466 



BERGMAN. 



Bergman, attraction, and in that on metallic precipitate;;, lie 

 * "v has explained all the phenomena by the various mo- 

 difications of the principle of phlogiston ; but though 

 the existence of this principle has been completely 

 exploded by the discoveries of Lavoisier, these, and 

 his other works, will long continue to be resorted to 

 by chemists, as the most valuable repositories of che- 

 mical facts. 



Though the whole of Bergman's life was devoted 

 chiefly to experimental chemistry, and to the disco- 

 very of facts, yet he did. not scruple to venture into 

 the regions of hypothesis. The combination of loose 

 and unconnected facts by an hypothesis, however 

 arbitrary may be its assumptions, is a great step to a 

 legitimate theory ; and, during the last century, has 

 been of immense service to the progress of science. 

 In former ages, when the method of induction was 

 unknown, and when facts were accommodated to pre- 

 conceived notions, hypothesis was fatal to the pro- 

 gress of discovery ; but we have lately seen, what 

 valuable accessions mineralogy has received from the 

 contentions between the Huttonians and Wernerians. 

 The theory of the earth which has been given by 

 Bergman, supposes that the globe was originally a 

 nucleus, probably magnetic, surrounded with, a fluid, 

 which held in suspension or solution all the elements 

 of bodies. In consequence of its rotatory motion, 

 the equatorial parts swelled out from its centre : the 

 denser and less soluble materials formed the first ele- 

 vations upon the nucleus : the saline and metallic sub- 

 stances insinuated themselves into the crevices : the 

 crystallizations were formed and deposited according 

 to their affinities and densities : the waters, condensed 

 towards the poles, became solid masses, constantly 

 increasing ; and being thus diminished in volume, 

 they run into the hollows among the mountains that 

 gradually rose from below, and obeyed the force of 

 universal gravitation : the lighter bodies floated on 

 the surface, while others of greater density sunk to 

 the bottom : gases of different kinds were disenga- 

 ged from the earth, and meteors were generated in 

 the atmosphere. 



In 1773, Bergman published a Memoir on the 

 principal characters of earths, which carried off the 

 prize given by the Royal Society of Sciences at 

 Montpellier ; and some years afterwards his research- 

 es on the analysis of indigo were well received by the 

 Academy of Sciences at Paris. 



The short history which we have now given of 

 - the discoveries and writings of Bergman, includes the 



principal events of his life, which was marked by few 

 incidents that can gratify the curiosity of his ad- 

 mirers. He was raised to the dignity of rector of 

 the university of Upsal ; and in this important office 

 he maintained peace and tranquillity between the two 

 parties into which the professors were divided. 



Ih the year 1776, the king of Prussia invited 

 Bergman to settle at Berlin among the illustrious 

 characters, with whom that monarch had encircled 

 his throne ; but though a regard for his health might 

 have incited him to remove to a warmer climate, yet 

 the kindness which he had received from the King 

 of Sweden prevailed over every personal considera- 

 tion, and ihduced him to remain in Ins native coun- 

 try. The constitution of Bergman was now on the 



decline. Palpitations of the heart, asd violent head- Bergman* 

 aches, interrupted his labours ; and his physicians ad 

 vised him to abandon all his studies. He obtained 

 great relief from natural and artificial mineral wa- 

 ters ; and in the hopes of receiving more effectual 

 benefit, he went to drink the waters at Medwi in 

 1784, but his strength was insufficient for the fa- 

 tigues of the journey, and he expired soon after his 

 arrival, on the 8th of July 1784, in the 50th year of 

 his age. 



In estimating the merits of this illustrious philo- 

 sopher, we are not entitled to apply the standard by 

 which talents are generally measured. When we 

 consider only the extent of his labours, and the num- 

 ber and importance of his discoveries, we cannot fail 

 to form the highest opinion of his industry and ge- 

 nius : but when we reflect, that all these labours 

 were performed, and all these discoveries made, in 

 the short space of 1 7 years, the talents of Bergman 

 shine with new splendour, and we can scarcely find 

 a place too high for him in the rank of chemical phi- 

 losophers. Had Bergman entered upon the study of 

 chemistry at an early age, and prosecuted it with vi- 

 gour through the ordinary term of human life, what 

 a vasfr accession of new facts would chemistry have 

 received from his labours, and what a commanding 

 station would he have held in the lists of genius ! 



During his short life, Bergman was created a 

 knight oi the royal order of Vasa ; a member of the 

 Academy of Sciences at Upsal ; an associate of the 

 Academy of Sciences at Paris; a fellow of the Royal 

 Society of London, and a member of the academies 

 of Berlin, Stockholm, Dijon Montpellier, Gottingen, 

 Turin, Gottenburg, and Lund ; and after his death, 

 the university of Upsal paid the highest honours to 

 his memory, and a medal was stuck by order of the 

 Academy of Stockholm, to perpetuate the sorrow 

 which they felt for his loss. 



In the year 1771, Bergman married a Miss Ca- 

 therine Trast, an accomplished and amiable lady, 

 with whom he enjoyed all the happiness of domestic 

 life but that which arises from a family. She was 

 fond of botany and natural history, the studies which 

 Bergman had unwillingly forsaken ; and he derived 

 great pleasure from seeing before him the plants and 

 insects which she reared, and which had been the ob- 

 jects of his former researches. 



The principal works of Bergman are his Opuscula 

 rhysica ct Chenrica, pleraquc seorsim antca et/itajam 

 ab anctore collecta revisa ct aucta, 3 vols 8vo, 1779, 

 1780, 1783. This work was translated into Eng- 

 lish by Dr Cullen of Dublin, in 2 vols 8vo, with 

 notes and illustrations ; and also into French by M. 

 Morveau. Physik Betkrifnung oe/ber Jordktotel, or 

 Physical Description of the Earth, in 2 vols. Es- 

 say on the utility of Chemistry, which originally ap- 

 peared in 1779 in Swedish, and was translated into 

 English in 1783. Meditutiones de Systemate Fossi- 

 lium naluiali, published in the Act. Upsal. 1784-, 

 vol. iv. and translated into English in 1788. De 

 Primordiis Chemia:, 1777. Cliemicv Progressus a 

 medio, ba;c. vii. ad med. Sjec. xvii. 1782. Sciagra- 

 phia Mineralis, Lips. 1782, translated into French 

 by Mongez, and into English by Withering. Sec 

 Chemis>ty, and Scheele. (o) 



