WERNER, ABRAHAM GOTTLIEB, a celebrated mineralogist and geologist, b. at Wehrau, on the Quciss, in Upper Lusatia, Sept. 25, 1750. His father was director of a smelting-work, and he was thus led almost in childhood to the study of minerals. After some time spent at the. mineralogical academy of Freyberg, he went to Leip.iie, where he studied natural history and jurisprudence. Here, at the age of 24, be published his first work on mineralogy, a mere pamphlet on the external characters of minerals. In 1775 he was appointed professor of mineralogy, and curator of the mineralogical cabinet at Freyberg. lu 1780 he published the first part of a translation of Cronstedt's Miner alogy, in his notes to which he gave the first outlines of the system which bears his name. In 1791 he published a Theory of the Formation of Metallic reins, which was translated into English and French, and greatly extended Ins reputation. He was not, however, a voluminous author, but his views were diffused by his pupils, among whom were the most eminent German mineralogists of the time. In 1792 he was appointed councilori. of mines in Saxony. He died at Dresden in 1817.
Werner's influence was very great in the promotion both of mineralogy and of geol ogy. In his mineralogical system, minerals were distinguished and arranged chiefly
according to their external characters; and mineralogists have now learned to depend much more than he did on their chemical constitution. In geology he did great service by arranging the facts already known, and guiding to proper methods of observation. His theory was extensively received for a time. It may be described as the opposite of the Iluttonian theory, accounting for the present state of mineral subsiauces in general by supposing them to have been dissolved or suspended in water; while the Huttonian theory ascribed almost everything to the action of tire. Werner's is sometimes called the theory} theory, while that of Hutton is styled the Plutonic. Modern geology recognizes a certain measure of truth in both, but rejects them alike in that character of completenesss or universality in which they were once advocated. Werner classified rocks into primary, transition, and secondary; and the terms are still sometimes used, although merely as convenient names, not as indicative of opinions concerning the rocks designated by them.