Faraday to Christian Friedrich Schoenbein   2 June 1852

Royal Institution | 2 June 1852

My dear friend

Though very stupid & weary yet I write, chiefly for the purpose of thanking you for your last very kind letter¹ - it was quite a refresher and did me good. I wish more had such power, then I should think I might be of some little use amongst my friends by cheering them up.

Your paper in the Chirurgical Transactions². I think I asked you what I should do with some copies that were printed off³[.] However I forget whether you told me any thing about them - and I find by enquiring that Dr. Bence Jones has sent them to you by a friend that hoped to see Basle perhaps you have them already[.]

Presently you will have three papers of mine all at once. Two from the Phil Trans⁴ & one from the Phil Mag⁵. They all relate to one subject i.e the lines of magnetic force.

Every now & then I stir my audience by talking about your Ozone⁶ - and then there are many enquiries[.] I wish we had a good general English account of it both as to its preparation actions and history[.] An acquaintance of mine the Revd Mr. Sidney⁷ is busy putting slips from your ozonmeter which I have supplied him with through the cleft stems of vegetable & says he procures many effects just like those of ozone. In such cases however there is a great deal to eliminate as due to other actions of the ozonometrical strip & the juices before he will have his subject clear[.] Still experimentation is always useful[.]

What are your mysterious results - or what the results of your mysterious friend. Have you made gold - or iron rather for it is a more useful metal[.] Or have you condensed oxygen. I wish you could tell me what liquid or solid oxygen is like. I have often tried to coerce it & long to know[.]

With kindest remembrances to Mrs. Schoenbein

I am My dear Schoenbein | Your lazy friend | M. Faraday

Address: Professor Schoenbein | &c &c &c | University | Bâle | on the Rhine