242 Biographical Sketch of [Oct. 



lessor of (Economics, and was enabled in consequence to attain the 

 different academical honouis with great facility. Accordingly, in 

 17^7 he held a disputation under Professor Thunberg, and on the 

 16th of June, 1788, icceived his degree. 



In l?S9 he undertook a journey to Germany, from Griefswald to 

 Berlin, and back again to Upsala, for which he received a salary. 

 In 1 7L»0 he gave a public specimen of his poetical talents, by pub- 

 lishing a poetical discourse on the peace concluded between Russia 

 and Sweden. And in 1792 he translated the dignified lamentation of 

 the Academy, upon the loss of their great benefactor, Gustavus III. 



From his proficiency in gaining knowledge, he was induced to 

 add chemistry and analysis to his other acquirements; and in 1794 

 he gave a specimen of his skill in that art, the substance of which 

 he sent to the Academy of Sciences. In consequence of this dis- 

 play of knowledge, he was appointed Teacher of Chemistry at 

 Upsala. He gave an additional proof of his chemical knowledge 

 in 179Sj on which occasion he first employed Klaproth's much 

 admired method of analyzing hard stones. Being well acquainted 

 with natural history, and its different divisions, he gave a specimen 

 of his capability of improving it : in consequence of which, he was 

 recommended to the situation of Adjunct in Practical CEconomics, 

 then vacant ; but he did not succeed in procuring the place. 



At last, after giving many other proofs of knowledge, after 

 making various mineralogical journeys in Sweden during the sum- 

 mer vacations, and after giving several public courses of chemical 

 lectures, he was in 1799 appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry, 

 and Operator in the Laboratory. 



In consequence of an unfortunate accident, which occurred in 

 1801, he lost the sight of one of his eyes, and never recovered it. 

 A flask, filled with a detonating mixture of gases, burst in his hand, 

 and a portion of the glass struck the ball of the eye, near the pupil. 



In 1797 he published a very good analysis of Gadolinite, a mi- 

 neral found in Sweden, which contains a peculiar earth first detected 

 by Gadolin, to which the n?me of ytlria has been given. To 

 Ekeberg we are indebted for the first accurate description of the 

 properties of this earth. Pie made experiments likewise on Swedish 

 titanite, and published an account of various minerals containing 

 tantalum, a metal which he first discovered ; though it was after- 

 wards ascertained to be the same with the colwmbium of Mr. 

 Hatchett. 



On the 4ih of June, 1/99, he was made an Associate of the Royal 

 Academy of Sciences at Stockholm ; and eleven years afterwards 

 he became a Member of the Royal Society of Upsala. 



Mr. Ekeberg was of small stature Pie was afflicted with has- 

 rnorrhoida! complaints from his infancy. He had likewise a ten- 

 dency to consumption, which gradually increasing, accompanied by 

 .extreme debility, at last deprived him of his life on the 11th of 

 February, 1813. 



With a character lively and active by nature, he possessed a 



