134 HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY. 



died 1682), the latter was professor at Halle, and 

 afterwards royal physician at Berlin (born 1660, 

 died 1734). These two men, who thus contributed 

 to a common purpose, were very different from 

 each other. The first was a frank and ardent 

 enthusiast in the pursuit of chemistry, who speaks 

 of himself and his employments with a communi- 

 cativeness and affection both amusing and engaging. 

 The other was a teacher of great talents and in- 

 fluence, but accused of haughtiness and moroseness; 

 a character which is well borne out by the manner 

 in which, in his writings, he anticipates an un- 

 favourable reception, and defies it. But it is right 

 to add to this, that he speaks of Beccher, his pre- 

 decessor, with an ungrudging acknowledgement of 

 obligations to him, and a vehement assertion of his 

 merit as the founder of the true system, which 

 give a strong impression of Stahl's justice and 

 magnanimity. 



Beccher's opinions were at first promulgated 

 rather as a correction than a refutation of the doc- 

 trine of the three principles, salt, sulphur, and 

 mercury. The main peculiarity of his views con- 

 sists in the offices which he ascribes to his sulphur, 

 these being such as afterwards induced Stahl to 

 give the name of Phlogiston to this element. 

 Beccher had the sagacity to see that the reduction 

 of metals to an earthy form (calx), and the for- 

 mation of sulphuric acid from sulphur, are opera- 

 tions connected by a general analogy, as being 



