Jons Jakob Berzelius (1779-1848), Swedish chemist. He was expert at blowpipe analysis and discovered several elements while carrying out analyses. He determined atomic weights for most elements known in the early 19th century. He also introduced modern symbols for elements, using the first one or two letters, such as H for Hydrogen. He believed that these did not disfigure the printed page as much as pictorial symbols. He also analyzed many organic compounds and tried to understand their complex properties.
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Album / Science Source / NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY PICTURE COLLECTION