104 Biography of Berzelius. 
many combinations, where it may be the cause of differences in 
the character of these compounds. When isomeric conditions 
may occur in which both causes are simultaneously at work. 
It is possible that Berzelius may sometimes have gone too fat 
in his assumption of allotropic conditions, for there are some 
grounds for believing that an apparent allotropismh may result 
merely from a different state of division. Thus, a few years be- 
fore the discovery of the first example of isomerism, Magnus 
observed the interesting fact, that when the oxyds of iron, nickel, 
and cobalt, are reduced by means of hydrogen to the lowest 
The next paper by Berzelius was upon Vanadium. Sefstrom 
had found a new metal in the bar-iron of Taberg, which he called 
by this name. He had, however, restricted his investigation 
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