190 . Natural Ilislori/. [Chap. Ilf^ 



been*. Soon afterwards the inquirers and publics^- 

 tions in inineralogy began greatly to multiply, 

 especially in Germany and Sweden, which, from 

 the abundance of their mineral riches, have long 

 presented peculiar encouragements to the study of 

 this kingdom of nature. 



Hitherto little or nothing had been done in the 

 invest israt ion of minerals throufjh the medium of 

 chemical analysis^. External characters continued 

 to form almost the sole ground of distinction and 

 arrangement. Hierne and Brachmel had, indeed^ 

 some time before, suggested the plan of forming 

 a mineralogical system on chemical principles ; 

 but they did nothing more than suggest it. Mar- 

 graaf and Pott, two illustrious mineralogists of 

 Berlin, seem to have been the first who instituted, 

 >vith any remai-kable success, this kind of inquiry. 

 Their numerous and well-directed experiments 

 were generally made by means of heat^ and, ac- 

 cording to the language of chemistry, in the dry 

 cLhiij. About the same tiitie, Neumann^ a philoso- 

 pher of Germany^ distinguished himself by investi^ 

 gating the nature of mineral substances by means 

 of acid incnstrua^y or in the moist zvay, These in- 

 qui lies opened a new and interesting field iu 

 this; science, led to many important discoveries, and 

 may be considered as one of the grand a^ras iu na- 

 tural history. 



It was in this stage of mineralogical improve- 

 ment that Frederic Cronstedt, a nobleman of Sw c- 



* AVylleriiis cliaracteiises this work, ns " Mirificis nominibus 

 potius- ontisLam (fuivn ornaUim."' See his Brcvis ItUroductia in Hh' 

 tunam Literal ium Mincraloi^icajU;, 8vOj Upsa]> 1779' 



