aie, 
~ 
Biography of Johann Nepomuk von Fuchs. gag" 
= realm. The crystal is, so to speak, the boundary-stone 
; ” 
een the two kingdoms. 
Fuchs also makes the amorphous state a condition of the fit- 
ness of mineral matter for vegetable nutrition, and thereby ex- | 
= the richness of voleanic soil, the fertilizing effects of many 
ed silicates, &c. As silica (Tabasheer) passes through the 
ive later article Fuchs discussed the so-called isomerism, and 
pointed out the possibility of explaining it, partly at least, by the 
erences between the crystalline and Eger pense structure. All 
these considerations are highly worthy of notice, an 
made them the basis of certain geological views which he pre- 
sented to the Academy, April 25, 1837. In this address, “On 
the theories of the Earth,” Fonhe opposed the Plutonists, and the 
theory of upheavals, without however, accepting literally the 
ines of the Neptunists. He reasoned against the view that 
the crystalline rocks were once in a state of fusion, as follows, 
using granite as the illustration: If granite were once in a molten 
condition, then as it cooled, in the first place, quartz must have 
crystallized out, and would have sunk down through the still 
molten mass, while feldspar and mica must have crystallized at 
4 much later stage of the cooling, as the necessary result of their 
erent degrees of fusibility. Further, the inclusion of arsenical 
mn sulphid of antimony, tourmaline, garnet, finoriness &e., 
quartz, is incompatible with the crystallization of the latter 
from a state of fusion. Accordingly, the doctrine of upheavals 
pa - sunaioee: In ee his is views, Fuchs be- 
US with the proposition that amorphism mu e erysta 
lization, and wanes that oriianally, | the solid part of the earth 
Consisted of silica and silicates in the amorphous form, while 
the liquid portions were largely made up of solutions of lime 
and esia or their carbonates, in the then existing excess 
of carbonic acid. ‘This I conceive to have been the primal or 
chaotic condition of our globe, this may indeed have been pre- 
ceded by another condition, but to this state it must have come 
before the formation of rocks could begin.” 
In this explanation, may perhaps be found a means of harmo- 
i and uniting the well-founded views of Fuchs, with the 
ri far as these are also sound—how, I can 
cate only, in this place. The formation of rocks began, 
according to Fuchs, with the silicates. The stupendous crystal- 
lization thus induced must have developed light and heat." ‘The 
latter must have uired great intensity—even that of ignition. 
by circumstances, viz., 
The products were dif erent as determined 
‘ 
* e 
