from Bergman’s dissertation on fulminating gold (Fig. 9.17). The introduction to
the article reads:
It is often noted among those who have interest for chemical studies, that as soon as they
can perform one or another experiment, they believe themselves able to perform all the
other [experiments], and if the results from their experiments are different from what an
experienced chemist had said, they imagine that the error is to be sought in [the writings of]
the latter rather than in their own.
Wallerius’ advice to young chemists was delivered in ten points, some more
general and some specific criticism of Bergman’s thesis. First, he advised that
before trying to study chemistry in-depth, one has to learn to prepare his own
reagents. The second point was more serious and more typical for Wallerius’ way of
thinking. He cautioned young chemists from challenging the theories of older more
experienced chemists. Experiments should be repeated before making any conclusions. Wallerius listed a number of chemists who had made trustworthy investigations of fulminating gold: Kunckel, Neumann, Zimmermann, Pott, Lewis,
Fig. 9.17 Bergman’s dissertation on fulminating gold, defended by Plomgren (Sect. 11.4). This
was one of Bergman’s early chemical studies and used by Wallerius to illustrate the unreliability of
young chemists in general and Bergman in particular. Photo Anders Lennartson
136
9 Bergman Becomes a Chemist
the article reads:
It is often noted among those who have interest for chemical studies, that as soon as they
can perform one or another experiment, they believe themselves able to perform all the
other [experiments], and if the results from their experiments are different from what an
experienced chemist had said, they imagine that the error is to be sought in [the writings of]
the latter rather than in their own.
Wallerius’ advice to young chemists was delivered in ten points, some more
general and some specific criticism of Bergman’s thesis. First, he advised that
before trying to study chemistry in-depth, one has to learn to prepare his own
reagents. The second point was more serious and more typical for Wallerius’ way of
thinking. He cautioned young chemists from challenging the theories of older more
experienced chemists. Experiments should be repeated before making any conclusions. Wallerius listed a number of chemists who had made trustworthy investigations of fulminating gold: Kunckel, Neumann, Zimmermann, Pott, Lewis,
Fig. 9.17 Bergman’s dissertation on fulminating gold, defended by Plomgren (Sect. 11.4). This
was one of Bergman’s early chemical studies and used by Wallerius to illustrate the unreliability of
young chemists in general and Bergman in particular. Photo Anders Lennartson
136
9 Bergman Becomes a Chemist