464 



BERGMAN. 



Bergman, scientific propensity ; and to such a degree was it car- 

 ried, that when any thing was lost in the vicinity, 

 young Bergman was accused of having burnt it. 



Having finished the early part of his education at 

 Skara, a place celebrated by its college, he was sent 

 at the age of 17 to the university of Upsal, and was 

 placed under the charge of a near relation. The ar- 

 dour with which he cultivated the study of mathema- 

 tics and natural philosophy, was checked by his guar- 

 dian, and the Elements of Euclid, the Astronomy of 

 Keill, and the Prindpia of Newton, were among the 

 books prohibited by this enemy of the sciences. But 

 the mind of Bergman could not be restrained by such 

 unworthy fetters; and though he appeared to yield a 

 becoming submission to the will of his relation, he 

 contrived, by means of a drawer concealed under his 

 table, to get possession of his favourite authors, when 

 sleep or absence had disarmed the vigilance of his 

 friend. Being thus compelled to study at those un- 

 timely hours, when nature would have prompted him 

 to seek for repose, his body was unable to support 

 the exertions of his mind, and he was obliged to re- 

 turn to Catharineberg to seek the restoration of his 

 health in the bosom of his friends, and in the retire- 

 ment and exercises of a country life. In consequence 

 of the recovery of his strength, he returned to Upsal 

 in 1754, with the permission of his family, to devote 

 himself wholly to the sciences. The illustrious Lin- 

 naeus, who then lived at Upsal, was in the zenith of his 

 fame. Encouraged by his example, and aspiring to 

 a portion of his glory, the youth at Upsal sought 

 for distinction in the study of natural history. The 

 ardent mind of Bergman was particularly actuated by 

 this generous impulse. He began his career with 

 the study of entomology ; and such was the rapidity 

 of his progress, that he soon attracted the particular 

 notice of Linnaeus himself. He made profound re- 

 searches respecting several species of moths and ca- 

 terpillars, and upon the tenthredo or saw-flies, that 

 are devoured by the larvae of ichneumons, which feed 

 upon their entrails, and cover themselves with their 

 envelope. He divided the caterpillars into live spe- 

 cies, depending on the disposition of their wings and 

 feet. His observations on bees, and his useful experi- 

 ments for the purpose of preventing the ravages 

 committed upon fruit trees, by an insect called plta- 

 lana brumalis, gained him the prize of the royal aca- 

 demy of Stockholm. The method of extirpation, 

 suggested by these experiments, was tried by Mr 

 President Cronsted, who, in a short time, took above 

 20,000 of the females. His observations on leeches 

 were equally interesting and successful. Linnaeus 

 and Muller had observed several species of these ani- 

 mals ; but it was reserved for Bergman to observe 

 their eyes and throat. He discovered that they were 

 oviparous, and that the coccus aquations is the egg of 

 the leech, containing 10 or 12 young. Linnsus, to 

 whom Bergman communicated this discovery, at first 

 denied the fact, but his incredulity was soon changed 

 into conviction. He exclaimed with enthusiasm, villi 

 et obstupui! (I saw and was astonished) ; and in 

 signing the memoir upon that subject, he wrote these 

 words at the bottom, and transmitted it to the aca- 

 demy of Stockholm with that honourable passport. 

 The esteem which Linnaeus felt for Bergman, in 

 I 



consequence of these discoveries, was at this time Bergman. 

 powerfully displayed, by giving his name to one of 

 several new species of moths which he had detect- 

 ed. The other authors who shared this glory with 

 the Swedish naturalist, were Forskal, Reaumur, So- 

 lander, Alstroemer, Friach, Scroeber, Scopoli, and 

 Geoffroy. 



Though natural history was the general object of 

 hit studies, the attention of Bergman was occasional- 

 ly directed to other subjects. In 1759, he publish- 

 ed, in the Swedish Transactions, a review of the dif- 

 ferent explanations of the rainbow. In 1760 appear- 

 ed his paper on the origin of meteors, that are not at- 

 tended with, any noise or explosion ; andanother me- 

 moir on the opinion of philosopher-, respecting the 

 twilight. 



For several years, Bergman had given lessons in 

 algebra in place of M. Meldercreutz ; and in the 

 year 1761 he was appointed joint professor of mathe- 

 matics and natural philosophy ; a situation which he 

 filled with honour and advantage for the space of 

 five years. He observed the transit of Venus in 

 1761, with great accuracy. In consequence of a 

 correspondence with Mr Wilson, Bergman wrote on 

 the subject of electricity, in the years 1761 and 1762. 

 He attempted to investigate the circumstances which 

 attended the passage of the electric fluid across wa- 

 ter ; the effect produced by electricity on the colour 

 of silk ribbands ; and the electrical properties of tour- 

 malin and Iceland crystal, ^vhich the Academy of 

 Stockholm had referred to his examination. He 

 published, in 1764, four memoirs on the aurora bo- 

 realis, and attempted to determine the height in the 

 atmosphere where this phenomenon takes place. 



The studies of Bergman now received a new di- 

 rection, in consequence of the resignation of Wal- 

 lerius, a celebrated professor of chemistry and mine- 

 ralogy at Upsal. Though chemistry had scarcely 

 occupied his attention, Bergman had the boldness to 

 appear in the list of competitors for this vacant chair'. 

 Wallerius, who supported the claims of one of his 

 own pupils, formed against Bergman a powerful par- 

 ty, who represented him as unfit for the office to 

 which he aspired. Bergman saw the strength of 

 their representations, and the influence they might 

 have upon his election ; and resolved to oppose them 

 by the most honourable weapons. He shut himself 

 up in his laboratory, and composed a memoir on the 

 preparation of alum, and on the most economical 

 means of procuring it. This paper excited the as- 

 tonishment both of his friends and his adversaries. 

 The former regarded it as a triumph over the in- 

 trigues of his enemies, while the latter endeavoured 

 to reduce and depreciate its merit. Wallerius him- 

 self condescended to attack it in the journals ; but 

 all these assaults tended only to ensure the success 

 of its author. Gustavus, the Prince Royal, and after- 

 wards the King of Sweden, who was then chancellor 

 of the university, procured an accurate statement of 

 the dissensions at Upsal, and applied to the famous 

 Swab and Tiliais, counsellors of" the mines, for an 

 account of the merits of the respective candidates. 

 Having received the most favourable view of the 

 character and talents of Bergman, the prince drew 

 up, in his own handwriting, a reply to all the allega- 



