1818.] Prof. Berzelius on Lithkm and Selenium. 373 



for last month is given the process for preparing the varnish, as 

 communicated by me in your Annals ; but without the directions 

 for applying it. I trust' that the editor will, injustice to his 

 readers, supply that defect, or they will derive but little advan- 

 tage from the communication. I am, Gentlemen, 

 Your most obedient servant, 



Thomas Gill. 



Article XIV. 



Additional Observations on Lithion and Selenium. By Professor 



Berzelius. 



In the Annates de Chimie et de Physique for Feb. last, we 

 have a letter from Prof. Berzelius to M. Berthollet, announcing 

 the discovery of the two new bodies of which we gave an account 

 in the last number of the Annals. Tins letter contains some 

 particulars which are not stated in the communication to Dr. 

 Marcet, from which our abstract was taken: these we shalnow, 

 therefore, lay before our readers. With respect to the neutral 

 salts formed with the new alkali, we are informed that the sul- 

 phate crystallizes with sufficient facility, and that the crystals 

 contain no water of combination ; their solution is not precipi- 

 tated by the muriate of platinum or by the tartaric acid. The 

 nitrate crystallizes in rhomboids, but readily attracts moisture ; 

 the carbonate crystallizes in prisms, but the crystals are gene- 

 rally very minute. This alkali was discovered in consequence 

 of its great capacity for saturating acids ; for the salt with an 

 alkaline base, which was obtained in the analysis of the petalite, 

 very much exceeded in weight what it ought to have done, had 

 it been composed either of soda or potash. It was natural to 

 conclude that a salt with an alkaline base, which is not precipi- 

 tated by tartaric acid, must contain soda ; this was the opinion 

 which M. Arfredson * first entertained ; but after repeating the 

 analysis of the petalite three times, he was led to suspect that it 

 contained something peculiar; and it was in the further prosecu- 

 tion of the inquiry that the new substance was discovered. 



With respect to its name, Professor Berzelius remarks that 

 the denomination lithion, which they have bestowed upon it in 

 order to designate its origin, has a termination which is accord- 

 ing to the analogy of the Swedish language ; but that it may 

 require a little modification to adapt it to other languages ; as, 

 for example, in French it should probably be called lithiue. We 

 may suggest that, according to the analogy of the other alkalies, 

 in English it will be lithina. 



* This gentleman's name has been generally spelled Arvidson, or Arvedson; 

 but the correct method teems to be Arfredson. 



