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•nunieroui. To obviate the firft, in one particular inftance, tTie 

 French fchool have very properly affigned different names to 

 compounds holding diiFerent proportions of oxygen and poffeffing 

 different properties in virtue of that difference of proportion, as 

 acids a.nd oxides ; but feveral of the vegetable acids differ from 

 each other only in the proportion of ingredients, which cannot, 

 even if fully known, be expreffed in detail on every occafion. 

 So to obtain a diftind knowledge of the various combinations of 

 fulphur or fulphur and hydrogen with different bafes is of the 

 utmoft confequence to any one that wifhes to obtain any infight 

 into the phasnomena prefented by mineral waters during their 

 analyfis, or of the nature of other fulphurated compounds; on 

 this obfcure and intricate inveftigation, mofl certainly the eminent 

 abilities of Fourcroy, and the confummate fkili and fagacity of 

 Berthollet and his affociate Welter have thrown the clearefl light, 

 yet I muft own that the terms employed by the two laft to denote 

 the different compounds appear to me very perplexing, though 

 the befl that could be chofen on the principles of the new nomen- 

 clature.* I flatter myfelf therefore that a fhort explanation of 

 them, and of the names I would wifh to fubflitute in their room, 

 will not be unacceptable nor out of place on this occafion. 



Sulphurcy 



^ See 25 Ann. Chym. p. 230. and 3. New. Rox. Jour. p. 436. 



