BORON. RAMSAY. 157 



scientific public and especially for the younger chemists, I 

 will add the following few special facts, which to state the 

 circumstances fully entitle me : 



Friedel, for several years, habitually addressed me as his 

 friend (ami) and treated me as such; I knew him personally 

 since 1873. 



In 1896 he accepted, with cordial thanks, the dedication 

 of my General Chemistry, published early in 1897; see pp. 

 5-9 of that work. And 



Schutzenberper, in his published lectures and in his great 

 work on General Chemistry, as above specified, has pro- 

 nounced himself. 



Indeed, one of the professors of the University of Paris, 

 recently wrote me: " Schiitzenberger avait une admiration 

 veritable pour vos ide"es." 



Of Friedel, the honorable successor to his " fauteuil " 

 in the academy, declared, when taking that chair, (July 23, 

 1900): 



"// avait la foi: foi dans ses opinions chimiques; 

 " foi aussi dans ses opinions philosophiques et dans 

 " les devoirs pratiques qu 'elles imposent."* 



This man of faith, as well as of science, was greatly 

 depressed after November 15, 1897, and died a little over a 



year after that date. Those who can read may find 



the reasons in the Comptes Rendus of that date. 



His whole scientific and personal character was rudely 

 shaken by an assault on the atomic theory on the part of a 

 noted chemist who himself has ornamented the pages of 

 the Comptes Rendus with numerous of the imaginary dia- 

 grams of Emil Fischer of Berlin. This assault was seconded 

 by another leading chemist. 



It is scarcely thirty years since Dumas acted that way; 

 "c'est toujours la m6me chose" only the names have 

 changed. O temporal O mores! 



* He was a man of firm convictions, of faith; conviction in his 

 chemical opinions; conviction also in his philosophical opinions and in 

 the practical duties which they impose. 



