r 59 ] 



iicion of fulphur with any bafis in general, whether alkaline, 

 earthy, metallic, oleaginous, fpirituous or carbonaceous ; in thi? 

 mofl extenfive fenfe the old nomenclature fupplied no term, and 

 yet fome name was wanting ; in this fenfe therefore it may be 

 retained. 



Another general maxim advanced by M. Morvcau is, that 

 " the denomination of a chymical compound is neither dear nor 

 '• exa£t except it expreffes by names conformable to their nature 

 " the ingredients that enter into that compound." This maxim, 

 unhappily too eafily adopted by the French School, tends to the 

 fubverfion of the received language of all fciences, and even of 

 common life. By this rule we are to banifh the name water, 

 and inftead of it fubftitute its component ingredients hydrogenated 

 oxygen or oxygenated hydrogen * ; and inftead of ice we are to fay 

 decaloricated, hydrogenated oxygen, and for^^awz, caloricated hydro- 

 genated oxygen. Inftead of common foap we are to fay oleaginated 

 foda, and for glafs, ftlictted alkali, &c. 



The French chymifls it is true retain the name foap, but in con- 

 tradiction with their own principles ; for they furely cannot in this 

 word difcover the radicals of its compofttion. (Nay Lavoifier 



H 2 retains 



* Fourcroy exprefsly fays water may be called txide of hydrogen. See St. John's 

 method of nomenclature, p. 64. 



