1 86 Dr. Hare on certain points 



fore enlarging the superstructure, let it be shown that the 

 basement has been well grounded. 



Berzelius lays some stress on the community of effect, in 

 the evolution of hydrogen, both by acids formed by hydrogen 

 with halogen bodies, and by diluted hydrous sulphuric acid, 

 as evincing a similitude of composition justifying the sugges- 

 tion above quoted from him. But I conceive that this com- 

 mon result is better explained by ascribing it to the tendency 

 of radicals to displace each other from combination, whether 

 existing in a simple or a complicated compound. If water 

 exists as a base in hydrous sulphuric acid ; as I have else- 

 where suggested, we may consider this hydrous acid as a sul- 

 phate of the oxybase of hydrogen* ; and that when it reacts 

 with zinc or iron, the proneness of hydrogen to the aeriform 

 state enables either metal to take its place, agreeably to the 

 established laws of affinity. 



It may be proper, before concluding, to explain more par- 

 ticularly the nomenclature which I have adopted. 



The amphigen and halogen bodies of Berzelius, as they 

 produce acids and bases according to my definition, are all 

 classed as basacigen bodies. Of course oxygen, chlorine, 

 bromine, iodine, fluorine, cyanogen, sulphur, selenium, and 

 tellurium, are included in this class. 



The general designation of a binary compound of a basaci- 

 gen body, is the termination in ide ; the special, the termina- 

 tion in acid, when the compound acts as an acid ; in base, when 

 it acts as a base. 



Hence an oxide, may be an oxacid, or an oxybase ; 



a chloride, a chloracid, or a chloribase; 



a bromide, a bromacid, or a bromibase ; 



an iodide, an iodacid, or an iodobase; 



a cyanide, a cyanacid, or a cyanobase ; 



a sulphide, a sulphacid, or a sulphobase; 



a selenide, a selenacid, or a selenibase; 



a telluride, a telluracid, or a telluribase. 



Compounds which consist of radicals only, are distinguished 

 by the term wet equivalent to the French ure. Hence car- 

 buret, phosphuret, boruret, silicuret, 4 c. 



Of any two binary compounds containing each the same 

 basacigen body and forming one compound, the more electro- 

 negative is an acid, the other a base. Hence all the electro- 

 negative haloid compounds in the Berzelian double salts, are 

 acids, and the electro-positive, bases. Where there are two 

 such compounds, one containing one basacigen atom, the other 

 two atoms or one and a half, the former has a termination in 

 • See Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Mag. vol. vi. p. 328. 



