Mr. R. Phillips on the Use of Chemical Symbols. 445 



nifies half an atom of oxygenated water. Berzelius places 

 the symbol of water last, with -f prefixed, as will be observed 

 in the formula quoted from him. Mr. Graham places it be- 

 tween the alkali and acid, without the sign -}-. In page 285, 

 Mr. Graham denotes a compound of three atoms of water 



with one atom of phosphoric acid by H 3 P; Berzelius would 



formerly have denoted the compound by P + 3 Aq, and at 



present he uses the formula P + 3 H. 



In answer to these observations, it may perhaps be ima- 

 gined that Mr. Graham has employed a totally distinct system 

 of notation. I am not prepared to deny this, yet I much 

 doubt it; the following statements are taken from all the sy- 

 stems which I have been able to collect, and it will be seen 

 that though Mr. Graham's formula differs from them all, it is 

 evidently, with some alterations, compounded of Berzelius's 

 first and present systems. 



Berzelius NaP-f-24Aq. 



Ditto Na 2 J> + 24H. 



Graham Na 3 H 2 *P. 



Rose Na + P0 5 + 24 HO. 



Whewell N-fp' + 24 q. 



Brande S+/ + 24 q. 



Turner So + P + 2^ + 24 aq. 



Johnstone P+So + 24H. 



Prideaux NF + 24<Aq. 



00. o 

 Warrington Po + So + 24 H°. 



I do not exhibit this specimen of confusion in the vain hope 

 of abolishing symbols, much as I should rejoice in the accom- 

 plishment of that object. The statement may, however, in- 

 duce those who use them, to add such an account of the 

 nature of the compound, as may render their meaning intel- 

 ligible to those who have neither leisure nor inclination to 

 examine ten systems of notation in order to discover the 



meaning of N a 2 H P; this, however, I have done, and entirely 

 without success. 



[Note.— The lines which we have placed tinder the letters, are in the ori- 

 ginals placed across them,— a method not within the present means of the 

 typographer. — See also Annates de Chimie.] 



