CHEMISTRY. 



History, would accomplish his plan. Bergman, to shew him- 

 W>-y ' self qualified for the place to which he aspired, pub- 

 lished two dissertations on alum, which were attack- 

 ed by Wallerius in a style of acrimony altogether 

 unworthy of his reputation. Gustavus IV. late king 

 of Sweden, was at that time Prince Royal, and chan- 

 cellor of the university. The character and abi- 

 lities of this extraordinary man, and the zeal with 

 which he sometimes supported men of science, are 

 well known. Fortunately for chemistry, and for 

 the reputation of Sweden, Gustavus took the part 

 of Bergman, on the recommendation, it is said, of 

 Von Swab, who pledged himself to be answerable 

 for his qualifications ; and he was so keen on the 

 subject, that he supported his cause in person before 

 the senate. Wallerius and his party were of course 

 baffled, and Bergman got the chair. He filled it 

 with the greatest glory for seventeen years ; and, du- 

 ring that period, his numerous publications entirely 

 altered the appearance of chemistry. He introduced 

 an order, a perspicuity, an exactness, which were un- 

 known before, and which were certainly one of the 

 great causes of the subsequent rapid progress of the 

 science. Their influence was universally felt ; and, 

 as long as Bergman lived, he stood unrivalled on the 

 continent at the head of the science. 



But it was not his publications alone which con- 

 stituted his merit. His lectures were no less valua- 

 ble ; and many of the pupils whom he educated, con- 

 tributed, in no small degree, to spread his reputation. 

 Gahn, Hielm, Gadulin, the Elhuyarts, and many 

 others who afterwards acquired celebrity, were edu- 

 cated by him. His first care, after obtaining the 

 chair, was to collect all the different chemical sub- 

 stances, and their products, and to form them into a 

 cabinet. Another cabinet contained the minerals of 

 Sweden, arranged according to the places from which 

 they were obtained ; and a third consisted of models 

 of the different instruments employed in chemistry 

 and in chemical manufactures. These were designed 

 for the instruction of bis pupils, whom he encouraged 

 anil inspired with that confidence and enthusiasm 

 which is necessary for appearing with respectability 

 in the republic of letters. One day he was told by 

 one of his pupils, of a young man who resided in the 

 house of an apothecary at Upsal, and who was re- 

 proached for neglecting his duties, that he might 

 employ the whole of his time in the study of chemis- 

 try. Bergman's curiosity was excited. He paid 

 the young man a visit, and was astonished at the 

 knowledge which he displayed, and the profound re- 

 searches which he had undertaken, notwithstanding 

 the poverty under which he laboured, and the re- 

 straint undc-r which his situation placed him. He 

 encouraged his ardour, and made him his favourite 

 pupil and friend. This young man was Scheele, one 

 of the most extraordinary chemists that ever existed. 

 Scheele. He was born in 1742, at Stralsund, the capital of 



Swedish Pomerania, where his father was a trades- 

 man. Young Scheele, at a very early period of his 

 life, shewed a strong inclination to learn pharmacy ; 

 and was ?ccordii,gly bound apprentice to Mr Bauch, 

 an apothecary at Gottenburg, with whom he lived 

 eight years. Here he first found the impulse of that 

 geiiiui which afterwards made him so conspicuous. 

 He durst not, indeed, devote himself openly to che- 



mical experiments, but he contrived to make himself 

 master of the science, by devoting those hours to 

 study which were assigned him for sleep. Accord- 

 ing to the testimony of Mr Grunberg, his fellow ap- 

 prentice, he was of a very reserved and serious dispo- 

 sition, but uncommonly diligent. He attended very 

 minutely to all the processes, reflected on them 

 while alone, especially during the night-time, and 

 read every thing relating to the subject in the wri- 

 tings of Neuman, Lemery, Kunkel, and Stahl. Kun- 

 kel's Laboratory was his favourite book. He used 

 secretly, during the night-time, to repeat experi- 

 ments out of it. On one of these occasions, as he 

 was employed in making pyrophorus, another ap- 

 prentice, without his knowledge, put some fulmina- 

 ting powder into the mixture. The consequence 

 was a loud explosion : the whole family was thrown 

 into confusion, and our young chemist was severely 

 chastised. 



From Gottenburg, Scheele went to Malmo, and 

 two years after to Stockholm. In 1773 he went to 

 Upsal, and resided for some time in the house of Mr 

 Loock. Here Bergman first found him, saw his 

 merit, and encouraged it, adopted his opinions, 

 defended him with zeal, and took upon himself the 

 charge of publishing his treatises. He gave him free 

 access to his laboratory, and procured him a salary 

 from the Swedish Academy. Encouraged by this- 

 magnanimous conduct, the genius of Scheele, though 

 unassisted by education or by wealth, burst forth 

 with astonishing lustre, ; and, at an age when most 

 philosophers are only rising into notice, he had com- 

 pleted a career of discoveries which have no parallel 

 in the annals of chemistry. His treatises are perfect 

 models of chemical research, and display an ingenui- 

 ty, knowledge, and address, which is. altogether as- 

 tonishing. Nothing was capable of baffling his pa- 

 tient industry, 01 of escaping his penetrating eye. 



Scheele and Bergman cannot well be compared to- 

 gether. Their zeal, indeed, for the science, their can- 

 dour, their love of truth, and their industry, were 

 equal ; but Bergman was distinguished by the extent 

 of his views, and by the plans which he formed for 

 the improvement of the science ; Scheele, by the skill 

 with which he conducted particular analyses, and the 

 acuteness with which he distinguished substances by 

 their properties. Bergman's views were general ; 

 Scheele's were particular. Bergman was the man 

 for drawing the outline ; but Scheele understood best 

 how to fill it up. On one occasion, indeed, (we al- 

 lude to his treatise on Jire,) he attempted a general 

 subject, but his success was not great. However, 

 the acuteness with which he treated it must be admi- 

 red ; and the vast number of important facts which 

 he brought forward to support his opinion, are truly 

 astonishing, and perhaps could not have been brought 

 together by any other man than Scheele. 



Chemistry was deprived of these two illustrious 

 philosophers, Bergman and Scheele, almost at the 

 same time. Bergman died in 1784, at the baths of 

 Medwi, in the 49th year ot his age, crowned with 

 glory, after a life spent in the most laborious in- 

 dustry. Scheele was snatched away in 1786, in the 

 44th year of his age. For about six months previ- 

 ous to his death, he had been severely afflicted with 

 the gout. When he began to perceive that his end 



History. 



