Biography of Berzelius. 313 
have been formed from potash, the oxygen of which could have 
combined only with chlorine, giving rise to the production of 
the bleaching compound. 
It had long been the wish of Berzelius to investigate the rare 
metals accompanying platinum, the knowledge of which had 
been left imperfect by the chemists who discovered them. He 
was enabled to carry this into execution, when, after the discovery 
of the large quantities of platinum in the Ural, he received through 
Herrn von Cancrin, a considerable quantity of native platinum, as 
well as native Osmium-Iridium. This circumstance led him into 
avery important investigation of the process. for decomposing 
native platinum ores, by means of which the rare metals accom- 
panying platinum were first properly made known. He studied 
the characters, determined the atomic weights of Rhodium, Pal- 
ladium, Iridium, and Osmium, and prepared a number of their 
compounds. Owing to the great number of the oxyds and 
chlorids of these metals, and their great similarity to each other, 
this investigation was very difficult ; and, as regarded osmium 
d osmic acid, a very unpleasant one. But although Berzelius 
himself declared that he had as it were given only the sketch of 
the history of these metals, still this research, like all that came 
from his hands, was an extremely accurate, and to a certain extent, 
perfect one. 
The next investigation of Berzelius was in reference to a new 
and peculiar earth, Thoria, which he had discovered in a mineral 
which he had detected it, he named Thorite, and the metal 
which he obtained from its volatile chlorine compound, Thorium. 
(To be continued.) 
Sxconp Sertes, Vol. XVI, No. 48.—Noyv., 1858. 40 
