Dover | 14 Septr. 1844.
My dear Schoenbein
I received your letter1 &c here where I had come with my wife for a week or ten days for a little revival of general health and where we are kept at present by a sad accident which happened to my only brother2 who was also here with his wife3. In bathing from a machine the sea shook the machine, he lost his footing, fell and broke two ribs. After that he dressed & walked to his lodgings and whether in so doing or at the time of the accident we cannot say but the broken ends of the ribs had injured the lungs in some degree so that air escaped[.] This happened last monday4 & though he is going on favourably at present yet it makes us very anxious. I had engaged & intended to go to the meeting at York 5 & may still go if he goes on well next week; but it is, as you will see, very possible that I may not be there[.] However we hope for the best in his case[.]
As to Ozone you know now that my bad memory & weak head cuts me off from many things and amongst others from that as to working for I am not able to preserve any thing constantly as I used to do & only by great management contrive to follow up piecemeal some views & pursuits of my own - my inability to bring them to a quick & distinct conclusion is to me evidence I cannot work as I have done. But I read your letters6 with great interest & though the subject is very difficult still am satisfied you will not leave it till you have settled it. I sent them to the Royal Society with the restriction you made7 & also shewed them to Grove Daniell & others[.] Now we have your accounts also in the Archives8. When I return home which will be for one day if not more next week I will send Your German book9 to Grove who reads german I believe & ask him about it & extracts from it for York[.]
It is so many years since I was at any of the meetings of the Association (except a few hours only at Birmingham or Manchester I forget which10) that I really know nothing of their nature & whether a book like yours if ready would sell there or not[.] Judging by my own feelings I should think it would. Richd Taylor of the Phil Mag whose brother11 is the treasurer would be very like to know but the time is so near that it does not allow me to enquire & communicate his opinion so as to enable any arrangements - and I am tied up here[.]
I will take care that either by myself or by your letter your kind offer to report at the next meeting on the state of the Ozone subject shall be laid before the proper body[.]
My wife is with me & desires her kind remembrances she had not forgotten your intention of being here this year[.] Remember us both to Mrs. Schoenbein & to the growing up folks. I suppose I should see a difference now <to> what I saw when at Basle[.]
Ever My dear Schoenbein | Yours | M. Faraday
Address: Profr Schoenbein | &c &c &c | Bâsle | on the Rhine
SCHOENBEIN, Christian Friedrich (1844b): “De la production de l'ozône par voie chimique”, Arch. Elec., 4: 333-453.
SCHOENBEIN, Christian Friedrich (1844c): Uber die Erzeugung des Ozons auf chemischen Wege, Basel.
Please cite as “Faraday1606,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on