198 Biography of Berzellus. 



Within the first period of Berzelius' scientific activity, two 

 other investigations were carried out, which for that time 

 were of the greatest importance. They were on the reduc- 

 tion of silica, and the composition of cast iron. 



Although Berzelius had succeeded in obtaining the metals 

 of the alkaline earths in combination with mercury, by means 

 of the voltaic pile, he was unable to separate in a similar 

 manner the radical of silica from its oxygen. In order, 

 however, to satisfy himself that silica had a composition 

 similar to the earths, he instituted a series of interesting ex- 

 periments for the purpose of uniting the radical of silica 

 with metals, especially iron, by mixing iron filings with 

 carbon and silica, and exposing the whole to an intense heat, 

 by means of which he obtained reguli which contained, toge- 

 ther with silicium, carbon. He then found approximative^ 

 the quantity of oxygen present in silica, by estimating the 

 quantity of iron and carbon, the latter certainly by a some- 

 what unsafe method. The remark which he makes at the 

 close of his paper, published in 1810, is well worthy of no- 

 tice. After having described his numerous experiments on 

 the quantity of oxygen in silica, which throughout had not 

 given very closely corresponding results, he concludes with 

 these words : " I consider it moreover as unimportant to 

 determine with precision the per-centage of oxygen or 

 radical in silica, since I am unable at the present time to 

 perceive either theoretical or practical advantage to be 

 gained by this accuracy." A few years later he would not 

 have expressed himself in this manner. 



Another investigation important for this period was into the 

 composition of crude iron. At the commencement of the 

 present century, singular ideas of its composition had been 

 formed. It was supposed that oxygen generally existed in iron 

 associated with carbon ; and, indeed, an Essay, in which the 

 quantity of oxygen in crude iron was supposed to have been 

 demonstrated, obtained a prize. This view was principally 

 founded upon the circumstance, that on treating crude iron 

 with non-oxidising acids, less hydrogen was obtained than 

 with an equal weight of malleable iron. Berzelius proved 

 that in this case an oleaginous hydro -carbon was produced, 



