24-6 PRESENT STATE OK THF BRITISH MUSEUM. 



the chemical world, whether, in the prefent Hate of 

 knowledge, it be not more philofophical to fay, 



Nomenclature of Muriatic radical, or 



this hypothefis. f orne (ingle word 



of the fame import, 



Muriatous acid, 



Muriatic acid, 



our 



It Is not proved 

 that every acid 

 contains oxigen. 



Nomenclature 

 ihould be go- 

 verned by the 

 faflts } and not 

 the contrary. 



Muriatic acid j 



Oxigenized muriatic acid ; 

 ta Hyperoxigenized muriatic acid, 



I am fully aware that, at firft fight, this may appear extraor- 

 dinary ; and the more fo, as We have no pofitive facts that 

 prove muriatic acid to be a fimple body. All we can, therefor e 

 confider fairly, is, in favour of which appellation does the fum 

 of analogies feem to preponderate. And, to give the caufe a 

 candid inveftigation, we mould begin by confidering, whether 

 the prefence of oxigen in all bodies that have acid properties, 

 has been rigidly demonflrated; and not determine by this law 

 of the French chemiftry, till we are well convinced it has not 

 been too generally aflumed. ^ 



If a nomenclature be not fubfervient to the ufes of fcience, 

 and does not keep pace with its progrefs, the relation between 

 fubftances and their names will become fo relaxed, that confu- 

 iion will be brought about, by the very means we take to avoid 

 it ; and if, while we continue to extend our acquaintance with 

 chemical bodies, nomenclature remains confined within its 

 fprmer limits, the bonds that unite thefe two parts of the fcience 

 mull inevitably be broken. 



TheBritimMu- 

 feum ftated to 

 be of no public 

 utility. 



That if is not 

 open to the pub' 

 lie in any benefi- 

 cial manner 5 



III. 



On the prefent State of the Britijh Mufeum. By a Correfpondent* . 



. IT will probably be considered a prefumption, even bordering 

 on impertinence, to remark, that no eitabliihment is of lefs 

 utility to the public, and none a greater reproach to the na- 

 tion, than the Britifh Mufeum in its prefent ftate; but as the 

 remark is made with the pureft motive, it is hoped its apparent 

 petulance will be excufed. 



That this magnificent and valuable collection, bought hy the 



■ public for their own ufe, and entertained at their own ex-> 



* Whofe name accompanied the paper.— W. N. 



pence. 



