Christian Friedrich Schoenbein to Faraday   17 August 1861

My dear Faraday,

Mr. P. Merian¹ the well known Geologist and one of the most intimate friends of mine at Bâle going to England, I send you through him some bits of the antozoniferous Fluorspar of Woelsendorf, which I hope will prove acceptable to you.

Last easter I went to Munic in search for that interesting material, and was lucky enough to find some there. It is true, the spar I got is not so richly charged with antozone as that was, of which I sent you a small specimen some time ago, but contains enough of it as to enable you to repeat all the experiments, I described in one of my former letters².

Part of the last midsummer holidays I with my two youngest daughters spent at Seelisberg near the lake of Lucerne, part of them at Combe Varin a quiet green spot on the heights of the Jura mountains and returned to Bale but last Wednesday³ refreshed in body and mind, both of which were rather tired and lame by hard working. Later I shall give you a summary account of my recent doings and the results obtained, which are rather curious and out of the way facts, not deficient, as I should think of scientific interest. They refer to the so called simple halogenous bodies, principally to Jodine, which substances, as you well know, I consider to be oxy-compounds, i.e. Ozonides. The novel facts ascertained are by no means contradictory to that heretical notion, on the contrary, I think them to be highly in favor of it. At any rate, by that hypothesis I was led to the discovery of the facts alluded to.

Mrs. Schoenbein and my daughters are, thank God, doing pretty well and charge me with their best compliments to you and in begging you to remember me most friendly to Mrs Faraday[.]

I am, | my dear Faraday | Your’s | most faithfully | C.F. Schoenbein

Bâle August | 17th. 1861.