The use of the blowpipe in chemical analysis, and in the examination of minerals / by J.J. Berzelius ; translated from the French of M. Fresnel, by J. G. Children. With a sketch of Berzelius' system of mineralogy; a synoptic table of the principal characters of the pure earths and metallic oxides before the blowpipe, and numerous notes and additions by the translator.

  • Berzelius, Jöns Jakob, friherre, 1779-1848.
Date:
1822
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The use of the blowpipe in chemical analysis, and in the examination of minerals / by J.J. Berzelius ; translated from the French of M. Fresnel, by J. G. Children. With a sketch of Berzelius' system of mineralogy; a synoptic table of the principal characters of the pure earths and metallic oxides before the blowpipe, and numerous notes and additions by the translator. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/402 (page 7)
    p. 37.) According to this canon, he calculates the composition of natural minerals, and expresses the results by certain signs and formulae which he has invented for that purpose. With respect to his canon, it seems to me to differ in nothing es- sential from the common doctrine of chemical pro- portions, (in fact it is merely an hypothetical ex- tension of it,) by which the greater number of compounds are illustrated with beautiful simplicity; and as to those which appear to be anomalous, it is probably better to let them stand for the present as acknowledged difficulties, than, in attempting to surmount them by arbitrary assumptions, in- cur the danger of involving the whole theory in obscurity, if not in error. Time, that has done so much, may do more ; and future experiments will perhaps satisfactorily illustrate what now appears puzzling and obscure. When I turn to my scale of chemical equivalents, I find iron opposite the number 34*5, denoting its equivalent or ratio of combination, (that of oxygen being taken as 10,) oxide of iron 44*5, and red oxide of iron 49*5. This is a simple statement of facts, derived from the best authorities, and surely it is better to let it stand so (which answers every really useful purpose, and more perfectly than any other, because more simple), than to perplex ourselves with questions of atoms and half ’ atoms, and by doubling this, and halving that, endeavour to make nature bend to our precon- ceived opinions. The author’s nomenclature is