not needed an oxymeter or eudiometer to measure how much acid there was in the atmosphere, much less of which kind, but needed only to listen to nature speaking with
horrifying voice, lightning and thunder and unpleasant sulphur smell […] He had been able
to find, with his nose, mouth and ears, of smell, smoke, and flowers of sulphur, that there is
no other acid in our air, but a quite subtle, volatile, elastic and active sulphuric spirit.
Thus, the smell after a lighting (which is actually due to ozone and very different from
the smell of sulphur dioxide) was enough for Wallerius to conclude the presence of
sulphuric acid in the atmosphere. Wallerius concluded that this acid was the same that
Urban Hiärne (Sect. 17.1) had found in mineral waters and that Seip had found in the
Pyrmont water [123]. These studies that Wallerius referred to were purely quantitative,
and the next sentence is nothing but an insult on Bergman and his thorough studies of
mineral waters, including the Pyrmont water (Sect. 17.4): “No one has investigated this
water [the water from Bad Pyrmont] more thoroughly and extensively [then Hiärne and
Seip]”. As there was no carbonic acid (aerial acid) according to Wallerius, the gas
(carbon dioxide) evolved when adding sulphuric acid (vitriolic acid) to calcium carbonate (lime) clearly originated from the acid, not from the carbonate.
Next, Wallerius attacked the views of metal salts held by Bergman and Scheele.
They both correctly argued that metal was calcined (i.e. oxidised) when dissolved in
acid, and not present in its metallic state in solution. According to Wallerius,
however, phlogiston did not separate from the metal unless it was precipitated (by
adding alkali) to form metal calx. Wallerius made this conclusion since elemental
copper had been found in nature, apparently crystallised from aqueous solution. He
did not mention that, for example, copper sulphide and copper carbonate (i.e.
copper in the oxidised form) are far more common minerals than native copper.
Bergman and Scheele had put much effort in trying to establish the number of
elemental earths (Sect. 22.4), and this work was also attacked by Wallerius.
Without mentioning Scheele, he mentioned Scheele’s work on siliceous earth
(SiO 2 ; Sect. 22.4). Wallerius did not believe in the primitive nature of earths, but
was convinced that earths could transmute to each other. As a piece of evidence, he
took fossilised sea shells that had turned into flint and pieces of wood turned into
agate. Not only could lime turn to flint, the opposite process could also occur. For
example, cavities in flintstone could be found to be filled with lime stone.
Once again, the Secretary of the Academy had to come with some objections.
After acknowledging that even great scientist could have different opinions, he
concluded that by the hard work of chemists many certain and useful facts would be
revealed. He also reminded that chemistry had undergone such a development that
“the great Boerhaave himself, if he awoke, would hardly recognise it”.
9.7 Bergman’s European Contacts
When appointed professor, Bergman already had a fairly strong network in Sweden,
at least in Stockholm within the Board of Mines and the Royal Swedish Academy
of Sciences. He also had contacts with European mineralogists and geologists, but
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9 Bergman Becomes a Chemist
horrifying voice, lightning and thunder and unpleasant sulphur smell […] He had been able
to find, with his nose, mouth and ears, of smell, smoke, and flowers of sulphur, that there is
no other acid in our air, but a quite subtle, volatile, elastic and active sulphuric spirit.
Thus, the smell after a lighting (which is actually due to ozone and very different from
the smell of sulphur dioxide) was enough for Wallerius to conclude the presence of
sulphuric acid in the atmosphere. Wallerius concluded that this acid was the same that
Urban Hiärne (Sect. 17.1) had found in mineral waters and that Seip had found in the
Pyrmont water [123]. These studies that Wallerius referred to were purely quantitative,
and the next sentence is nothing but an insult on Bergman and his thorough studies of
mineral waters, including the Pyrmont water (Sect. 17.4): “No one has investigated this
water [the water from Bad Pyrmont] more thoroughly and extensively [then Hiärne and
Seip]”. As there was no carbonic acid (aerial acid) according to Wallerius, the gas
(carbon dioxide) evolved when adding sulphuric acid (vitriolic acid) to calcium carbonate (lime) clearly originated from the acid, not from the carbonate.
Next, Wallerius attacked the views of metal salts held by Bergman and Scheele.
They both correctly argued that metal was calcined (i.e. oxidised) when dissolved in
acid, and not present in its metallic state in solution. According to Wallerius,
however, phlogiston did not separate from the metal unless it was precipitated (by
adding alkali) to form metal calx. Wallerius made this conclusion since elemental
copper had been found in nature, apparently crystallised from aqueous solution. He
did not mention that, for example, copper sulphide and copper carbonate (i.e.
copper in the oxidised form) are far more common minerals than native copper.
Bergman and Scheele had put much effort in trying to establish the number of
elemental earths (Sect. 22.4), and this work was also attacked by Wallerius.
Without mentioning Scheele, he mentioned Scheele’s work on siliceous earth
(SiO 2 ; Sect. 22.4). Wallerius did not believe in the primitive nature of earths, but
was convinced that earths could transmute to each other. As a piece of evidence, he
took fossilised sea shells that had turned into flint and pieces of wood turned into
agate. Not only could lime turn to flint, the opposite process could also occur. For
example, cavities in flintstone could be found to be filled with lime stone.
Once again, the Secretary of the Academy had to come with some objections.
After acknowledging that even great scientist could have different opinions, he
concluded that by the hard work of chemists many certain and useful facts would be
revealed. He also reminded that chemistry had undergone such a development that
“the great Boerhaave himself, if he awoke, would hardly recognise it”.
9.7 Bergman’s European Contacts
When appointed professor, Bergman already had a fairly strong network in Sweden,
at least in Stockholm within the Board of Mines and the Royal Swedish Academy
of Sciences. He also had contacts with European mineralogists and geologists, but
144
9 Bergman Becomes a Chemist