known. He entered with his usual 

 zeal into the dispute respecting the chemical chair, and consulted 

 Von Swab andTilas upon the merits of the candidates. Neither 

 of these eminent men was personally acquainted with Bergman ; 

 but they were not ignorant of his writings nor of the high 

 character which he bore at Upsala for industry and talents. 

 Von Swab's opinion of Bergman's chemical skili was founded 

 upon the dissertation on the manufacture of alum, while Tilas 

 came to a similar conclusion from the second part of the physical 

 geography which Bergman had written. Fortunately for 

 chemistry and for the reputation of Sweden, both of them 

 strenuously recommended Bergman as the candidate who ought 

 to get the professorship. Gustavus, in consequence, took the 

 part of our young philosopher ; and he was so keen on the sub- 

 ject, that he supported his cause in person before the senate. 

 Wallerius and his party were of course baffled, and Bergman 

 got the chair. 



His previous education and habits fitted him peculiarly for the 

 cultivation of that science to which he was to dedicate the 

 remainder of his life. At that time the intimate connexion 

 between physics and chemistry, which is now so close that the 

 exact boundaries of the two sciences cannot be defined, was 

 not quite so visible. The mode of reasoning was not exactly 

 similar to (hat which was followed by those who cultivated 

 mechanical philosophy ; certain occult causes and unknown 

 bodies were admitted without hesitation, and were supposed to 

 play a very conspicuous part among chemical phenomena. It is 

 sufficiently obvious that a man familiarly acquainted with the 

 principles of mathematics, accustomed to mathematical reason- 

 ing, capable of applying it to the different branches of mecha- 

 nical philosophy, skilled in the phenomena and laws of 

 electricity, optics, hydrostatics, and pneumatics, and possessed 

 of those general views which are the natural result of a complete 

 education — it is sufficiently obvious that such a man must 

 possess prodigious advantages in studying chemistry over the 

 uninformed and contracted mind of the mere chemist. Even at 

 present when the science of chemistry has made considerable 

 progress, when its principles are in some measure established, 

 and the mode of investigating its phenomena ascertained, it is 

 easy, at a single glance, to perceive the superiority of those 

 who have imbued the principles of mathematics and physics 

 over those who have been so unlucky as not to have received a 

 sufficiently liberal education. When Bergman began his che- 

 mical career, these advantages must have been of still greater 

 importance than they are at present, because the principles of 

 the science were still to be investigated, and many prejudices 

 and false opinions, originating from ignorance and contracted 



