conservative as a chemist, he had radical political views, and his diaries have
revealed that he was against King Gustav III, and praised the French constitution of
1791. He died unmarried in Stockholm on October 7, 1813.
11.4.8 Johan Afzelius
Johan, or Jan, Afzelius [43] was born on June 13, 1753 in Larv in the Västergötland
province. Like Bergman, he attended the Skara Gymnasium before enrolling
atUppsala University in September 1769. He focused his studies on chemistry,
mineralogy and physics and studied mainly under Bergman. He defended his thesis
on nickel, De nicolo, in June 1773 and received a bachelor degree in December the
same year. On June 13, 1776 he defended the thesis de acido sacchari, on oxalic
acid and its salts. The results in this thesis were largely based on experiments by
Scheele (Sect. 24.1), who is not mentioned in the thesis. Afzelius received his
master degree the day after his defence. After a period at the Board of Mines, he
was appointed laborator and became Bergman’s assistant in February 1780.
Finally, Bergman had an assistant that he could trust. Afzelius had a deep theoretical knowledge, and Bergman had very high thoughts of his former student.
During Bergman’s periods of illness from 1781, Afzelius was acting professor in
chemistry and after Bergman’s death Afzelius was appointed professor on
December 13, 1784. Due to illness, however, he could not take up the position until
October 1785. Unlike Bergman, who never travelled outside Sweden, Afzelius
undertook mineralogical trips to Norway, Denmark and Russia in the 1790s. He
was also elected Vice Chancellor of the University three times, in 1789, 1798 and
1806.
Afzelius, known in Uppsala as Sten-Jan (Stone Jan) due to his interest in minerals, was well known for his humour. He was an active teacher, but had unfortunately little interest in research (Sect. 28.4). He seems to have only gradually
accepted the antiphlogistic theories, but preserved lecture notes show that he taught
antiphlogistic chemistry in the nineteenth century. The statement that Afzelius
never abandoned phlogiston [44] is in error. His main interests were maintaining the
mineral collection and his garden. Afzelius retired in 1820 but managed the mineral
collection until 1823. He died unmarried in 1837.
11.4.9 Carl Norell
Norell was born in Bergman’s home province Västergötland and defended a thesis
on Magnesia alba in 1775.
11.4 Bergman’s Students
177
revealed that he was against King Gustav III, and praised the French constitution of
1791. He died unmarried in Stockholm on October 7, 1813.
11.4.8 Johan Afzelius
Johan, or Jan, Afzelius [43] was born on June 13, 1753 in Larv in the Västergötland
province. Like Bergman, he attended the Skara Gymnasium before enrolling
atUppsala University in September 1769. He focused his studies on chemistry,
mineralogy and physics and studied mainly under Bergman. He defended his thesis
on nickel, De nicolo, in June 1773 and received a bachelor degree in December the
same year. On June 13, 1776 he defended the thesis de acido sacchari, on oxalic
acid and its salts. The results in this thesis were largely based on experiments by
Scheele (Sect. 24.1), who is not mentioned in the thesis. Afzelius received his
master degree the day after his defence. After a period at the Board of Mines, he
was appointed laborator and became Bergman’s assistant in February 1780.
Finally, Bergman had an assistant that he could trust. Afzelius had a deep theoretical knowledge, and Bergman had very high thoughts of his former student.
During Bergman’s periods of illness from 1781, Afzelius was acting professor in
chemistry and after Bergman’s death Afzelius was appointed professor on
December 13, 1784. Due to illness, however, he could not take up the position until
October 1785. Unlike Bergman, who never travelled outside Sweden, Afzelius
undertook mineralogical trips to Norway, Denmark and Russia in the 1790s. He
was also elected Vice Chancellor of the University three times, in 1789, 1798 and
1806.
Afzelius, known in Uppsala as Sten-Jan (Stone Jan) due to his interest in minerals, was well known for his humour. He was an active teacher, but had unfortunately little interest in research (Sect. 28.4). He seems to have only gradually
accepted the antiphlogistic theories, but preserved lecture notes show that he taught
antiphlogistic chemistry in the nineteenth century. The statement that Afzelius
never abandoned phlogiston [44] is in error. His main interests were maintaining the
mineral collection and his garden. Afzelius retired in 1820 but managed the mineral
collection until 1823. He died unmarried in 1837.
11.4.9 Carl Norell
Norell was born in Bergman’s home province Västergötland and defended a thesis
on Magnesia alba in 1775.
11.4 Bergman’s Students
177