62 LETTEES OF BERZELIUS 



XII 

 Schonbein to Berzelius 



MY DEAR BARON, 



Since you considered my papers on ozone 

 worthy of your attention, I flatter myself that you 

 will be interested to hear of the results of my investi- 

 gations on a kindred subject. Owing to want of 

 space I will confine myself to general outlines, 

 especially as a detailed account of the substance in 

 question will shortly be published. 1 The combustion 

 of phosphorus in atmospheric air and the formation 

 of a highly electro-negative body possessed of marked 

 oxidizing properties, my ozone, directed my attention 

 to the combustion in air of bodies generally, especially 

 to cases analogous to the gradual oxidation of phos- 

 phorus, such as the partial combustion of ether 

 vapour at comparatively low temperatures. By 

 analogy, and in accordance with my theoretical 

 views as to the nature of nitrogen, I anticipated the 

 formation of a body with electro-negative and oxidiz- 

 ing properties. You will see that my results show 

 that the gradual oxidation of ether vapour (as well as 

 the rapid burning of bodies in general) is accompanied 

 by phenomena which so far have escaped the notice 

 of chemists, but which certainly appear to me to be 



1 " Uber die langsame und rasclie Verbrennung der Korper 

 in atmospharischer Luff Bale, 1845. Dated 5th June 1845. 



