24 Biography of Berzelius. 



Chemistry, Mineralogy, Vegetable and Animal Chemistry, 

 and Geology. 



It was only a man like him, who as it were surveyed at 

 one glance the whole range of chemistry, and himself worked 

 so much in all its branches, that could have adequately exe- 

 cuted such an undertaking. These reports will long remain 

 an example of the way in which such productions ought to 

 be carried out. They were very comprehensive in those depart- 

 ments with which Berzelius was most intimately acquainted, 

 — inorganic chemistry, chemical mineralogy, and vegetable 

 and animal chemistry ; less so in the other parts, which con- 

 tained only the most important discoveries in those sciences 

 with which Berzelius had not especially occupied himself, or 

 which he had not pursued during the latter half of his scien- 

 tific career, such as physics and geology. The reports were 

 generally objectively written. If the views of the author of 

 the original paper corresponded more or less with those of 

 Berzelius, he gave an abstract, proportionate in extent to the 

 importance of the subject, but always most admirable. If, 

 on the contrary, their views differed from his, he allowed 

 himself to express his opinion upon them, and observed a 

 noble and impartial criticism, which rarely became at all 

 violent. In this respect, it is certainly to be regretted that 

 precisely his last " Jahrbericht '' closes with an energetic 

 attack upon another celebrated chemist. But Berzelius never 

 mixed up personalities with his judgments ; and if some- 

 times one could not agree with them, still they were always 

 of such a nature, that although they occasionally gave pain 

 to those upon whom they were passed, they could never ex- 

 cite any bitterness. 



For the science itself these reports were of the greatest 

 value. Berzelius, on several occasions, drew from the investi- 

 gations of others important conclusions, which had entirely 

 escaped the notice of their authors ; and as frequently did he 

 direct attention to new experiments which should be made in 

 order to strengthen the results already obtained, or upon which 

 to found new arguments. In this manner he exercised a very 

 beneficial influence. He was also led to make experiments 

 himself by these reports ; and he then #ave their results, 





