OPPONENTS OF L I N N ^ U S. 129 



mineral reign into three classes, which Wallerius had divided into 

 six. " LiNN^us," says he, " has planned his classification more from 

 " a spirit of innovation than from well-founded truth. His hypothesis 

 " that stones were never created is also false. Linn.*:us has asserted, 

 " that the intermitting fevers, especially in the province of Upland^ 

 " are endemical." Wallerius endeavours to turn this proposition 

 into ridicule as an hyperbolic representation, and alledges a chronolo- 

 gical list of the distempers at Upsal, which had been communicated 

 to him by professor Rosen, in behalf of his dissertation. 



Wallerius hoped to gain celebrity by the different contents of this 

 treatise, and to make his fortune, but it only served to undermine both. 

 LiNN^us enjoyed too much popularity and proteftion at Slockholm, 

 for this worthless injury of his. reputation to please or to remain with- 

 out consequential resententment. Had Wallerius had ten times more 

 merit it would not have been valued, owing to this literary feud. He 

 felt its sinister effefts for upwards of ten years, and it was not till after 

 the demise of Frederick I. that he obtained the ordinary professor- 

 ship at Upsal, which had so long and so vainly been the obje£l of his 

 ambition. The real cause of this aggression was occasioned by his rival's 

 concurrence to obtain the professorship of physic, to which Linnaeus 

 was appointed. 



These circumstances evince sufficiently the profound indignation 

 which Waller lus's attacks had excited in Linn>eus. He felt them 

 the more poignant as they proceeded from a countryman and an 

 academical colleague. In order to avert the unpleasant sensations 

 which Wallerius might have created in the mind of persons who were 

 strangers to the merits, distin6lion, and celebrity of Linnaeus abroad, 



s and 



