Christian Friedrich Schoenbein to Faraday   27 February 1855

My dear Faraday,

From the very long silence I have kept, you will draw all sorts of conclusions, but I am quite sure, that none of them proves to be correct, for the simple reason that even Mr. Schoenbein himself cannot account for his taciturnity. I have been neither unwell, nor low-spirited nor overbusy, nor any thing else that could have prevented me from breaking it sooner, and least of all, I have forgotten my dear and amiable friend at the Royal Institution.

But if I have not written to - I have written, at least, about you and in telling you so much I have revealed to you an author’s secret which I beg you however to keep as yet to yourself[.] The matter stands thus: I have been composing a book these last six months, certainly not a scientific one, for doing such a thing suits, as you well know, neither the taste nor the powers of your friend; it is a sort of “quodlibet” or as the musical term runs a “pot pourri” i.e. a most variegated motley of things¹. You recollect perhaps the trip I made to Munich and Vienna some time ago², and its having turned out so very pleasant induced me to try my graphic powers with the view of making Mrs Schoenbein and the girls, as it were, partners of my journey.

Wives and Children are very partial judges of the litterary productions of their husbands and fathers and you will therefore not be surprized when I tell you that my excellent helpmate and young ladies made no exception to the rule. They found, indeed, every thing I had written and read to them so very excellent that they started one day the idea of having my scribbling published. However great my dislike to bookmaking is and how little I care for gaining laurels in the line of authorship, I at last yielded to the entreaties of my darlings, that is to say, promised to try what I could do in the matter. And, indeed, I have finished the work and a copy legibly and nicely written out lies in my desk, but when it will go to the printer and published, that is a thing, which I cannot tell.

You will laugh, when I inform you that in spite of the embryonic state of my spiritual child, I have already baptized and given it the name “Glosses on Men and Things by an elderly Man”. This title has, as you see, elasticity enough and I will not conceal it from you that I have made full use of its vagueness, having thronged all sorts of reflections and queer ideas into the opusculum.

On account of its motley character I should like you could read that strange composition, but it being written in german, I am afraid its contents will never come to your knowledge.

It is, however, time to return to yourself and tell you in what manner I have written about you. In the above mentioned book there is a little chapter bearing the title “Fachsmaenner”³, gallicé “Spécialités” and anglicé perhaps - but I am unable to translate the word into your language, I mean to denote by that term Men devoting their whole life and mind to one object. By no means admiring what they call universal geniuses and being convinced that it is the “spécialités” to whom we owe every real progress in science, arts &c. I have, with a view of proving the correctness of my opinion, drawn up four slight sketches of such “Fachsmaenner”, of Berzelius, von Buch⁴, Cuvier⁵ and of, of, but be it spoken out, of Faraday. I hope you will not tax me with indiscretion for having taken that liberty and believe that in doing so your friend has been actuated by the best motives.

As to science I have of late done nothing at all and do not recollect to have passed a Winter so inactively and lazily as the last. When spring calls forth again the dormant powers of the earth I hope I shall then feel too its congenial influence and be stirred into action, for there is matter enough to work upon and of laborers there are not too many[.]

My colle[a]gue Professor Wiedemann an excellent philosopher has (partly on my instigations) taken up Electrolysis again⁶, that fundamental phenomenon, I used to call the true copula of Chymistry and natural philosophy and obtained some results that seem to speak very much in favor of my heretic opinion, according to which in all the oxysalts the electrolysing power of the current is solely and exclusively exerted upon their basic oxides and that there is no such thing as an oxy-compound Ion.

I proposed Mr. Wiedemann to electrolize salts containing the same base and acid in different proportions and see whether by the same current different or equal quantities of metal be eliminated from such salts. If my notion should happen to be correct, it is manifest that under the circumstances mentioned equal quantities ought to be eliminated. The salts as yet carefully electrolyzed are the mono- and tribasic acetates of lead and Mr. Wiedemann has ascertained that on electrolysing them by the same current they yielded equal quantities of lead. I may add that in those experiments my colle[a]gue uses as a sort of voltameter a solution of nitrate of silver i.e. the weight of metal being eliminated from that salt as the s<<tan>>dard measure of the amount of the electrolysing power of the current employed. Now upon one equivalent of silver Mr. W. obtained one equiv. of lead both from the neutral and tribasic acetate. Hence it seems to follow that the current has nothing to do with the acid, in other terms that the latter is no Anion. In my late paper “on the chemical effects of Electricity, Heat and Light”⁷ I have circumstancially developed my notions on the Electrolysis of the Oxy-salts and you have perhaps taken notice of them.

I entertain no doubt you have spent the winter in high scientific spirits and performed some exploits in spite of the warlike mood of the public mind⁸, which by the bye I do not relish at all and am inclined to consider as madness. I hardly need tell you how happy I should feel if you would favor me soon with your good news and not requite silence by silence. All my family are doing well and charge me with their best compliments to you and Mrs. Faraday, to which I join my own. Believe me my dear Faraday for ever

Your’s most truly | C.F. Schoenbein

Bâle feb. 27, 1855.

Address: Doctor Michael Faraday | &c &c &c | Royal Institution | London