Intelligence and Miscellanies, 171 



If I was disposed to favor controversy, there are other 

 subjects connected with my name, in Mr. Nutall's paper, 

 that would induce me to make further remarks, but it is with 

 great reluctance, that I offer the above for publication, in the 

 next No. of your Journal, and 



With sentiments of regard and esteem, 



I remain your obedient servant, 



HENRY SEYBERT. 

 PnoF. SiLLiMAN, Yale College, New-Haven. 



Letter of Mr. JVuttaU. 



Philadelphia, Dec. 15, 1822. 



Dear Sir, 



I have hitherto avoided controversy, and occasionally 

 borne the lash of unjust criticism, in silence, rather than run 

 the risque of trespassing on the patience and temper of the 

 public by the temerity of an appeal. I now, therefore, re- 

 gret that imperious- circumstances, and such as are connect- 

 ed with the support of moral dignity should have urged me 

 to this unwelcome task. 



I believe no man can more highly or justly appreciate the 

 scientific character of your correspondent than I do, other- 

 wise I sh(tuld have suffered his assertions to have passed un- 

 heeded. 



If I am called upon, as you are aware, by Mr. H, Sey- 

 bert, to say when and where I had heard of the existence 

 of Fluoric acid in the Brucite or Chondrodite I might refer 

 him back to a period when he was too young to have been 

 acquainted with even the name of Chemistry. I might bring 

 to his recollection, the name of an amiable-and scientific man 

 (the late Dr. Bruce) in honor of whom it was called by Co- 

 lonel Gibbs, and in whose laboratory this result was obtain- 

 ed by Doctor Langstaff,* of New-York, then his pupil. It 



*0n the subject of this experiment, I received the following; note from 

 Doctor L. dated Nov. 27th, 1822. " Agreeably to your request of the 25th 

 inst. I have re/erred to my notes made on the Sparta mineral, (Brucite) and 

 find that my experiments on the composition of that substance were made in 

 the fall of 1811. A want of time prevented me from making an accurate 

 analysis, but from the experiments then made, I find it yielded about, 



Silex, 32 



Oxid of Iron, .--..« 



