326 Biographical Account of [Nov. 



power to draw any important consequences from it respecting 

 the laws of affinity. 



Bergman filled the chemical chair atUpsala for 17 years, and 

 during that period his numerous publications entirely altered 

 the appearance of the science. He introduced an order, a 

 perspicuity, an exactness, which were unknown before, and 

 which were certainly one of the great causes of the subsequent 

 rapid progress of chemistry. Their influence was universally 

 felt ; and as long as Bergman lived, he was universally looked 

 up to as one of the patriarchs of the science. 



To satisfy our readers of the high reputation which Bergman 

 acquired, we may mention the attempt of the great Frederick 

 of Prussia, in 1776, to prevail upon him to become a member of 

 the Prussian Academy of Sciences, and to settle at Berlin. 

 Bergman took some time to consider the offer of his Prussian 

 Majesty, which was highly honourable, and advantageous even 

 in a pecuniaiy point of view ; but the King of Sweden, who was 

 justly proud of his illustrious subject, would not permit him to 

 transfer his allegiance, announcing, that he would consider his 

 expatriating himself as a personal offence to his Majesty. As 

 some compensation for this sacrifice, Bergman received the 

 honour of knighthood, and a pension of 150 rix dollars was 

 annually paid him out of the Royal treasury. 



Nor is it a less striking proof of the estimation in which he 

 was held in foreign countries that the Royal Academy of 

 Sciences of Paris, on the death of Sir John Pringle, elected him 

 one of the eight foreign associates to which their number was 

 restricted. He had been a Fellow of the Royal Society from the 

 year 1764. This honour is never conferred except upon the 

 most distinguished foreigners. Though as the number of such 

 Fellows is not limited, as was the case with the French Academy, 

 the same kind of difficulty does not present itself to prevent the 

 conferring of such an honour upon such individuals as are con- 

 sidered to be deserving of it. 



But it was not his publications alone which constituted his 

 merit. His lectures were no less valuable ; and the pupils whom 

 he educated contributed,-in no small degree, to spread his repu- 

 tation. Gahn, Hjelm, Gadolin, the Elhuyarts, and others, who 

 afterwards acquired celebrity, were educated by him. His first 

 care after obtaining the cfcwir was to collect all the different 

 chemical substances and their products, and to form them into 

 a cabinet. Another cabinet contained the minerals of Sweden, 

 arranged according to the places where they originated ; and a 

 third consisted of models of the different instruments employed 

 in chemistiy and in chemical manufactures. These were de- 

 signed for the instruction of his pupils, whom he encouraged 

 and inspired with that confidence and enthusiasm which is 

 requisite for the successful prosecution of practical chemistry. 



His treatment of Scheele deserves to be mentioned with parti 



