Introduction to the Study of Miner alngtf, 403 



The choice of a method founded upon the results of ana- 

 lysis naturally led me to adopt, wherever I could, the new 

 chemical nomenclature, so proper in other respects tor facili- 

 tating the study of science,- from the advantages of present- 

 ing names truly picturesque, which cany along with thent 

 the exact notion of the things they express: but the manner 

 in which my genera were formed, occasions a slight inver- 

 sion in the denominations, the first word of which ought to 

 express the base of the genus, and the second the specific 

 difference. Consequently, we must substitute, instead of 

 the terms filiate of lime, sulphate of barytas, sulphate of 

 irony &c, the terms filiated lime, sulphated barytes, sul- 

 pha ted iron, &c* 



But it is evident that these last denominations produce no 

 real change in the received language ; that they require 

 nothing else than memory ; and that they present to the 

 mind the same images under the same traces : mineralogy 

 does nothing more here than take the counterproof of the 

 drawing chalked out by the chemist. 



•I have not dissembled the difficulties which may be pre- 

 sented in the way of my method; but the strongest appeared 

 to me to arise from the state of imperfection in which che- 

 mistry still remains with respect to the analysis of some of 

 the. minerals. I cannot foresee, for example, the manner in 

 which it might behest to organize and denominate the new 1 

 genera which future discoveries will produce in the series 

 of earthy substances. I propose the method which seems 

 the least defective in the present slate of science. I take ad-* 

 vantage of what has been already done, without anticipating' 

 what still remains to be done : in short, I stop at the limit* 

 prescribed to me by experience, expecting that future la- 

 bours will extend them. 



But it would not have been sufficient to have given to the 

 plan of the system all the regularity and accuracy which 

 practical knowledge requires. I thought myself obliged 

 therefore to extend this plan, by introducing the greatest 



; * Bergman, Who had a very Correct mind, and wh'o even a^umed fixed 

 principles for the bases of his genera, called Jlnofatid lime, aerated tunc, &c'. f 

 what xve'xilUJluated'iime, CarluHaUU lime, &e. 



possible 



