484 Additional Notes, 



Bergman, p. 82. 



Sir ToRBERN Bergman was a native of Sweden, where 

 he was born in the year 1735. He is, beyond all doubt, en- 

 titled to a place among the greatest men of his age. He 

 •was highly distinguished as a chemist, mineralogist, geome- 

 trician, and astronomer. In the two first mentioned branches 

 of science he was particularly eminent. In the history of 

 chemistry few names occur more frequently, or are associated 

 ■with more important services, than his. He died in the year 

 3 784. 



Scheele. p. 82. 



Charles William Scheele was born Dec. 19, 1742, 

 He was bound an apprentice, when very young, to an Apo- 

 thecary at Gottenburgh, where he first felt the impulse of 

 that genius which afterwards made him so conspicuous. He 

 durst not, indeed, devote himself openly to chemical experi- 

 ments; but he contrived to make himself master of the sci- 

 ence by devoting those hours to study which were assigned 

 to him for sleep. He afterwards went to Sweden, and set- 

 tled as an apothecary at Koping. 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. Encouraged and excited 

 by this magnanimous patronage, the genius of Scheele, 

 though unassisted by education or wealth, burst forth with 

 astonishing lustre. To wonderful acuteaess, ardour, and per- 

 severing diligence in his philosophical investigations, he added 

 singular purity and amiableness of moral and social character. 

 His outward appearance, however, was by no means expres- 

 sive of that great mind which lay concealed, as it were, 

 under a veil. He died in 1786, in the 44th year of his age. — 

 Thompson'^^ Chemistry, 



Azote, p. 82. 



This gas was discovered, in 1772, by Dr. Rutherford, 

 now Professor of Botany in the University of Edinburgh, and 

 ^11 account of it published in his thesis Dc Aere Mcphitico, 



