21 1 On the Cause of Chemical Proportions, [April, 



pains, without ever making the slightest complaint, or testifying 

 the smallest sign of impatience. Even when enfeebled by a long 

 want of sleep, and incapable of all application, he deceived himself 

 respecting the state of his health. He spoke of new arrangements, 

 which would be required in consequence of his having been ap- 

 pointed to the place of director of the studies, a situation which at 

 first he had only filled ad interim, and occupied himself in con- 

 triving new plans for the future, when his health should be restored. 

 Did he wisii to spare the sensibility of his wife, and of some friends, 

 who never quitted him during the most painful period of his 

 disease ? No ; he deceived himself. Had it not been for this 

 mistake, which all around him made a point of encouraging, would 

 he not iiave endeavoured to remove his wife from him ? She never 

 left him, even for an instant ; and during five days and nights she 

 remained with her face constantly fixed on his, ready to satisfy all 

 his wishes. Would he not have been afiaid of the effects of con- 

 tagion ? Would he have accepted of a care which, without being 

 of any real utility to him, might prove, as was in fact the case, 

 fatal to her who bestowed it ? I wish I could here transcribe a 

 letter which one of his faithful friends wrote just after the catas- 

 troplie tiiat terminated this scene of grief! Let us rather dismis<i 

 these dismal ideas, and speak of the name which Malus has left 

 behind him. His name is for ever attached to the phenomena of 

 polarized li^ht, of which he was the first person that spoke. Ail 

 the discoveries relative to this branch of optics will recall the 

 memory of the philosopher who first laid open this new path. 

 Newton, in speaking of a young friend whom he had just lost, said, 

 //' Cotes lied lived we should have known soviething. We may say 

 the same thing. If Alalus had lived he would have completed the 

 theory of light. He died on the 24th of February, 181:J. His 

 place in the Institute has been filled by M. Polsson. 



Article II. 



Essay on the Cause of Chemical Proportions, and on some Cit- 

 cunistunces relating to them: toi^ether ruith a short and ea<y 

 Method of expressing them. By Jacob Berzelius, M.D. 

 F.R.S. Professor of Chemistry at Stockholm. 



(Continurd from p. 106.) 



4. Wolframum, tungsten. (W). — Messrs. D'Elhuiarts, as well 

 as Mr. Bucholz, found that 100 parts of this metal combine whh 

 24 or 25 parts of oxygen, in order to form the yellow oxide or 

 tungstic acid ; and Mr. Aikin found 16 parts of oxygen for 100 of 

 metal. The following are some experiments which I made with 

 this metal. 



^. 



