Faraday to John George Children   21 November 1831

Royal Institution | Nov. 21. 1831.

Sir

I find myself constrained to leave town for 8 or 10 days for health’s sake and as I shall therefore be unable to attend the next Council I feel bound to submit to the President and Council through you such reasons as are in favour of the proposition I had the honor to make of a Medal to Berzelius[.]

An Edition of Berzelius’ Treatise on Chemistry in French is now in course of publication[.] It will consist of 8 vols and four of these have appeared in the successive years of 1829, 1830, 1831¹. It is under the arrangement of M Berzelius himself whose preface from Stockholm is dated November 1828, and he says it will contain all new matter up to the date of its publication[.] It has done so as far as it has proceeded and will no doubt continue to do so to the end[.]

Since 1827, and therefore within the limit fixed for the medal, Berzelius has published many important papers in the Annales de Chimie some of which have already been embodied in the Edition referred to. I therefore think that work a full & sufficient reason for adjudging the medal to the author because its date as a compilation and the date of original matter in it are both within our limits of five years.

There are fifteen papers in the Annales de Chimie since 1827, amongst which are the Analysis of Platina minerals with new observations on Iridium & Osmium ², an account of the new earth Thorina (the true Thorina) ³ Demonstration of the peculiar nature of Lactic acid Analysis ⁴ & comparison of the Tartaric & racemic acids, two bodies which with the same composition have different qualities⁵[.]

I have not thought it necessary to insist upon Berzelius’ deserts[.] No one who knows any thing of chemistry can doubt but that he merits it most highly. I have only endeavoured to shew that according to our own rules he is eligible to receive it⁶[.]

I am Sir | Your Very Obedient Humble Servant | M. Faraday

J.G. Children Esq | Sec R Society | &c &c &c