of Chemical Philosophy and Nomenclature. 185 



boron and silicon, would lead us to expect similar compounds 

 to be formed by the same radicals, with the other halogen 

 bodies, contrary to experience. Chemistry makes us ac- 

 quainted with many similar discordances. How is it that 

 oxygen forms aeriform compounds with an extremely fixed 

 body in the instance of carbon ; while in that of phosphorus 

 or arsenic, both volatilizable, it forms acids which are com- 

 paratively insusceptible of volatilization? Wherefore does not 

 hydrogen produce an acid with phosphorus and arsenic, as 

 well as with sulphur ? 



According to Berzelius, all the halogen bodies produce with 

 hydrogen combinations which are as highly endowed with the 

 attributes of acidity, as the strongest acids into which oxygen 

 enters as a constituent. It is conceded in his letter that his 

 language respecting these combinations cannot be reconciled 

 with his declaration in one place that they do not combine with 

 oxybases, and in another that a body which cannot so com- 

 bine is not an acid. It strikes me, that the only way in which 

 the admitted inconsistency of his description of these bodies, 

 with his definition of acidity, can be avoided, is by assuming 

 that they combine as acids with haloid bases, although de- 

 composed by oxybases. 



I will now proceed to comment on a new subject for con- 

 sideration, presented in Berzelius' s letter in reply to mine. 



It must be evident that every oxysalt, composed of an ox- 

 acid and an oxybase, must consist of an atom of each radical, 

 and as many atoms of oxygen as exist both in the acid and in 

 the base. Thus sulphate of potash consists of an atom of po- 

 tassium, an atom of sulphur and four atoms of oxygen, and 

 may be represented either by SOOO KO or SOOOOK. 



Berzelius in his letter repeats an ingenious suggestion pre- 

 viously advanced in his treatise, that SOOOO, (sulphur with 

 four atoms of oxygen,) may act, as a compound halogen body 

 like cyanogen, and thus form a salt by union with an atom 

 of any radical. He conceives that the apparent want of ana- 

 logy, which induced him to separate into two classes, the am- 

 phigen and halogen bodies, disappears under this view of the 

 phaenomena; and that his amphide salts might be considered 

 as constituted of a compound halogen body and an elementary 

 radical. But however we may admire the ingenuity of these 

 suggestions, ere, in obedience to them, we extend the limits 

 of the halogen class, I would request that the word salt should 

 be defined, and that it be shown that consistently with any 

 definition which can be devised, there is any class of bodies 

 in nature which merit the appellation of salt-producers. Be- 

 Third Series. Vol. 11. No. 6G. Aug. 1837. 2B 



