Biography of Berzelius. 19 



nated from other cosmical bodies, in their native state they 

 could be converted into clayey mixtures, like the rocks on our 

 own globe. He then raised the question as to whether this 

 carbonaceous earth from the surface of another cosmical body 

 contained organic remains, and consequently, whether there 

 were upon its surface organised bodies, more or less resem- 

 bling those on our earth ? It is easy to conceive the interest 

 with which he attempted to solve this question. This solu- 

 tion was not affirmative, but the results of his experiments 

 did not justify a negative inference. Water and alkalies did 

 not extract anything organic from the meteoric mass ; on dry 

 distillation, however, carbonic acid, water, and a blackish- 

 grey sublimate were obtained, but no empyreumatic oil and no 

 hydrocarbon ; the carbonaceous matter was, therefore, not of 

 the same nature as the humus upon the earth's surface. The 

 sublimate heated in oxygen, gave no carbonic acid or water, 

 and changed into a white insoluble substance, whose nature 

 could not be determined on account of the minute quantity. 

 But to have pronounced it to be an elementary body, not origi- 

 nally belonging to our earth, would have been an exaggera- 

 tion. 



This was the last extensive research made by Berzelius. 

 His health, which, never strong, had already often necessi- 

 tated the interruption of his labours, became, with increasing 

 age, more delicate, and no longer admitted of his remaining 

 continuously in the laboratory. He suffered, as is not unfre- 

 quent with intellectual men, especially from nervous head- 

 aches, which could not be mitigated by the most moderate 

 living. He now began to complain of a failing of the senses, 

 especially his sight, and also of the weakness of his memory. 



But his scientific activity did not on this account cease. 

 He interested himself to the last for every branch of chemis- 

 try, and took the most active share in all the achievements 

 of this science. Indeed, now that he was no longer occupied 

 by important practical labours, he concentrated his activity 

 more especially upon undertakings of a literary character, 

 and with a zeal and industry which deserve the greater ac- 

 knowledgment, since his bodily sufferings increased every 

 year. 



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