(Charles-William), was born on the 16th of December 1742, at Stralund, where his father kept a shop. When he was very young, he received the usual instructions of a private school; and was afterwards advanced to an academy. At a very early age he showed a strong desire to follow the profession of an apothecary, and his father suffered him to gratify his inclinations. With Mr Bauch, an apothecary at Gottenburg, he passed his apprenticeship, which was completed in six years. He remained, however, some time longer at that place, and it was there that he so excellently laid the first foundations of his knowledge. Among the various books which he read, that treated of chemical subjects, Kunckel's Laboratory seems to have been his favourite. He used to repeat many of the experiments contained in that work privately in the night, when the rest of the family had retired to rest. A friend of Scheele's had remarked the progress which he had made in chemistry, and had asked him by what inducements he had been at first led to study a science in which he had gained such knowledge? Scheele returned the following answer: "The first cause, my friend, arose from yourself. Nearly at the beginning of my apprenticeship you advised me to read Neuman's Chemistry; from the perusal of which I became eager to make experiments myself; and I remember very well how I mixed together, in a conserve-glass, oil of cloves and fuming acid of nitre, which immediately took fire. I see also still before my eyes an unlucky experiment which I made with pyrophorus. Circumstances of this kind did but the more inflame my desire to repeat experiments." After Scheele's departure from Gottenburg, in the year 1765, he obtained a place with Kalström, an apothecary at Malmo. Two years afterwards he went from thence to Stockholm, and managed there the shop of Mr Scharenberg. In 1773, he changed this appointment for another at Upsal, under Mr Loock. Here he was fortunately situated; as, from his acquaintance with learned men, and from having free access to the University Laboratory, he had opportunities of increasing his knowledge. At this place also he happily commenced the friendship, which subsisted between him and Bergman. During his residence at this place, his Royal Highness Prince Henry of Prussia, accompanied by the Duke of Sundland, visited Upsal, and chose this opportunity to see the Academical Laboratory. Scheele was accordingly appointed by the University to exhibit some chemical experiments to them. This office he undertook, and showed some of the most curious processes in chemistry. The two Princes asked him many questions, and expressed their approbation of the answers which he returned to them. The Duke asked him what countryman he was, and seemed to be much pleased when Scheele informed him that he was born at Stralund. At their departure they told the professor, who was present, that they should esteem it a favour if he would permit the young man to have free access to the Laboratory, as often as he chose, to make experiments.

In the year 1777 Scheele was appointed by the Medical College to be apothecary at Koping. It was at that place that he soon showed the world how great a man he was, and that no place or situation could confine his abilities. When he was at Stockholm he showed his acuteness as a chemist, as he discovered there the new and wonderful acid contained in the sparry fluor. It has been confidently asserted, that Scheele was the first who discovered the nature of the aerial acid; and that whilst he was at Upsal he made many experiments to prove its properties. This circumstance might probably have furnished Bergman with the means of handling this subject more fully. At the same place he began the series of excellent experiments on that remarkable mineral substance, manganese; from which investigation he was led to make the very valuable and interesting discovery of the dephlogisticated marine acid. At the same time he first observed the ponderous earth.

At Koping he finished his dissertation on Air and Fire; a work which the celebrated Bergman most warmly recommended in the friendly preface which he wrote for it. The theory which Scheele endeavours to prove in this treatise is, that fire conflicts with pure air and phlogiston. According to more recent opinions (if inflammable air be phlogiston), water is composed of these two principles. Of these opinions we may say, in the words of Cicero, "Opiniones tam varia sunt, tamque inter se diffidentes, ut alterum profecto fieri posset, ut earum nulla, alterum certe non potest ut plus una, vera fit." The author's merit in this work, exclusive of the encomiums of Bergman, was sufficient to obtain the approbation of the public; as the ingenuity displayed in handling so delicate a subject, and the many new and valuable observations (A) which are dispersed through the treatise, justly entitled the author to that fame which his book procured him. It was spread abroad through every country, became soon out of print, was reprinted, and translated into many languages. The English translation is enriched with the notes of that accurate and truly philosophic genius Richard Kirwan, Esq.

Scheele now diligently employed himself in contributing to the Transactions of the Academy at Stockholm.

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(A) Scheele mentions in this work, in a cursory way, the decomposition of common salt by the calx of lead. Mr Turner, a gentleman who happily unites the skill of the manufacturer with the knowledge of the philosophic chemist, has also all the merit of this discovery, as he observed the same fact, without having been indebted to Scheele's hint on this subject. Mr Turner has done more; he has converted this discovery to some use in the arts; he produces mineral alkali for sale, arising from this decomposition; and from the lead which is united to the marine acid he forms the beautiful pigment called the patent yellow. He first pointed out a new way to prepare the salt of benzoin. In the same year he discovered that arsenic, freed in a particular manner from phlogiston, partakes of all the properties of an acid, and has its peculiar affinities to other substances.

In a Dissertation on Flint, Clay, and Alum, he clearly overturned Beaumé's opinion of the identity of the siliceous and argillaceous earths. He published an Analysis of the Human Calculus. He showed also a mode of preparing mercurius dulcis in the humid way, and improved the process of making the powder of Algaroth. He analysed the mineral substance called molybdena, or flexible black lead. He discovered a beautiful green pigment. He showed us how to decompose the air of the atmosphere. He discovered that some neutral salts are decomposed by lime and iron. He decomposed plumbago, or the common black lead. He observed, with peculiar ingenuity, an acid in milk, which decomposes acetated alkali; and in his experiments on the sugar of milk, he discovered another acid, different in some respects from the above-mentioned acid and the common acid of sugar. He accomplished the decomposition of tungsten, the component parts of which were before unknown, and found in it a peculiar acid earth united to lime. He published an excellent dissertation on the different sorts of ether. He found out an easy way to preserve vinegar for many years. His investigation of the colouring matter in Prussian blue, the means he employed to separate it, and his discovery that alkali, sal ammoniac, and charcoal, mixed together, will produce it, are strong marks of his penetration and genius. He found out a peculiar sweet matter in expressed oils, after they have been boiled with litharge and water. He showed how the acid of lemons may be obtained in crystals. He found the white powder in rhubarb, which Model thought to be selenite, and which amounts to one-seventh of the weight of the root, to be calcareous earth, united to the acid of ferrel. This suggested to him the examination of the acid of ferrel. He precipitated acetated lead with it, and decomposed the precipitate thus obtained by the vitriolic acid, and by this process he obtained the common acid of sugar; and by slowly dropping a solution of fixed alkali into a solution of the acid of sugar, he regenerated the acid of ferrel.—From his examination of the acids contained in fruits and berries, he found not one species of acid alone, viz. the acid of lemon, but another also, which he denominated the malaceous acid, from its being found in the greatest quantity in apples.

By the decomposition of Bergman's new metal (sidelite) he showed the truth of Meyer's and Klaproth's conjecture concerning it. He boiled the calx of sidelite with alkali of tartar, and precipitated nitrated mercury by the middle salt which he obtained by this operation; the calx of mercury which was precipitated was found to be united to the acid of phosphorus; so that he demonstrates that this calx was phosphorated iron. He found also, that the native Prussian blue contained the same acid. He discovered by the same means, that the perlate acid, as it was called, was not an acid sui generis, but the phosphoric united to a small quantity of the mineral alkali. He suggested an improvement in the process for obtaining magnesia from Epsom salt; he advises the adding of an equal weight of common salt to the Epsom salt, so that an equal weight of Glauber's salt may be obtained; but this will not succeed unless in the cold of winter. These are the valuable discoveries of this great philosopher, which are to be found in the Transactions of the Royal Society at Stockholm. Most of his essays have been published in French by Madame Picardet, and Mons. Morveau de Dijon. Dr Beddoes also has made a very valuable present to his countrymen of an English translation of a greater part of Scheele's dissertations, to which he has added some useful and ingenious notes. The following discoveries of Scheele are not, we believe, published with the rest. He showed what that substance is, which has been generally called 'the earth of the fluor spar.' It is not produced unless the fluor acid meet with siliceous earth. It appears from Scheele's experiments to be a triple salt, consisting of flint, acid of fluor, and fixed alkali. Scheele proved also, that the fluor acid may be produced without any addition of the vitriolic or any mineral acid: the fluor is melted with fixed alkali, and the fluorated alkali is decomposed by acetated lead. If the precipitate be mixed with charcoal dust, and exposed in a retort to a strong heat, the lead will be revived, and the acid of fluor, which was united to it, will pass into the receiver possessed of all its usual properties. This seems to be an ingenious and unanswerable proof of its existence.

He observed, that no pyrophorus can be made unless an alkali be present; and the reason why it can be prepared from alum and coal is, that the common alum always contains a little alkali, which is added in order to make it crystallize; for if this be separated from it, no pyrophorus can be procured from it. His last dissertation was his very valuable observations on the acid of the gallnut. Ehrhart, one of Scheele's most intimate friends, affirms, that he was the discoverer of both of the acids of sugar and tartar. We are also indebted to him for that masterpiece of chemical decomposition, the separation of the acid of phosphorus from bones. This appears from a letter which Scheele wrote to Gahn, who has generally had the reputation of this great discovery. This acid, which is so curious in the eye of the chemist, begins to draw the attention of the physician. It was first used in medicine, united to the mineral alkali, by the ingenious Dr Pearson. The value of this addition to the materia medica cannot be better evinced than from the increase of the demand for it, and the quantity of it which is now prepared and sold in London.

We may stamp the character of Scheele as a philosopher from his many and important discoveries. What concerns him as a man we are informed of by his friends, who affirm, that his moral character was irreproachable. From his outward appearance, you would not at first sight have judged him to be a man of extraordinary abilities; but there was a quickness in his eye, which, to an accurate observer, would point out the penetration of his mind. He mixed but little with the crowd of common acquaintance; for this he had neither time nor inclination, as, when his profession permitted him, he was for the most part employed in his experimental inquiries. But he had a fond for friendship; nor could even his philosophical pursuits withhold him from truly enjoying the society of those whom he could esteem and love. Before he adopted any opinion, or a particular theory, he considered it with the greatest attention; but when once his sentiments were fixed, he adhered to them, and defended them with resolution. Not but that he was ingenious enough to suffer himself to be convinced by weighty objections; as he has shewn that he was open to conviction.

His chemical apparatus was neither neat nor convenient; his laboratory was small and confined; nor was he particular in regard to the vessels which he employed in his experiments, as often the first phial which came to hand was placed in his sand-heat: so that we may justly wonder how such discoveries, and such elegant experiments, could have been made under such unfavourable circumstances. He understood none of the modern languages except the German and Swedish; so that he had not the advantage of being benefited by the early intelligence of discoveries made by foreigners, but was forced to wait till the intelligence was conveyed to him in the slow and uncertain channel of translation. The important services which Scheele did to natural philosophy entitled him to universal reputation; and he obtained it: his name was well known by all Europe, and he was member of several learned academies and philosophical societies.

It was often wished that he would quit his retirement at Koping, and move in a larger sphere. It was suggested to him, that a place might be procured in England, which might afford him a good income and more leisure; and, indeed, latterly an offer was made to him of an annuity of 300l. if he would settle in this country. But death, alas! put an end to this project. For half a year before this melancholy event, his health had been declining, and he himself was sensible that he would not recover. On the 19th of May 1786, he was confined to his bed; on the 21st he bequeathed all of which he was possessed to his wife (who was the widow of his predecessor at Koping, and whom he had lately married); and on the same day he departed this life. So the world lost, in less than two years, Bergman and Scheele, of whom Sweden may justly boast; two philosophers, who were beloved and lamented by all their contemporaries, and whose memory posterity will never cease most gratefully to revere.