BGOk the ftri&eft friendihip with profeffor Bergman, and by having
< ■ free accefs to the public laboratory.
In 1775» was appointed by the medical college apothecary
at Kioping, where he finilhed his days.
The reader will find, in Wells’s Chemifche Annalen for 1787,
a lift of the works and principal difcoveries of Scheele; alfo-
in the Gentleman’s Magazine for April,. 17,89..
His character as a chymift is fafiiciently known by his
great and numerous difcoveries in thatfcience.
Scheele had ftruggled during his whole life againft narrow cir-
cumftances; and when appointed apothecary of Kioping, he involved
himfelf in debt in order to- purchafe the ftock which had
belonged to his predeceflor.. IE had heen for ibme time engaged
to marry his predecelTor’s widow; but waited until he had discharged
his debts, and had collected a moderate provifion for her
in cafe of his death. He had fcarcely effefted his purpafe, and
received the offer of an annuity of £..300 per annum,, if he would
fettle in England, which would have afforded him more leifure,
and a fufficient income to purfue his chymical difcoveries,. when
his health declined. His diibrder began with an inflammation
in his eyes, ariling probably from the intenfe zeal with
which he carried on his chymical experiments, and ended in a
total debility, which hurried him to the grave, on the twenty-
firft day of May, 1786, in the fifty-fifth year of his age. Two
days before his death, he was married to the perfon to whom
he
he had been fo long betrothed, and left her the little money he c h a p .
viii.
had been able to fave. ■ _ — j
The union of virtue and knowledge is doubly meritorious; and
it is a pleafing fatisfaftion to add, that the morals of Scheele
were ftfift, and his conduit as irreproachable as his morals in all;
feafons of life.
Scheele had neither time nor inclination to form common
acquaintances j for moft of the hours which he could fpare
from his fhop and the duties of his office he employed in his
laboratory and library; but he was greatly attached to a few
congenial friends, and, fond of converting with them on fubjeits
©f chynviftry. He was to them extremely open, and of a communicative
diipofition, never in the leaft deiirous of withholding
his information, or concealing his difcoveries..
Before he adopted any. opinion, he was particularly cautious
j but when he had once formed it he was deciiive, and
defended it with firmnefs, yet .without heat. He was, however,
always open to conviétion; and more than once retraced his
opinion, whenever he was convinced by argument or experiment.
Scheele underftood no. other languages but the Latin, German,
and Swediih •, fo that he had not the advantage of being benefited
by the early intelligence of difcoveries < made by foreigners, and
was forced to wait until the information was conveyed to him
in the flow and uncertain channel of tranflation.. Even his acquaintance
with the Swediih was not fufficient to write the
I treatifes